Central Penn College Men’s Soccer – Coach Brian Osborne
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Brian from the Central Penn Men’s Program in Pennsylvania. We talk about what the USCAA offers. He describes their packed schedule of activities each week during the season. Lastly, we discuss how he likes to be sure to build relationships with his players. Learn more about Central Penn College Men’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to discover college soccer today. I’m lucky enough to be joined by coach Brian from central Penn college outside of Harrisburg. Welcome coach.
Coach: Thank you, Matt. Thank you so much for having me. Uh, I love what you’re doing with this. So keep doing it
Matt:. I appreciate that. I really do. Uh, I think, uh, by my calculation, I think you’re, you’re Interview 216.
So we’re, we’re cranking them out here less than less than two years at it. But, uh, but we’ll just keep going. That the good thing is there’s, there’s plenty of programs to talk to. That’s for sure. So let’s start off with yours. Um, you guys are in the U S C a, a, uh, we’ve. Talked to a couple other schools, I think, that are, that are part of that, the small colleges association.
So that’s cool. Um, you know, tell me a little bit more about, uh, the, the, just the program and in terms of, of how it works with the USCAA and what that’s like.
Coach: Yeah. So the USCAA, um, small college athletic association that deals with a lot of colleges that are, um, slightly under the NCAA D3 level. Um, and some have been transitioning from the USCAA to NCAA.
Um, from our conference. So, um, it’s, it’s an opportunity for athletes to, if they, if they aren’t getting the looks at from, if they’re not getting a look from the bigger schools, NCAA schools, it’s an opportunity for them to also participate at a high level. Um, our program, um, man, COVID hit us hard. Uh, [00:01:30] COVID canceled 2020, 2020 season and 2021 season.
Um, I came in in 21 and really I came in late, so I, I didn’t have a great recruiting class. So what I did was I asked like, Hey, can we cancel this season? And let me hit the recruiting trails hard. And what we did and fortunate enough that we were able to bring in a good group of guys for the 2022 season and competed at a high level.
We’re close to the NCAA tournament ranked 15th in the country. And then, uh, that kind of just snowballed into 2023 where. Um, we had a lot of accolades, a lot of all Americans for all Americans, um, won the regular season in our conference. Uh, we’re one of those first four, first two out, like the NCAA tournament does.
We were one of the first two out of the tournament this year again. So the guys are hungry and, um, When it comes down to it, it’s just a bunch of guys that they didn’t want to wait to, to play maybe two or three years and they wanted to have an impact on a program right away. And it’s, it’s been a fast big time.
Matt: Yeah, no, that makes, makes sense. I mean, you had a great season this year, so congrats on that. But now that it’s wrapped up, are you, you’re heavy into the recruiting trail, I’m guessing, uh, And just talk to me about timeline. I’m guessing right now you’re really focused on the class of 24s, but are you looking at 25s?
What does that timeline look like for you?
Coach: Yeah. I mean, uh, the grind never stops, Matt, first of all. Um, yeah, we’re really focused on 20, [00:03:00] rounding out our 2024 class. Um, but we’re entertaining 2025 guys that are interested and have seen our program and, uh, maybe they, they, they do have an interest of, of playing right away.
Um, so, yeah, we, we are constantly communicating with our, our 24s, but, um, we’re getting those. Those emails from 2025 and 2026 is so it’s, uh, that’s a good thing. Um, and we, we want to keep guys on, um, on the radar for sure through, through their junior years and then going into their senior years. But. Trying to round out our, our, our class for next season, big time.
Matt: Okay. Well, I mean, looking at your roster, you’re, you know, not surprising at a small school, you’re fairly regional, you know, and, and a lot within Pennsylvania. So what are some of the leagues and, and, and tournaments and things that you’re hitting the most to, to start that recruiting process?
Coach: Um, we’re lucky enough to be in Harrisburg, where we’re within two hours of a lot of big time showcases, um, where I went this past weekend.
I was at the PDA up in Jersey. I was at EDP in Hamilton, New Jersey. And then I had a college coaching skills camp at LaSalle University that I attended Sunday. So, but then the week before that was Bethesda showcase. So I was there and This week, this weekend, we have PA Classics in Lancaster, so it’s all within about two hours.
So we’re in a great spot where we can get to these [00:04:30] places, um, fairly often. And, uh, yeah, our roster is filled with, with some guys that are regional, but, um, we are. Maryland, uh, teams, Virginia teams have, have shown interest. So, okay.
Matt: Well, you mentioned the, the CCSC camp, um, I mean, do you guys host your own camps or do you, your staff work other camps?
How, how important are camps to your overall recruiting process?
Coach: Yeah, I think camps are a great way to. Get connected with a coach for a player. Um, the showcases, yeah, you get to showcase your talent, but I think the camps are an opportunity for you to kind of get that one on one in person connection with a coach, um, see if you guys have the same vibe.
And, um, I thought it was great this Sunday where I got to, I got to run a session, uh, in the afternoon and I got a, I got direct connection with. personal connection with about 140 players, all seniors down to freshmen. So, um, maybe I can leave a lasting impression on them, um, which will kind of like heighten their, their, their attention and maybe heighten their, uh, interest in us.
So, yeah, I think the camps are, are fantastic. Any ID clinic or ID camp. Um, I think I, I kind of prefer those because you get a real feel for the coach and the player. Yeah, for sure.
Matt: Well, whether it’s at an ID camp or, or any of those tournaments, you know, what kind of builds your, your perfect player? What is [00:06:00] that hierarchy of things you’re looking for when you make offers, whether it’s on the field stuff or off the field stuff?
Coach: Yeah. So, I mean, without, without really diving into their profile, their academic profile, because I think that’s the number one thing for me is. You need a player who can take care of themselves in the classroom, not only on the soccer field, but with their academics. So, but when I’m at these ID clinics, ID camps, showcases, everybody’s good.
Everybody can play. It’s those other intangible things I look for that. Maybe how they treat their teammates, uh, how they treat their coaches, maybe even how they treat their family. Maybe, uh, when they come off the fields, are they, are they upset because the coach took them out and they’re showing bad body language on the sideline?
Um, how they treat the officials. Like, are they complaining after every call? And I think that that matters so much at the next level. Um, I think when it comes down into those tight knit. Close matches, their slug fests. Everybody, both teams are very technical, but when it comes down to it, it’s just a little tiny, small things that kind of can make it, make a break you.
Um, I was fortunate enough to, to really keep that mindset going into this year. And I have a great group of guys with me right now on our roster that, um, have shown that mental toughness that I saw just as little glimpses, if I’m [00:07:30] at a camp, like I’ll watch a kid go in the game and. Be technical on the ball and and and connect the passes and finishing the attacking third.
But when they come off, are they are they high fiving their teammates? Are they being coached up by their coach and listening and really diving into it? So are they celebrating with another teammate? You scored, uh, so those things kind of stand out to me a lot. Okay. Well,
Matt: with the transfer portal blowing up and being what it is, uh, is transfers, junior college kids, internationals.
Do any of those come into play in your, in your recruiting?
Coach: Absolutely. Um, the trans reporter is insane right now. It’s, it’s nuts. Um, and I think, uh, where we stand, uh, in our level is a great, great spot for players if they weren’t getting the lane time or they weren’t getting the lane time. They weren’t satisfied with their experience at a bigger school, like we’re available.
Um, I have a few, I have two kids on my team now that transferred in that they weren’t happy with their situation. So they, they wanted to play here and they were great fits for us. One of them was, um, all conference. So it’s, it goes to show, like, if you’re not satisfied, like you don’t need to stick it out.
I say, I always say, go somewhere where you can, you can. Get your feet cemented into a program. Um, but yeah, [00:09:00] we are that, that opportunity for, for, for players to, to transfer into and having immediate impacts. Um, but man, it’s, it’s crazy these days and even vice versa, like making sure my players, uh, the retention is there and making sure that they, if they’re invested in us this season or invested in us.
Uh, the next season as well. So it’s, it’s a hard thing to balance right now. For sure.
Matt: Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the school. I’m sure there’s folks not familiar with, with central Penn there in Harrisburg. So you know, you, you came in, you’ve resurrected the program a bit. You’ve been there not, not too long, but long enough.
Uh, what are some of the things you’ve found to be, you know, great about the school? Some things maybe we wouldn’t even know just by going through the website.
Coach: Well, Matt, coincidentally, I work in admissions.
Matt: So, well, there you go. The perfect person to talk to.
Coach: Um, I just think it’s, it’s a hidden gem and our marketing department hates when we use that term, but, uh, it’s a hidden gem.
It’s got a college campus feel. Uh, it’s got on campus housing. Um, the academics are fantastic, but what, what they really pride themselves off of. And what I really try to get my guys to focus on is setting themselves up. For afterwards, our career services are fantastic with where we’re located right outside Harrisburg.
It’s a big hub for a lot of businesses organizations. A lot of companies like Amazon has a headquarters here. And, um, if you’re into criminal justice, we have the capital and [00:10:30] we have all these government agencies. So. And if you’re into health sciences, we have all these hospitals. So it’s, I always look at, yeah, it might not be a big college life experience, like a big Penn State or, or Temple, or if you’re focused on getting out of college and being set up for success, Central Penn is where it’s at.
It’s, they help you when you walk in the door, when, when you step foot on campus with internships, job opportunities. Um, so we do have that, uh, uh, campus feel. We have, On campus housing. We have apartments. We have an outdoor pool. We have fitness centers and all that. Um, But it’s I think it’s more focused on what are we going to do for you after you graduate?
Matt: Okay. Well, you know when kids come into college playing a sport you and I both know sometimes it’s tough Making that adjustment of balancing the demands of the classroom and the demands of the playing field So how do your players really make sure they’re successful in both? What kind of support systems does the school have to help them in that we have?
Coach: We have a great support system. Uh, our success coaches is what they’re called, um, their job title, and they just help you navigate through your academic career. Uh, we do stuff as a program. Um, we have study halls. Uh, we have, we call them roundtable discussions where we talk about intangible stuff, um, soft skills.
Um, yeah, it’s, it’s, it can be a lot. Um, a lot of, [00:12:00] a lot of students, they think they’re ready for a college life experience. Or let me rephrase that a student athlete experience. Um, and it’s a lot harder than you think. Um, but I think what, what we do here at Central Penn with our success coaches, um, it’s just on their coach on the fields and a lot of times off the field, but we have, we have coaches for them in the halls and in the academic buildings and they, they work with them every week.
Hey, I saw that you missed class this week. This is what you need to do to, to, to recover. And Hey, you. I see you’re slipping in this class. Can we, can we get this out? It’s, they’re not leaving you in the dark and, and you’re not getting to your midterms or finals. Like, Oh my God, I have so much to make up for.
They keep you on track. So it’s good. Okay.
Matt: Well, take me back a couple of weeks. Uh, you know, the, the heart of the season, um, walk me through what a typical week might look like for one of your players in terms of class, practice times, meals, game schedules, that kind of thing.
Coach: Yeah, so I mean, Sunday nights, we usually do, um, a roundtable discussion.
Um, so we’re either talking about, um, like how to, how to respond to adversity, how to handle, like, how to handle, um, networking opportunities and stuff like that. Um, so it’s. That’s all stuff that’s not soccer related. Then Monday hits and they typically are in class, um, between nine and about three o’clock, nine, two 30, [00:13:30] we’ll hit the training field at about four, four to six.
And afterwards it’s either one day. It alternates each week, but it’s either study hall or, uh, weights. Um, so we’ll do that, and then maybe we’ll have a game, uh, during the week, we’ll all, we’ll be leaving, maybe our bus will be departing around 1 o’clock. We won’t be getting back to 11. And then on the weekends, we usually have a game on a Saturday or Friday.
So it’s, it’s pretty packed. Their days off are typically on Sundays, but mentally that’s not a day off. So they’re, they’re still, they’re still working. Those, those gears are grinding for sure. But, um, we try as a, as a staff, we try to give them The real student life experience student athlete experience, um, as best as we possibly can with the resources that we have.
So, um, we’ll have team meals once in a while. Like, my God bless him. My parents hosted a spaghetti dinner for him, which was cool. They got to hear from, um, my mom and dad. So, um, yeah, it’s, it’s. We try to do as, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. Sometimes we have to just give them a, give them a night off.
Like you just hit the reset button, but they, they, we value recovery just as much as we do, um, intensity and training. So, um, hopefully they outside their, we can, their brains can shut off. Their bodies can shut off. They can, they can hang out. So, and they do some team bonding [00:15:00] stuff as well.
Matt: Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the team.
You know, is that, is there a roster size that you find is ideal that you’re trying to hit each year?
Coach: Yeah. I mean, obviously we want enough, um, to go 11 aside or that we were at 21 this year. Um, we’re coming from 14 a year before that. Um, and hopefully we want to be between 25 and 34. Uh, 2024. Um, and it’s it’s hard because retention has been difficult.
Um, and so, yeah, that’s what we’re aiming for. I think right now we’re on pace for about 23, 24. Hopefully some guys that maybe were contemplating it can turn our way. Um, but yeah, 25, 25 to 30 is ideal for us. Okay.
Matt: And in terms of the staff, uh, is just you, do you have other people? Are there other people in the athletic department who help out with the team?
What’s that look like?
Coach: Yeah. So I have a first assistant. Um, Like Chris Hartman is he’s my first assistant. Um, we do have a goalkeeping coach that splits time with the women’s and, and, and the men’s, um, and we’re hoping to bring on a third coach this year, uh, just to, to balance it out. Someone who, um, is looking to maybe get, get, get their foot in the door in the college coaching world.
Um, and then we have, we have an athletic trainer that helps out. We have a strength and conditioning coach that works with them in the off season. So it’s, it’s a, it’s a solid, solid crew. It gets the job done, but, um, [00:16:30] I’m always looking for relief in some, some categories. Understandable.
Matt: Well, about you specifically, how would you describe kind of your style of coaching and the style of play that you’re hoping to implement there?
Coach: Yeah. I mean, uh, I played at the division three and division one level. Um, and I, I think how I coach is. I’m more of a relationships coach than an X’s and O’s. Um, I don’t think, I believe, I don’t think you can get the X’s and O’s unless you actually have solid relationships with the, with the guys. I don’t think they can believe in the X’s and O’s, um, until they trust you.
Um, so I, I try to build relationships with them every day. Um, and I, I’m, I’m a former track runner too in college, so I, I like speed, I like fast guys. I like guys that, um, can, can just move their, move the ball as fast as, as they can. Um, also, I just like mentally tough guys, guys that can handle hard coaching.
Um, I coach hard because I, I believe in ’em. I, I, I have high expectations of the guys coming in here. So I think a fast game, um, I like to, uh, uh, uh, coordinated defensive effort, but then also I’d like a really, a creative counter attack. Um, I had, I was blessed with a lot of speed in the past two years, uh, where they can just fly after we defend well as a unit.
Um, I like loud guys too, like guys that can communicate. I’m a big [00:18:00] communicator. I believe in proactive communicating rather than reactive. So, um, yeah, I, I enjoy it. I, I’m, I’m reserved on the sideline. You won’t hear me yelling at refs. You won’t hear me coming down on players. Um, but I think just the way I am and my personality, they understand that my message received, even if I, even if I’m whispering in their ears.
No, I like it.
Matt: Well, Coach, I really appreciate you giving us a lot of your time. I want to end on one question and that’s if you had any piece of advice, one, one piece of information that you wish any recruits and their families knew about the college recruiting process, what would that be?
Coach: I would, I would really say get to know the coach and players, uh, the current coaching and current players, if the players can maybe have an overnight visit with the team and, um, maybe they can come to a training session and really see the, the inside, um, things, because a lot of coaches will sell their, their programs and sell the college from the outside, but.
If you can really get to know the coach on a personal level, like one of my recruits last year, I went to go see his sister’s AAU tournament that was local. So I went to go watch his sister play. I got to talk with the parents, got to meet the sister, and I really got to know the family. And I think that’s what Really got them to invest in their son at Central Penn.
So I would just say [00:19:30] build relationships as, as, as much as you possibly can. Love it.
Matt: Can’t agree more. Well, coach really appreciate it. Best of luck wrapping up your recruiting class. Uh, and hopefully you’ll get to that USCA national championship, uh, tournament next season.
Coach: I appreciate it, Matt. Thank you.
