Mt. Mercy University Men’s Soccer – Coach Sho Takaoka

On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Sho from the Mt. Mercy Men’s Program in Iowa. We talk about how they have 25 countries represented on their roster. He describes their long-term, dedicated staff. Lastly, we discuss how they help players both on and off the field. Learn more about Mt. Mercy University Men’s Soccer.

Matt: Hi everybody. Welcome to discover college soccer today. I’m lucky enough to be joined by coach Sho from Mt. Mercy men’s program in Iowa. Welcome coach. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Thanks for being here. Uh, you know, we’re just before Thanksgiving, you guys have wrapped up your season, uh, so I’m sure you’re, you’re hot and heavy on the recruiting trail.

Um, kind of talk to me a little bit about your timeline. Did you guys do a lot of recruiting work during the season or are you really focused on, you know, hitting the ground running now and what class are you? Just focus on 24s. Are you looking at 25s? What’s that look like right now for you guys? 

Coach: Yeah. So, you know, in terms of recruiting, we are kind of, you know, switched on the whole season, but, you know, of course, you’re not during the season, we focus more on playing and then current team.

So, you know, about right now, it’s kind of the time we really start, you know, focusing or even following up a little bit and, um, go from there. But yeah, you, we typically recruit, you know, just year ahead. So we are right now. focusing on 24s and then, you know, some, sometimes, you know, uh, some students, they want to plan things ahead and then they reach out.

So, you know, we’ll try to follow them up, but yeah, we focus on 24s right now. Um, and then we, we recruit through until season begins or class starts. So that’s kind of a timeline for us. 

Matt: Well, if, if you take a look at your roster, I noticed two [00:01:30] things. One, it’s quite large. So I’m guessing you guys have a reserve team and, and two, It’s fairly heavy international, which at the NAI level, isn’t that surprising, but you guys are in Iowa.

So, uh, talk to me about, you know, recruiting internationally. How do you guys do that? Are you, are you looking at, at, um, domestic players? What, how, how does your recruiting mix happen? 

Coach: Yeah. So, you know, in terms of roster size, I think every school kind of experience, you know, COVID year seniors, uh, stuff like that.

So, uh, last season, you know, year before. We had a lot of 50 year seniors and then, um, just seniors, and then we weren’t, you know, expecting them to come back that season. So we, you know, we kind of recruited hard. So that way, you know, our roster size kind of inflated a little bit. And then, you know, those seniors graduated and we were like, oh, we need to, you know, help the team a little bit through recruiting.

So kind of, you know, roster size, um, was big, you know, results of that. Um, but we also have, you know, good, uh, reserve. team setting. So, you know, everybody gets minutes to play. Reserve team have their own schedule. And then also, you know, injuries or maybe yellow card suspension happens. So it’s nice to have, um, somebody on their toes at the reserve level.

And then sometimes, you know, varsity team, if you don’t get playing minutes, they go and play a reserve team game. So that’s kind [00:03:00] of, you know, how we manage things. And and then right now, I think we have about Uh, 25 countries represented within the team, and, you know, we always say it’s, it’s nice to have a good mix between, you know, local players and then international players.

But right now it just happened to be, we have more international students, um, and I’m originally from Japan. So, you know, I have that little bit of connection with that, with my home country, it’s easier to talk to, you know, students and help them guide through the process. Our head coach Amir, is from, you know, originally from Bosnia.

Played, uh, professionally, first division in Croatian, Bosnia. So, you know, he, he has friends all over the place. Um, so that way, you know, sometimes it’s easier for us to create that connection, you know, players from Balcon area, Eastern Europe, or you know, Japan. Um, but we try, we try not to have, you know, one big group that’s, you know, from maybe one same region or one country.

Because, you know, we don’t want to have one group dominating, you know, group culture, group, uh, idea. And we like to, you know, as coaches, we really like to learn from, you know, different, uh, culture, countries. So, you know, we like to have maybe different, some different languages or different cultures we can pick up.

And sometimes it takes a while to get it going because we have players from all over [00:04:30] the place. And, uh, for the first week of practice, you know, we, you tell them, Hey, we train at 4 PM and then maybe Japanese guys and German guys, they’re ready to go at, you know, 3 30 and maybe somebody else shows up, you know, right on time to go.

And then, um, I shouldn’t name this, but you know, a couple of Spanish guys, you know, maybe they show up on 410 and then they’re like, Oh, that’s around 4 PM. We are good. They’re not good. So we’ll talk about it, but yeah, so it’s kind of fun, you know, kind of see different, uh, Uh, skill set to culture show up in, you know, those little moments and then we try to address that.

So towards the end of season, you know, we, once we start clicking, you know, we are really good team. 

Matt: Yeah, no, it’s, uh, it’s very funny. I, I got the pleasure of, of running a clinic in Japan once and it was the nicest. Amazing to have at the end of each session, the kids taking off their bibs, folding them in a perfect line and saying, thank you.

And it’s like, Oh man, I wish we could get that to rub off on some of these American players. But, uh, anyway, um, so in terms of the domestic side of things, are there specific events that you guys like to, to attend to look at players? Do you guys do ID camps or work other ID camps? How does that all look?

Coach: Yeah. So three of, you know, four coaches on the staff, I guess. three or five coaches on the staff. We are all high school head coaches also. [00:06:00] So in Iowa, we play spring high school soccer. So that kind of helps us to do that. And then also Amir used to be head coach and then at one high school, and then I took over after him.

And he’s now a little bit more of a commentator side of, you know, local TV or ref in a little bit. But so that way, you know, we have, we are able to create, you know, real connection between our own players at high school level, or we actually get to play. You know, lots of high school players here in town, so that kind of helps, you know, to evaluate players more in, uh, practice session or game, uh, game environment, um, you know, build a genuine connection.

And also, you know, again, um, we keep, you know, good connection with local club coaches as well, um, 2, 3, you know, good clubs, uh, in Sioux Rapids area. So, um, we often talk to them and some of them invite us to, you know, ID camp, so to run the training there. Um, so that’s kind of, you know, main things. And then of course, you know, we, we go to Kansas city showcase.

Uh, we couldn’t go this, uh, this weekend. It was just, you know, logistically not able to do that, but we tried to go, um, I go to, you know, Miami showcase every summer. It’s more, um, it’s a little bit more international focused showcase, but, you know, I tried to go there and, uh, stuff like that. So especially within, you know, within Iowa to within, you know, four hour drive, that’s kind of.[00:07:30] 

Uh, the area we can, you know, make a trip and then find new players. Okay. 

Matt: Well, whether it’s international player, domestic player, any of these things, what, what are kind of the things that you’re looking for when you make an offer to a player, both on the field and off the field stuff?

Coach: Yeah. So off the field, you know, we, we like somebody who works hard, really, you know, that, that might be cliche, but.

Us, you know, us coaches, we like to see players maybe come at this level and when they graduate, I want them, you know, somewhere here. So that way it’s really important for us to see somebody who wants to be better, who wants to do good. Uh, we also want, um, somebody that, you know, cares maybe less about, you know, themselves and then cares more about the team.

Because, you know, at the end of the day, it’s a team sport and if your team does well, you know, you. I guess it depends how well you do, but you know, you should know, you should be happy if the team, your team does well. And, uh, one other thing is, you know, we, we need somebody that’s, uh, people smart or emotionally intelligent.

So they know what their actions, you know, mean or influence others and, uh, things like that. And then we just like, we like having, you know, kids that love the sports. So, you know, we. We have our offices, you know, next to our team room or in the team room and then Friday morning, Saturday morning, we just hear guys just sitting in the team room and [00:09:00] watching Premier League or Champions League.

So, you know, we like to see somebody who lives the game because that’s what we did as coaches. And then, okay, Friday morning, they have classes or they go to class, but. If, you know, if time allows and stuff like that, and then we sometimes have to, you know, adjust our practice time based on Champions League schedule.

So that’s kind of the negative side of, you know, bringing kids who love the sports, but it is what it is. And then, yeah, playing playing wise, you know, again, we need somebody who can play both ways with somebody who works hard. So that’s what we are known for. You know, we are a tough team to beat. We adjust really well against other opponents or against opponents.

So that way we need to have players who like to play both ways. Um, but we also like to have, you know, lots of technical players, especially in the midfield, um, on the winger spot, you know, we, we need to have either really technical players who can, you know, take one on one, defend the one on one or somebody who’s fast.

Uh, it’s been very successful for us. Um. Defenders, you know, center back goalkeepers again, they need to be technical, but because of the conference we play in, you know, some of them, well, they need to be a little bit more physical and they need to be a little bit more, you know, strong in there and stuff like that.

So that’s kind of, you know, play a profile. Um, we tried to keep the ball as much as needed [00:10:30] in order to score. So that way, you know, we tried to build up from goalkeeper, defense line, through midfield. And, you know, we were really well, uh, playing to one side and switching to the other side of winger. And then those wingers can do their thing and then finish the attack in the box.

So that, that was kind of playing style. And then we tried to high press, we tried to, you know, counter press when we lose the ball. So that’s kind of, you know, whole. Uh, playing style and then we need players that fits in that style. 

Matt: Okay. Well, let’s shift gears a little bit. Talk more about the school. I’m sure there’s folks out there not familiar with, with Mount Mercy there in Cedar Rapids.

So, uh, tell me what have you found to be really the, the awesome things about the school, some things maybe we wouldn’t even know by just, just by going through the website.

Coach: Yeah. So, you know, I went to school here. Uh, so I have been around, you know, 10 years now. Um, Coach Amir, our head coach has been here for 28 years after, you know, escaping the war from, you know, Bosnia.

So I know you, we have been here a long time and then, uh, we stay here just because it feels like, you know, this is a home. So that, um, hopefully, you know, players, I think all players hopefully, um, feel that, you know, small kind of community, uh, home away from home environment from us. And, you know, maybe you’ve heard of, you know, Iowa nice, you know, people in Iowa, uh, they’re really nice.

You know, you walk around campus or if [00:12:00] you go to grocery store, they just say, you know, hey, how are you? You know, how, how’s your day? And then when I first come here, you know, I was like, Oh, why is this stranger talking to me? It’s usually. You know, if, you know, I’ve been to, I mean, I lived in Japan, I’ve been to different, you know, big cities and I’m usually when a stranger talks to you, they want something from you, but, you know, Iowa, it’s not like that.

So, if you walk around campus, you know, you just make friends or you’ll see familiar faces, uh, professor and staff, you know, come watch our game. So if you’re, if you’re eating in the cafeteria, they’ll talk about the game, you know, how well you play or how, you know, how things go. So that’s a really fun part about it.

And. Um, yeah, and then, uh, what else? What else? And then, you know, facilities, you know, we are getting lucky with, you know, a little bit of investment towards athletics. So, uh, stadium is about, you know, 6 years old. Uh, the, the field is, you know, named after Amir. So that kind of tells you how. How much impact we had in the, in the area, uh, we built or, or we, you know, we made new indoor facility as well.

So there’s weight room, athletic training room, uh, golf simulator, batting cages and stuff like that. I can send you videos if you’re interested. Um, and then we also have, you know, building next to it is outdoor sports coaches building. So in that team room, we have a couple of [00:13:30] TVs, um, ping pong table, pool table.

So facilities, you know, top notch as well. Uh, what else, what else? And then, uh, we have, you know, tunnels on campus. Um, I think, you know, we talked about it before. Uh, so that way, if you live on campus, you know, you don’t really have to go outside. I mean, it’s snowing or raining and you might see, you know, students wearing their flip flops, tank top and the shorts during the middle of winter.

And then you just, they just walk around tunnels and that’s kind of interesting to see. So that’s kind of, you know, overall kind of fun facts around, uh, our school. 

Matt: Well, one of the things. Uh, about school is, is, is the actual school part, right? You’re going to have the student part of student athlete and, and I’m sure even for, for international students, especially there can be a bit of a challenge and, you know, balancing academics and athletics.

So how do your student athletes really make sure they’re successful in the classroom and on the field? What kind of support systems does the school offer to make sure that they are successful? 

Coach: Yeah. So, you know, we have a center, uh, it’s academic excellence, academics, Academic Center for Excellence. So, you know, that, you know, that center, you know, we have peer academic coaches.

So, uh, there’s, you know, students who excel in classes. They also help others to do that. Uh, you can get tutoring services. We also have, you know, professional, [00:15:00] um, writing, uh, support. So that way, you know, kids can go there. Um, we have them sign up once they get here. So those. That’s first year, uh, first year here as a transfer and then somebody who needs a little bit more support, uh, we have them sign up and then, um, get some extra support from, uh, a center.

Um, you know, we, we also have, you know, uh, softball associate head coach Skylar work also works in a center. So we have really good, uh, communication logistics there. Um, we also have, you know, uh, small classes and then, you know, me between me and Mia, we. We know most of the professors, so if student, our boys, our students don’t show up to class maybe twice or three times.

We right away get email, you know, Hey, um, Matthew, haven’t been to classes for two, three times. Can you check on him? So we’ll do that. And then, so that way we can try to help, you know, um, help them before things get really bad. Um, and then, you know, us knowing it, most of the professors we can help. Uh, student register for better classes.

I wouldn’t say better classes, but better fits, you know, maybe some courses they shouldn’t take, um, first semester here during the soccer season, just because, you know, time complaints and stuff like that. So, uh, we’ll do that. And then, and then profess, you know, some of the professors, they’re really. Um, [00:16:30] understandable of, you know, how ethics works and then some of them, you know, invite our students to their houses, you know, during Thanksgiving break or Christmas break, because a lot of them, maybe they don’t they get they don’t get to go home.

So, uh, we really have, you know, good support system around the around the school. No, it sounds like it. Well. 

Matt: Let’s shift gears, talk a little bit more, uh, about the team and the season. I mean, you guys are in a, in a tough conference. I think there’s still three, uh, three of your conference foes remaining in the NA tournament already, or in the final eight or 16 or wherever they’re at this point.

Um, so it’s a tough conference in terms of. Um, you know, you talked a little about the style of play that you guys like to implement, but how would you describe kind of coach Amir’s style of coaching and, and, and that sort of thing? 

Coach: Yeah. So coach Amir, um, he knows how to get, you know, best out of you. So, you know, sometimes, um, players that are good at, you know, one thing, and then maybe, you know, no great at the other things.

And then, you know, sometimes you see work, uh, bad side, but, you know, he’ll try to get best out of you using that best side. And then he’s very, you know, good at communicating, um, he will talk to, you know, each players, you know, every, every practice, which is sometimes hard to do that. So that way, you know, we, he knows where, uh, where you stand, uh, mentally or, you know, where things stand.

And [00:18:00] And then, so that way, again, you know, we try to push our players to be confident and do their best, uh, uh, what they are good at. Um, we, again, we are also, you know, good at, uh, kind of matching against, you know, different opponents. You know, Heart of America, not only, uh, the strongest conference, but there are different, uh, playing style in this conference.

So, you know, one day we go out there and play extreme, uh, direct style football, um, direct, you know, high press. And then maybe two days later we have to go to maybe Missouri Valley, you know, former national champion who plays beautiful, beautiful, you know, position football. So I think, you know, especially defense, starting from defensive side, we match things really well.

So that way we can have the more time on the ball and then attack, you know, uh, whatever is presented. Um, yeah, that’s kind of, you know, how, uh, I mean, uh, coaches and then we, again, we try to, you know, keep things we, we are serious people, you know, I mean, play professionally, but we also try to keep things fun.

So that way, I think, uh, kids don’t burn out in seasons long. So some this time of the year, you know, sometimes we give them, you know, break to kind of recover, but overall long term kids don’t burn out. So results of that, you know, uh, maybe 25 or 20. Seven alumni former players became head coach somewhere else just because, you [00:19:30] know, passion was, you know, going through without burning out.

Yeah, so that’s, uh, that’s kind of, you know, uh, how it is. And then for us, again, you know, we try to take care of our players on and off the field. So, you know, we, one of us will wait for the players at the airport with a welcome package, you know, first day of, you know. First day when, um, first when, when they get here, we have laundry basket, uh, hangers, pillows, beddings, and little snacks ready so they don’t have to, you know, uh, survive, you know, try to survive, you know, first week or, you know, call their parents and like, oh, I don’t know what to do.

But we’ll try to help them that and, uh, we drive them to bank. Some, some kids ask my car for, ask me for my car so they can go get driver’s license. So we’ll do that. And, and then for me, uh, I work a little bit more on tactical side and then, you know, uh, overall training. So I have to make sure, you know, we are on the same page constantly, and then try to kind of draw what his vision is on the field at the training pitch.

But we, I think we make a really good team. And then we also have, you know, another assistant coach. J. P. Graham played for us a long time ago and, uh, works, works in the local high school, high school head coach. Also, you know, he’s been coached here for, you know, 17 years as well. So we really, really, really understand each other.

Well, and, [00:21:00] um, kind of, you know, we have to communicate still, but a lot of time we understand each other really so well that we don’t have to, you know, you know, say things and that’s kind of cool about it as well. Yeah, 

Matt: it sounds like it will coach. You’ve been generous with your time, told us a lot about the school, but I want one, one more question for you.

Uh, and that is if you had one piece of advice or nugget of information that you wish every player, parent, family going through this recruiting process new, what would that be? 

Coach: Um, so I think, you know, starting early is, uh, pretty important to, I don’t, you know, in my personal life, I don’t start things early enough, but I think starting early, you know, just.

Even just researching or knowing the names of schools that’s around you is, you know, big first step and then sometimes you have to be more proactive than you think you should, because, you know, if we don’t know your name, we don’t, we can’t focus you at the showcase or something like that. So being proactive is really important.

And then, you know, at the end of the day, you, uh, this is, you know, big, uh, decision, um, for you to make. And, uh, there’s a lot of factors. So you have to put everything on the table, uh, financial side of big thing, but also, you know, location or how do you fit in the squad or. How do you like the coaches? Do you can you do you see play [00:22:30] under him and stuff like that?

So you have to put all of all of the options on the table. Um, for us, you know, we don’t really make deadlines or anything. So, you know, we just tell them, hey, just take your time. And then if, you know, you’re ready to make, you know, the decision, you know, the time, but. Um, we also ask them to be very communicative, so we know where things stand, and then, um, it’s nice for coaches to know, like, if you’re not coming, just tell them, you know, so that way, uh, both sides can move forward, and I really appreciate when recruits say, hey, I really like your school, but things, some things didn’t work out, I’m going somewhere else, I really respect that, and then that makes me want to help them if we, uh, if something happens in the future.

So, I think it’s. Again, you know, building good relationship, good communication is, I think, the key to anything, really, and so those are the things I think, uh, important for recruits, but also, you know, there are some, you know, technical things like, hey, what’s in your highlight video, is it really what coaches want to see, you know, if you’re doing just rainbow or heel flick, maybe you don’t get, um, you might get, you know, likes on the social media, but you might not get, you know, good attention from coaches and stuff like that, so, and then we see, you know, small things like if you, If you assist and if your teammate scores, you know, Amir says, Oh, this guy’s, you know, celebrating with his teammates.

That’s a great thing. So, you know, coaches say different things. So it’s kind of nice to see, like, what, what are you good at that? And [00:24:00] then figure out how to show that as well in the highlight, if you’re making highlights. Um, yeah, so those are kind of, uh, my two cents. And I think some kids, they focus too much on, Oh, I’m just going to NCA Division one, or I just want to stay in a D one D two.

Um, cause If you, especially men’s soccer, if you look at top schools, they, each division could compete against each other. And if you watch, uh, Juco Nationals, I mean, they’re amazing players, amazing, amazing players. And NAIA, you know, because we are international heavy, again, we see some players, I don’t even know how they get to, you know, U.

S. or college level. So I, I don’t think they should, uh, you know, limit themselves just based on the divisions. I think they should just, you know, open their options, um, out in the air and because, you know, our conference, you know, when central Methodist was winning back to back national championship, um, against division one schools, I think they were 7 and 1 in 2 year period.

So that’s, you know, divisions really don’t, you know, show you the real, real difference in competition if, uh, if, uh, if the program’s doing the right thing. 

Matt: So, absolutely. Well, coach, thank you so much for your time. Wish you the best of luck in this recruiting season. And if you get down to Florida for anything, give me a shout.

Coach: All right. [00:25:30] Sounds good. We’ll do that. Thanks so much, Matthew. coach. Yeah. Bye bye.