Mississippi Valley State University Women’s Soccer – Coach Kayleigh Lambrechts
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Lambrechts from the Mississippi Valley State Women’s Program. We talk about taking over a new Division 1 program. She describes how the school is supportive in both athletic and academic affairs. Lastly, we discuss how she wants every player to be comfortable with the ball at their feet. Learn more about Mississippi Valley State University Women’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I’m lucky enough to be joined by Coach Kayleigh Lambrechts from Mississippi Valley State University. Welcome coach.
Coach: Thank you.
Matt: Thank you. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Thanks for being here. Very excited to talk to you. Since you are taking over the, the Mississippi Valley State program there, it sounds like you, you’ve been there, uh, not quite six months yet.
Uh, but you’re, I’m sure you’re, you’re getting hard to work and one of those things would be recruiting. Uh, so. I mean, obviously you’re early in the system, but you and I are talking, we’re 10 days away from the good old January or June 15th, uh, date. That’s on a lot of people’s minds as, as division one schools can, can talk to folks.
So how are you gearing up for, for the recruiting process in terms of. I mean, obviously those are class of 25. So how far along are you with the 20 fours? Are you still wrapping up 20 threes at this point? I mean, what, what does it look like for you as a new coach at a division one?
Coach: Um, so obviously my first priority was 23 since, um, As, as you know, we had a, a very tough fall.
Um, so my priority when I came in was, was to make sure we have a decent squat for 23, where we can actually compete and, and hopefully get us back where we, where we belong. Um, so I wrapped up 23, uh, a couple weeks ago, so obviously I’m, I’m in the process of 24. Um, now to me, for, for. Since so many kids are coming in for 23, [00:01:30] um, I’m kind of holding off on my 20 fours to commit anybody just yet.
Uh, for that reason is since there’s so many kids coming in, I just wanna make sure what I have and, um, obviously it’s always different when we put them together. Um, at the end of the day is individuals we’re recruiting right now. So, um, once we kind of get preseason, Properly going and have that first couple of games under a belt, I think is gonna be more clear for me, uh, where in what direction I need to head for, for 24.
So, okay.
Matt: Well, in terms of looking ahead for, for this next year, right? How do you see your. Recruiting process in terms of inbound students, folks emailing you saying, Hey, coach would love to come versus outbound, you reaching out, whether it’s going to events, talking to club coaches, whatever the case may be, how, how does that juxtaposition work of those two ways to recruit?
Coach: Um, I’m always a big fan of always seeing kids in person. Um, so obviously our camps are very important. Uh, we started implementing those again since I got here. So, uh, for us, those camps really mean recruiting wise. Um, it gives me a chance to see the younger kids and um, and kind of go from there, start communication.
Um, At the same time when kids email me, I always, always try to email them back. Um, especially now when, when we hit that mark that we can speak to the 20 fives, it’s, it’s a great way to start communicating. Um, so that gives me an opportunity, of course, for, um, to go out and, and, [00:03:00] and see them in person. Um, for me it’s really hard to recruit just based on, on highlights and videos.
Um, cuz as you know, you, you can just put the, the best part in there. Um, but it’s a, it is a good. Basis to have before going out there. So, um, since I’ve been doing this for a little bit now, um, you start to get to know people. You start to have people out there that can help you recruit. Um, since I’m currently by myself, um, I don’t have an assistant coach yet, so for me it’s, it’s, it’s sometimes hard to make every single event.
Um, so it’s, it’s, it’s very easy and nice to have people out there that I can say, Hey, this person email me. They’re gonna be there. Are you gonna be there? Can you keep an eye out for me? And, um, kind of just go from there and, um, obviously be open to that player that so and so is coming for them. Um, and to watch them for me, basically.
Matt: Okay. Well, in terms of things you’re looking for in players, again, you’re, you’re kind of in a, in a rebuild mode, right? As a, as a new coach there. But what, what is that hierarchy of things that you’re looking for in a player, whether that’s on the field stuff or off the field stuff?
Coach: Uh, to me, and that’s always the first thing I ask.
Um, I I, I cover in, in any phone calls or any conversations I have is, is character. Um, I can teach you any skill all day, but I can’t teach you character. That’s, that’s, that’s really you. Um, so for me it’s important how that player reacts to, um, um, Things that come on during, um, during the game. So, um, obviously when it comes to club, you have kids all over that are wanting to play, wanting to [00:04:30] improve, all that kind of good stuff.
In high school, it’s sometimes a little bit harder situation cuz you can’t really recruit as a coach. Um, so I like going to those games just because sometimes you have a really good player, um, and they’re surrounded by. Not that quality player. So it’s, um, it’s, it’s good to see what their character is.
Are you helping the team? Are you picking them up when, when they’re losing? Are you, um, how are you? Are you selfish? Are you, um, when you get down one zero, how do you respond to that? Um, Do, you know, your team, all that kind of good stuff. Um, so for me, more importantly, it’s, it’s the character, the mentality on and off the field compared to, to the skill and, and, and all that kind of good stuff.
Okay.
Matt: Well, in terms of. Building your roster. I, I mean, I’m just guessing that’s not a Mississippi accent that you have there. So, um, are you looking internationally at all? Are you, do, how does the transfer portal fit in with so many kids in there these days? Does, does international and transfer recruiting fit into your process?
Coach: Yeah, so of course I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m originally from Belgium, so obviously that somehow helps me of course in, in the Europe aspect. Um, I have some agencies back home that I know personally, so obviously they helped me out. Um, with me coming in so late, it was kind of hard to start that process. Of course, with NCAA all their paperwork and, um, some of their.
The embassies are still not fully working after a whole covid situation. Um, so right now I’ve mainly looked at obviously [00:06:00] transfers from jucos. Um, that can come in and create some maturity for my team. Um, and then obviously I looked at, um, lots of freshmens from. Around here in, in the States. Um, I think looking forward, um, there will be some internationals coming in.
The reason for that is just because I like what they bring to the table with their culture and, and different ways of, of soccer that they thought over the years and, and, and. With a mix of, of Americans coming in. Um, but right now what we’re bringing in for 23 is mainly Americans. And then I have a couple internationals that are coming from Ucco.
Um, of course I have my eye on the, on the transfer portal. Um, but um, at the same time, We need to realize where we were last year. Um, so it’s, it’s a rebuilding year. It’s, it’s getting the kids that want to play, that want to fight for, um, where we want to be. Um, so the main focus was just finding kids that believe in me, believe in where the school wants to go in the, in the future, um, and kind of started that process together.
Matt: Okay. Well it. In terms of your roster makeup, your roster size, and, and I know it’s gonna be maybe a little bit different this year, but, but is there a roster size that you feel is ideal that you would like to have, whether it’s not this fall, but moving forward?
Coach: Mm-hmm. Um, to me, preferably, I always like to have a roster of 28 to 32, like in between there somewhere.
Um, How, how season is over here is, is, is, is a lot of [00:07:30] games in short amount of period. Um, so I always wanna be prepared. Uh, injuries do happen. Um, unfortunately people do quit sometimes in preseason, so we have to be prepared for all the, all the scenarios that could be out there. Um, and then also you have usually a three goalkeeper.
So, um, it’s kind of 28 is a good number to have. Um, you also wanna make sure he is not too big, just. Because obviously you want to keep the kids happy in some way. It’s not in saying like, um, that they’re gonna be unhappy, but you also don’t wanna make it too big where you don’t even know all your kids personally.
Um, cause I do believe that’s important.
Matt: Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. Let’s talk a little bit more about the school. I mean, I know you’ve only been there a few months, but what are some of the things that you found, uh, that you really enjoy about the school that kind of sets it apart? Maybe some things we wouldn’t necessarily know just by going through the website.
Coach: Um, I, one of the, the first things I noticed over here is obviously how, how supportive everybody is. Um, I’ve worked at a couple universities before and, um, I feel like every coach here is very supportive of each other. They wanna help out, they wanna, um, be there as much as they can. Um, and then of course our athletic director, he’s, um, He’s made the transition for me very easy.
Um, so that’s always one of the good things that I always try to tell the, the, the girls and the recruits is we have a supportive system that actually wants to see us succeed. Um, in a lot of schools, sometimes it’s football comes first before soccer. Um, and that’s, that’s not the case over [00:09:00] here. Um, They really try to push us as much as we can to try to improve our, our facilities.
Um, cuz obviously we are at the D one level, so we don’t wanna have those facilities. Um, and that’s, that’s really important to, to push there. So that’s one of the things, of course, that you can’t find on the website, but that’s, that’s one of the things that stood out to me. Um, and, and I think that’s one of the most important things to, to, to feel that support and, and that the team feels it from the school and not just from me.
Matt: Well, speaking of support, you know, a lot of times for a, an incoming. High school kid to college, balancing the academics with the, the athletic requirements and, and all that is being an athlete. Mm-hmm. H how do your students really make that balance? What support systems does the school offer to help help your students support or to succeed on the field and off the field?
Coach: Definitely. So of course you have me. Um, I’m very, I’m very big on academics. At the end of the day, you’re here for your education. So, um, we do study hall. I keep track of the hours. I keep track of your grades. Um, we have, one of the rules in our handbook is if you have a D R N F on a certain test, I wanna know from you enough from your professor.
I kind of just have that communication so we can, um, we can help out before it’s too late type thing. Um, and then also we have our academic counselors. Um, that just help out for our athletes. So we have a certain person that makes sure that all our, all our players are on track to graduate, that they are in the right classes.
If they need summer classes, just to be sure we put ’em in there. [00:10:30] Um, they send me an overview of study hall as well. Um, so every week, so our incoming freshmen and or transfers, they have a certain amount of study hall hours they need to complete. Um, so I get a list of that. Halfway through the week, how many hours they’ve done so far.
Um, that way if they are obviously in red, that means there is something going on that we need to fix before the end of the week type thing. Um, and then at the end of the week, they send me a review again. Um, they also keep me updated with, um, Obviously their grades, they’re midterms, final grades if there’s a problem with a professor.
Um, so basically an overall picture, which obviously helps me out a lot. Um, there’s so many things going on at the same time. And, and having that help is great for me, but also for the kids. Um, they also have that person’s phone number and they have a group chat together, so that way. They can send reminders, they can um, ask questions and actually feel comfortable and not have to like tiptoe around anybody.
Um, cuz obviously freshmen have a lot of nerves sometimes coming into college and being away from home. So, um, I think that’s one of the, the biggest things. And um, lastly, we have obviously our professors, we are a D one, but we’re not one of those massive B uh, D one s. Um, so that is definitely helpful. Uh, professors know the kids.
Which ones are athletes and stuff. Um, so if there’s anything going on, if there’s a problem, if someone’s missing class that I’m not aware of, um, they are contacting me or they come to my office. So that’s definitely those things that help [00:12:00] me, cuz obviously if you don’t go to class, you don’t train either.
Um, and, and, and, and kind of that, have that communication. Okay,
Matt: well let’s fast forward to the fall. You know, your first. Full season at the helm. Mm-hmm. Can you walk me through what you think a typical week is gonna look like for the players in terms of when is class meals practice, the game, cadence, all that kind of thing?
Coach: Mm-hmm. Um, so obviously preseason a bit different since we don’t have class yet. Um, but usually, um, I try to train, if we do two a days, I like to train, uh, once at seven in the morning just because the heat, you know, over here is pretty, it gets pretty hot. Um, so I wanna make sure we, we kind of beat that.
Um, so preseason is usually. Two a days, twice a week just because, uh, the balance of, of intensity and all that kind of good stuff. Um, so obviously there’s included fitness weights, technical sessions, tactical sessions, um, especially with so many new kids, it’s. The big picture is, is gonna be a lot of, um, playing, trying to see what fits good together and so on.
Um, and then obviously when, when classes starts, um, they usually go to the classroom eight till, usually 2:00 PM Uh, we train around three 30. Um, we play Fridays, Fridays, Sunday. Um, and then obviously, um, they have breakfast, they eat lunch. Um, and then. They, we train before dinner. That way they can, if, if it’s a heavy session, they can load up again on their carbs, uh, before going to bed, which is important for their recovery.
Um, and then we also have a, [00:13:30] um, a nutrition station on campus where the athletes can go twice a day, um, and get extra, uh, fuel for whatever is needed. So if they end up going to the gym, they can stop by, get. Powerade water, granola bars, protein shakes, like, stuff like that. Um, and that’s definitely something that’s helpful since, um, like I said, with the heat we burn a little bit more, um, than usual.
Um, so those things are, are definitely helpful for us and one of the recruiting points definitely to have that station as well.
Matt: Oh, that sounds great. Okay, well let’s talk a little bit more about the soccer side there. I mean, obviously you haven’t had your first full season yet, but how do you. Think you’re, you’re gonna be in terms of your coaching style and how you want the team to play in terms of their style of play.
Coach: Um, so obviously, um, As a coach, you always wanna aim high if, if you don’t believe in your team, who’s going to. So, um, we’re definitely aiming for, for ending that top three spot. That’s what we’re doing. That’s why we’re aiming. And, um, the way I like to play is, is I like to play from the back. Um, that’s how I always played as a player myself.
Um, and, and I just want. From my goalkeeper to my forward, I want everybody to be comfortable with their feet. Um, and, and, and take the chances, takes the risk. Um, I’m the type of coach from that is, yes, there is a game plan, but at the same time, be creative. Bring your own little spin to it if you see an opportunity.
Take it and we learn from it if it’s a mistake. Um, as a coach, I don’t see [00:15:00] everything and sometimes what’s going on in the field and it’s, it’s, it’s up to the players. So, um, I like to give ’em that freedom. It gives them confidence as well. Um, and that’s definitely what, what certain players need. Um, especially freshmens coming in.
Um, but at the same time, I think the most important part is knowing that I care, um, for players to, to feel comfortable. Um, I think one of the biggest things is making sure they don’t have to tiptoe around me. Um, and that’s gonna bring back into their game. Um, if, if, if they have a good mindset. They’re gonna perform.
And, and that’s kind of their work together. So, um, to me it’s just important to make sure they, they’re comfortable with me, um, that they know I’m a head coach, but at the same time I’m here if you need anything. Um, and, and I think that’s gonna ref reflect back in the game. Um, and, and, and kind of just go from there.
Matt: Okay. Well, you did just kind wrap up your. Quote, unquote non-traditional season. Right. The off season. The, the, the spring. Correct. Um, so can you tell me what, what kind of went into that? What players can expect to do when they’re not in the main season? Um,
Coach: Um, so obviously my off season was a bit different, um, just because of the situation we were in in the fall.
Um, so what we mainly did this past spring was, was working on that culture. I don’t think there was a, a very stable culture there. Um, at the end of the day, one of the. One of the two things that we talked about a lot was we over me. Um, you’re not always gonna have the play time that you want or you’re not always going to agree with the [00:16:30] decisions I make, but at the end of the day, um, the team needs to come first, um, in how supportive can you be, um, when things are not going your way.
So, um, we did a lot of that, a lot of team building, lots of little fun games, um, kind of just to make sure that we don’t have groups anymore. Uh, that’s one of the first things I noticed when I came in was. A lot of little groups and that’s something I wanted to get rid of. Um, and then besides that, we obviously, we did lots of fitness and, and, and gym workouts.
Um, cuz obviously that’s something we needed and I wanted them to know what they could expect coming into fall. Um, so there’s no surprises when they come back in. Um, and that they can leave with a good mindset going into summer. Um, so that’s kinda what we did. Lots of that obviously. Um, lots of sessions where I.
Based off where, how I wanna coach, how, how I wanna go into certain games. We did play a couple games, so, um, I just wanted to see where we at, where we can go, what the potential was. Um, and, and that’s kind of how our spring went. And we played three games and, and we tied one and one, two. So I think that’s a massive improvement, um, going forward into, into four.
Matt: Absolutely. Well, congrats on that. Well, coach, I like to end these with, uh, with one. Question. That’s kind of the same for for everybody. But, uh, if you had one piece of advice, one nugget you wanna share with any parent player, anybody going through the college recruiting process, looking at playing in college, what would that one piece of advice be?
Coach: Uh, I think the [00:18:00] main thing for me is always, um, look at every opportunity. Um, a lot of kids get stuck on the D one, uh, label and myself, app Outlet, n i a, and um, I think you need to explore every option you get. So, Even if it’s something that you might not be interested in, even if it’s a location that, um, you might not think is a good fit for you, um, I would say still go look at the school, speak to the coach, because you never know.
Um, you can, you can, you can fall in love with a program without realizing that it’s the right fit. And at the end of the day, that’s why you need to do, um, and, and you don’t need to chase that D one D two. All that kind of good stuff. As long as you have a, have a good fit for you and, and you see yourself there for four years or two years, if it’s the JUCO, then, um, that that’s all that matters.
Nobody, um, has to have an opinion on that when it comes. Um, at the end of the day, I always tell my recruits, it’s, it’s, it’s your college career. I have mine. Um, so that’s, that’s all I can say, honestly.
Matt: All right. Well, fantastic advice. Well, coach, we wish you nothing but the best of luck in your first full season.
Hopefully you appreciate that. Continue to to get the program back on the right track. And if you do make it to any events down here in Florida, Bradenton, any of those EC L events, gimme a shout. Happy to show you around and, uh, definitely and connect in real life. All right. Definitely. I appreciate it.
Awesome.
Coach: Thanks, coach. All right. Thank you.
