Baker University Men’s Soccer – Coach Nate Houser

On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Nate Houser from the Baker University Men’s Program in Kansas. We talk about how he likes to talk to club coaches and other contacts to learn about recruits. We cover how their school really and truly is a community. Lastly, we discuss how he tries to foster a learning environment as a coach. Learn more about Baker University.

[00:00:00] Matt: Hi, everybody. Welcome to discover college soccer. I’m lucky enough today to be joined by coach Nate Houser from Baker University in Kansas. Welcome.

[00:00:10] Well, let’s just jump right in. Uh, you guys are, uh, an NAIA men’s program there in Kansas, just outside KC, right?

[00:00:17] Coach: Yes, sir.

[00:00:20] Matt: All right. Nice. Well, you know, when, when it comes to recruiting, When is it that you’re starting to look at players? When are they reaching out to you? When are you going to check them out?

[00:00:30] Coach: I don’t think it ever really stops. Uh, now in the, in the, the club driven market, I mean, I had a 20, 25 young man reach out to me this weekend and, you know, I, I want to say, Hey, as soon as you go through puberty, we can have a, another conversation. But yeah, I mean, it, it doesn’t really stop. Yeah. Well,

[00:00:53] Matt: how many inbound contacts do you think you get in a typical week?

[00:00:58] Coach: Oh, uh, I would say because I’ve been on long in the tooth, right? This is your 15 with the guys. So I would say, you know, I’m easily getting 200. 250 emails a week.

[00:01:16] Matt: Wow. Well, w w w what are some of the things you like to see in that first communication from a prospect?

[00:01:24] Coach: You know, I I’d love to, I’d love to say I’d love to see something semi personal, right? That you’ve, you’ve actually done a little work that I’m not just a, you know, Baker’s not a check mark, you know, on your list that you’ve, you’ve been to our website, you know, like, Hey, come. I saw your season or, or something.

[00:01:43] Right. Um, too, I’d love to know what they’d like to study before we get into the soccer part. Right. You know, you know, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna major in accounting, that kind of thing. And then, you know, third, I would, I’d love to get a, a. Pretty detailed, um, resume of the last couple of years. I don’t need, you know, anything from middle-school or anything like that, but resume where you’ve been, who you who’s coached you.

[00:02:13] Um, and, you know, cause usually I can, uh, like I can, I can swallow up those breadcrumbs and get to somebody that I know that. Has been around that, that player or that coach that can, I can give me a little bit more background that I might not get there. And then, uh, you know, uh, two styles of video clip, uh, give me, give me five minutes of highlights and then send me a half the whole half so I can watch, you know, kind of how your team plays and how you play within it.

[00:02:40] And then I can watch how, how somebody reacts to things within a game. Okay.

[00:02:47] Matt: You said, you know, you like to get that coaching tree kind of just to see if it’s somebody, you know, how, how often are you talking to club coaches in the, in your recruitment process?

[00:02:58] Coach: I’d say probably two thirds of the time I am.

[00:03:01] Uh, and that, and that’s, you know, the majority of kids that from locally here, right? I know most of the club coaches within. You know, the 200 mile radius, it’s somebody from St. Louis. We’re good. Omaha. We’re good. Kansas city, obviously. Uh, so yeah, it, it, it, it’s not hard making that, that phone, that phone call is pretty easy.

[00:03:26] And then, you know, if it’s from further away, you know, I’ll first find that person who knows that person. To kind of get a heads up on who I’m potentially calling and dealing with. I’m not, I’m not big on cold calling and only because I’ve been burned a couple of times where you’ll, you’ll talk to a coach that you don’t know.

[00:03:44] And I mean, To be fair. You know, their job is to put honey in your ear, but it turned out to be someone who had no idea about our school or, you know, the, the teams we play against or the mountains we got to climb. And, you know, there was all this first week great for your program. Like, would they, you know what I mean?

[00:04:04] We’ve got national champions three last four years out of here. You’re telling me your 17 year old is ready to step on the field with 24 year old from X country and start. Yeah.

[00:04:16] Matt: Well, and, and the last thing you said brings up my next question. So, you know, you, you do obviously have a lot of local based players.

[00:04:24] I mean, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, uh, area, but you know, you also obviously have a lot of international players as to, you know, a bunch of the Nia schools. So, you know, how, how does recruiting internationally fit into your domestic recruiting?

[00:04:40] Coach: Um, it’s uh, I try to use that as a compliment, right? Yeah. You know, my, well, I guess, for better, for worse, right?

[00:04:48] Being the athletic director and the soccer coach, I get to paint the picture I want. And. I, I want to paint what I think the world should look like and it’s everybody together. You know, I’ve got guys from Senegal guys from Bosnia guys from England, from south America, and they’re partnered with kids from Manhattan, Kansas in Olathe, Kansas, and Lee’s summit Missouri because I, you know, I want to bring as many folks together and I want us to have an exchange of ideas.

[00:05:18] Right. I want those international kids. To bring all the great things about where they’re from here. And I want our kids to learn that, and then I want the other thing to happen. You know, I want, I want that. I want them to take something back about the Midwest and about, about people, you know, here and, and hopefully make the world a smaller place and a little bit more friendly.

[00:05:40] Nah, I like

[00:05:41] Matt: that. Well, so. Switching back to the domestic side, where do you do a lot of your recruiting? What are some of the must hit tournaments are had and how to camps fit in? And what’s kind of that look like for you guys.

[00:05:54] Coach: So now, uh, I mean, Um, I don’t know if this makes me a dinosaur I’m ahead of the curve.

[00:06:01] Right. But, um, you know, it started started way back, you know, Muscatine used to be a place to go. Right. And then, you know, it’s, it was chasing around NPL or, or national league events, you know, and then it was, you know, um, The academy games, right. Because 40 Academy’s right up the road there. And you know, or is it the Dallas cop, right.

[00:06:24] Or, you know, you know, it’s, it’s been a mix, you know, I’ve been out to Disney, I’ve been out to the surf cup and, and really, it, it depends on. Where I think I can, I have a relationship with a coach that will make it a real, a real opportunity. And I’ll give you, I’ll give you an example. When I, the first time I went out to Disney, right?

[00:06:47] Um, I’m a new young coach. I’m chasing it. I’m in my thirties. And I’m like, oh, they’re all coming to baker. And none of the coaches, I wasn’t talking to the guys who knew. And so it was like, I was wasting all my time because all of them like, oh, well my kid’s a D one kid or my kid’s a D two kid. I’m like Izzy.

[00:07:05] Okay. And now mind you, I played professionally for 11 years. And so when I hear people telling me that they ever there, they understand the talent level, I’m like, oh, I went to baker and somehow carved out a little space for myself. So that after getting aggravated doing that, I, you know, I will define friends that are, that are in these different places.

[00:07:27] There’s a couple of guys I played against that run the IMG soccer part of the academy down there. Right. It was Oscar Paizano. I don’t know if Oscar is still there.

[00:07:37] Matt: Uh, you know what, so I was there. I was the program manager for, from 14 to 16 there. So Oscar, yeah. I’ve spent many, many a day with

[00:07:46] Coach: Oscar. Yeah.

[00:07:49] So we may have run into each other then. Cause that’s where I read this. My a back in six, 14 or 16. Well, if it was 14, it was

[00:07:58] Matt: 14. I would have been the guy working with us club to reserve the rooms and make sure you had your AAV and your field space and all that kind of stuff. So,

[00:08:07] Coach: yeah, we had the great, uh, finished T-Mobile Koski was our guy who.

[00:08:12] I’ve never seen someone have less fun doing what they do. I was like, do you ever smile or laugh? It’s not my job. I’m like, yeah. But anyway, but yeah, so, so something like that, right. That’s how small the world is. And so when he starts talking about, well, this player, that player, you know, or, you know, Dwan Bader was up, uh, around NC state and was working with pro teams and had his club up that way.

[00:08:35] Those are the ways that I’ve been able to get Ross on guard, who was my coach and they all started. Who introduced me to our most successful player ever. Amir dedic, who ended up signing with sporting, right? He’s like, Hey, here’s a kid. Nobody wants, I think he would be great right underneath you. You like, you can teach him.

[00:08:53] And it turned out to be a perfect match, right? Like he comes, learns leadership. And then I make that call because my assistant, my head coach Zorn is Peter’s assistant. I say, Hey, I got a guy I’ve never called you for a guy. I got a guy. And. Then it all kind of comes together. Right. So it’s, I find that to be more effective than just going and sitting down somewhere, if that makes sense.

[00:09:17] Yeah, no,

[00:09:18] Matt: I understand completely. And it’s good cause you, because you’ve got that, that network and the time built in that makes it makes perfect sense. Um, so let’s talk more about the, you know, everybody’s favorite topic money, right? The scholarship side of things. Um, You know, so you guys carry, uh, an awfully large roster cause you have the reserve side as, as a lot of the teams in your conference do so what is the overall scholarship mix look like?

[00:09:48] Both from the athletic side and the academic side specifically at baker.

[00:09:53] Coach: So here at baker, we made a, we trained this transition about five years ago, we used to stack money. We used to go in and, um, look for academic kids. And then we, we put our average is we work in an average system. We put that on top.

[00:10:09] Well, it didn’t take long for our financial aid lady to realize the coaches were going after all these really smart kids and they giving them all the money and she’s like, you guys are killing. What’s supposed to be happening here. Like what they can all read, they’re all graduating. And they’re like, yeah, but we gotta make some money too.

[00:10:27] And so we, we ended up changing it around where all of that falls under athletic aid now and still on the average system. But, you know, I thought it was going to be harder to. To get those, um, the higher end academic kids, but actually it’s been the opposite. You know, I think they feel the love, uh, being able to get just a bigger award.

[00:10:52] Whereas we were saying, say it was $8,000 on top of your 12th, right. They didn’t really see 20, but now that I can say 20 or. 22, right. You know, that, that rings differently in their ears and for their parents. And, you know, I will give you ones, one small plays and we have doubled more than doubled our scholar athletes.

[00:11:15] We have over 150 of our athletes are now over a 3.0 all of our teams, our scholar teams. So it’s that, that average system has worked and because the coaches don’t want to do the work twice, even if it’s a reserve team play. You’re looking for the right fit for kids and that that’s affordable and we think we’ve hit, we’re starting to hit that sweet spot, but yeah, 45 guys, I’ll just share this part.

[00:11:42] We recruit specifically for each team and we sit with kids. We’re like, Hey, we think you’re going to start here. And our reserve team, we train together, but this is where you’ll be. And then if we recruited your first team, guy will say, Hey, if the expectation for this award is you’re going to be in the first team.

[00:11:58] Right. And then. Hopefully we’ve all, we’ve all made the right decision.

[00:12:04] Matt: Right, right. No, it makes sense. Um, so when you’re, when, when you’re talking to coaches, when you’re scouting players, what’s kind of your, you know, besides the academic piece, obviously, but what’s your kind of hierarchy of things you’re recruiting for whether it’s on the field specific or off the field stuff.

[00:12:22] Coach: I think first, and this could, this is. Experienced talking, you know, I know that everybody’s looking for the greatest five foot, six player in the world, but I don’t really care how big or tall you are. Can you physically do the job I need you to do? So if I have, if I’m looking for a seven or 11, can you physically do the job?

[00:12:42] We need someone who can, can play at pace with the ball at. And suffer a beating, right? If you can do that, whatever size you are, that’s what I’m looking for. But for center bags, I’m not recruiting a kind of aro, you know what I mean? I’m not going to have a five eight center back. I, those guys that can do that and never get out of wherever they’re from.

[00:13:03] Right. So we’re looking at, you know, adult size guys, 6, 2, 6, 3 type guys. You know, after, after we talk about what they can do athletically, then I’m looking at how, how they are mentally and emotional. How do they react to their team, to the referee, to coach, to the other team? You know, what do they do when they get kicked?

[00:13:24] You know, is it somebody who freaks out or is it somebody that can, you know, you know, bottle that up and stay focused. Those are really, really important things to me. And then. And also I’m looking to create leaders or at least continue to push kids that, that I think have that in them. And so I listen, you know, I spent a lot of, a lot of time at games, listening to what they’re doing as much as I am watching, because I, I spent a lot of time here asking people to practice talking like, eh, you know, I think they’ve been so over-programmed in their whole lives that none of them share their ideas.

[00:14:02] I know they’ve got them right. But Hey, tell us what you think. Tell us how you feel. Talk to your teammates and you may say the wrong thing, but at least you get used to saying something and we can fix, we can at least adjust that fix is a harsh word, but that’s what I’m looking for.

[00:14:21] Matt: Okay, well, we’re, you know, it’s always good to be able to talk to a coach who was also an alum, uh, cause you give a double, extra unique perspective, but this is the first time we’ve had the, a double alum and an athletic director, uh, very happy to see the soccer coach, his dad at a school because when I was a coach, I reported my idea was the basketball coach and he didn’t know anything about soccer, so it became very difficult.

[00:14:46] But, um, so. You know, uh, I’ve, I’ve just like your, your recruits. You want them to go to the website and click around? I’ve been to the website, click around, but, but give me, give me the, the, the inside scoop. What’s what’s tell me something about baker that I’m not going to find on the website. Give me the, the awesomeness that is baker, that that’s kind of undercover.

[00:15:08] Coach: The other cover thing is kind of the weirdest thing about this place. And it’s how kind and genuine people are. I kid you not. I came here from California, right? Grew up in San Diego, came out here and I will tell you from the minute I got off the plane, the, I don’t know if it’s a Midwest thing. It’s definitely not a west coast thing all over place, but most like, Hey, how are you doing?

[00:15:28] What’s going on? I’m like, you know, if someone’s talking to you out there, somebody wants something from you, right? Like, here’s like, how are you doing? And. That feeling of community. Yeah. Everybody uses family and I think family is something people aren’t specific enough with. I think the feeling of community here and that you are almost immediately a part of that is something that’s pretty amazing.

[00:15:52] Um, I’d say, this is also the thing that you don’t get is it’s almost impossible to fail here because of the, the, the 14 to one class ratio. You know, we don’t have any TAs teaching class. It’s all professors that, you know, people are so invested in you individually. That it’s impossible. And you feel that as you kind of go through this, right.

[00:16:17] And some kids push against it and they’re like, let me, and they give you room. Obviously people give you breath to be who you’re going to be. But when it comes to, Hey, I need help. Or this isn’t going, right. People are right there and they’re invested in you. And I think that’s, that’s the thing I can’t share enough without sounding like it’s my.

[00:16:36] But it is it’s incredible. And even as athletic director, I’ve been the openness to thinking a different way, right. Because right, as a soccer coach, we’re wired a little bit different, but we went out and my assistant and I engaged the faculty. We now have a faculty mentor for each athletic team, you know, because we want them to be a part of what’s going on and it is.

[00:17:02] It is count. Can I eliminate degrees of separation for these kids? Right. I think one of the things that’s great here is, you know, I’ve sat in a room with the CEO of Fiserv, right? Like I went to baker was an All-American bowler. Right. He’s got his Milwaukee bucks ring for winning the championship. Does he play in the building?

[00:17:23] Like kids don’t have to go through nine layers to get there. Right? That’s a, that’s a call. Frank comes to town. We’re having that conference. You know, and it’s those things that I think that baker affords you, that that is special about this place. I’m not saying it’s the only place that happens, but I think it w we’re intentionally and we’re purposefully trying to make that happen, which is great.

[00:17:46] Oh,

[00:17:46] Matt: w one of the words you just mentioned was support. So, you know, what kind of support mechanisms does the school have in place to help students really balanced that academic side? With the athletic side. How do those things kind of live live in harmony at baker?

[00:18:02] Coach: Well, let’s see working with our two deans, right?

[00:18:05] Uh, we have our academic Dean is a former student athlete here as well. She’s but she’s also a virologist and our science buildings named after her. That’s how awesome she is. But you know, she and I sit down and we talked about the semester and how to put things to. She has a couple of requests from us and, and things she likes that would want us to attend.

[00:18:25] We do that. But then, you know, she is very intentional about, um, helping with schedules, right? We get all the schedules to her and the faculty, they work with our kids. It’s unbelievable. We have no practices during the academic day. That’s the other restraint we have here. Right? So nobody, you can even practice six to eight 30 or after three 30, nothing in between.

[00:18:47] And, but they know. Like right now, softball, baseball, traveling, they get, they’re going to miss class and it’s going to change soccer. We have a big trip. We take at the beginning of the year. They know that they work, we get ahead of things and it’s very proactive. We have free tutors, right? There’s a, there’s a whole free tutoring section here.

[00:19:05] And then we have an additional athletic, uh, you know, academic support team that, that works with our kids. And so it’s almost, we try to double up on everything we do for that support for students. Oh, that’s amazing.

[00:19:19] Matt: Um, you, you kinda mentioned that a little bit there in terms of, you know, when practices and, and whatnot, but like during the season, can you kind of walk me through a typical week in terms of, you know, getting up, going to class practice, the whole games, the whole nine yards?

[00:19:34] Coach: Yeah. Uh, here we go. I’ll give you the proper week, Sunday, where we have a reserve team league that we play with with eight other schools. So our reserve team guys will play Sunday. Uh, first team guys we’ll do a recovery day. Uh, Monday would come in, they go to class, um, we’ll train at 4:00 PM. So for us, uh, I, as an old guy, I’m almost 50 now.

[00:19:57] I hate watching people like, do running, like just run. So we just jogged to training, like, so we’ll, we’ll meet at somewhere and we’re like, we’re just going to jog there and then, okay. We can just start. Um, so we’ll, we’ll get the training. Monday will be a medium load Tuesday. I’ll usually be a high load.

[00:20:15] And then we’ll start to pair it down again. We’ll do a little bit of learning as we go each of those days. Uh, but every day is at four. And usually I’ve got to, I’ve got the whole season written out, right periods. I periodized the whole thing, but then obviously, you know, things fall apart, right? The old book by Chinua Achebe, things fall apart.

[00:20:34] So then we’ll go back and we’ll arrange and fix. But what we try to try to manage that for the first part of the season. And then when we start playing Wednesday, Saturday, it’s almost all maintenance, body maintenance, uh, you know, kids, how do they recover? We get to midterm. All my freshmen are a complete disaster because they’re freaking out right now.

[00:20:54] Like I’m going to fail out of college if I don’t get this. So it is kind of more emotional support, you know, then than anything physical, physical, we’re just like, Hey, just, we try to get a rhythm with our training. You know, a couple of guys like coach, we do a lot of the same thing. A lot of times. I’m like, I’m not, I don’t need your mind wrapped around and learning something new right now.

[00:21:15] I need you to feel comfortable because we’re about to climb mountains every two days here as we go. And hopefully if we’ve done it right by the end, we will see an energy increase for the playoffs. And, and when we’ve, when we’ve seen that we’ve had some success. Oh, no, no. What you were looking at. Yeah.

[00:21:37] Yeah,

[00:21:38] Matt: exactly. Like just, you know, I think a lot of the whole, one of the reasons of doing these interviews is to really give kids who don’t have any idea what it’s like, you know, they’re, and, and maybe some answering some questions they may, they may have. And, you know, on the special ed division, one division, two side as a freshmen or sophomore, you’re not allowed to talk to the coaches.

[00:21:57] So it’s, it’s a. We’re trying to get them introduced a little earlier if they have those questions. So that was perfect. Um, you know, you did mention one big trip at the beginning of your season. So I mean, how much is, is travel typically for you guys or is it I’m guessing, you know, your, your midweeks are the closer trips and your weekends and the longer trips, et cetera.

[00:22:19] But, uh, what does that look like just for you guys?

[00:22:23] Coach: We, I think we, I think I know we’d benefit from having some success, right. So I can get people to come to us, but we’ll generally, I like to take the team on the road, you know, I listened to. Uh, U us soccer, sports psychologist say, you know, the greatest team builders, three run, three wins in a row.

[00:22:39] Right? Okay. Well, I take that to the nth degree and I go try to find three really hard games. And so we’ll go try to play two or three top 10. Top 10 teams. So for example, this next year, we’re going out to rile grants, right? Scott’s won a couple of national championships there. They’re perennially a top 15 top 10 team.

[00:23:00] We’re going to go there, play to two games away, and then we’re going to come back and we host a labor day tournament and we have Oklahoma Westland come in. Who’s currently top five. Um, and then we were getting an Arizona. Christian will come and grace will come. Cause I want to get as many runs. If I can hit a north and an east and then a south and the best team, generally in ours, outside of our conference, we’ll want to do that.

[00:23:26] And then, you know, then we start doubling up. Right. But that, that big trip, that’s our bonding. I let the guys bring the PlayStation on. They’ll play FIFA on the way there, but then we’re also studying, right. We, when we get there, we have, we have study hours blocked out and we’re doing all that kind of stuff.

[00:23:46] Okay,

[00:23:47] Matt: well, let’s, let’s talk more, uh, you know, kind of on that soccer side of things. Um, you know, how, how big is your staff and, and what role does the, your fellow coaches play?

[00:24:00] Coach: Ah, uh, my staff has got, there’s four of us total, right? Um, there’s myself. Um, we have a director of soccer, operations, uh, Sean McAllister guy, young man who played for it was the first kid I signed when I took over the.

[00:24:14] Um, left and came back and has been doing it now for quite a while. We have Nick Aguilar, another one young man who played for me, went and played professionally a little bit, came back, um, just finishes a license. And then we have, uh, we’re fortunate to have Andy Greenbaum, the former sporting in Columbus goalkeeper as our goalkeeper.

[00:24:34] And so between the four of us, uh, you know, Andy, Andy’s kind of offline group planet, goalkeeper, whatever goes on there. Right? I say, Andy, you understand and go keepers. I don’t, I don’t understand that you have the time, Andy. So there we go. Um, and then Shawn and Nick and I will break, break, training up. I’m I’ve been slowly giving them more of training and spending my time individually with guys in training.

[00:24:59] You know, and, and, and trying to move into that model of things as, as Nick and Sean are a little bit more confident in their coaching voice. Um, but then I’ll take over really, you know, as we, as we get to the meat and bones of, of games, uh, that day before the game is usually all mine. Um, and then as we get in the playoffs and then I’ll have an even heavier hand in, in training, Well,

[00:25:27] Matt: and how would you describe your, your style of coaching, your, your team’s style of play, kind of the, the culture of the team?

[00:25:36] Coach: I hope it’s, uh, I hope it comes off as a learning environment. Right? I don’t, I try to stay away from the, no does and I mean, don’t lose it. Don’t don’t kick it to the keeper. Don’t give the ball away yet. Yeah, no, duh. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. You’re a genius coach. You know, if somebody gives a ball away, you know, and I said, Hey, you know, take, take two steps.

[00:26:02] Let that one come across your body, right. Or, Hey, you gotta, you gotta not yet hit that one. Change the way you hit that ball. Right. We got to clip that ball with it. In that way, the players aren’t afraid of feeding. Right there. Okay. This is, this is to help. Um, we want to, as much as we can have the ball, right?

[00:26:21] I mean, we’re going to put it down. Um, a couple of years ago, when we, the first COVID year, I had a couple of coaches. That’s like, why do you keep putting the ball down? I said, this year, we’re going to learn. I have a lot of new kids. We’re going to learn how to do this. And it in, you could see it last year.

[00:26:38] We got bet we’re much better. Right. Um, But then the other, the other part is I want all things. I want to go press a, you know, we have a little sign in our office that says, um, we need to work at a level. Our opponents are unwilling or unable to match for 90 minutes. And you know, that that’s part of it.

[00:26:59] And we, I added mentally, emotionally, and physically, right. And a lot of times it’s that mentally and emotionally being in control more than it is running like a dog to. Because most teams haven’t dealt with a consistent, organized pressure. Right. You know, if you watch teams, usually they’ll press two or three players at a time.

[00:27:25] We move eight players at a time minimum. Right. I, and I tell the guys to go with eight of us, aren’t moving, we’re not doing this. Right. And that’s a different seat. That’s something different than a lot of players have never done. But then a lot of teams have never seen. Right. And so we, we, we, we try to create a problem and make ourselves really 11, 12, 13 players.

[00:27:46] Right? Not really a lot more. I meant field players goalkeepers for right. But, uh, I’m kidding. Love no keepers, but you know, it’s, it’s having the ball. If we don’t have it, how do we get it back as quickly as we can? And then, you know, the, the last part, if the guys are doing their job is to give them the freedom now, like, okay, you understand the organization of attack as well as defense, right?

[00:28:12] Because a lot of them are like, why do I have to be organized when I’m attacking? Cause club. Soccer’s awesome. Like there’s, there’s ways to, we have to be tighter, you know, and I don’t want five, four games, which we have too many of, you know, games are going to be 2, 1, 1, nothing, be prepared. As soon as they get that, then we, we, we free them up when we should go out people.

[00:28:35] Right. And it’s telling all of our sevens, 11 nines tens go at somebody. If you’re, one-on-one go at them, have fun, do something. And, and getting that through the team. And hopefully that puts some smiles on our faces because we use the F-word, which is fun. Right. Let’s have some fun what we’re doing. That’s good.

[00:28:55] Um, well

[00:28:56] Matt: you’ve told us a bunch, I don’t want to take too much of your time, so I’ll, uh, leave you with one last question, uh, which is. What didn’t we talk about? What, what did we miss? What is it that you want folks to know about either the school, the team, or anything else or anything

[00:29:13] Coach: interesting you got for me?

[00:29:15] I, I, yeah, maybe I’ll go this way. I think all, all recruits and all young players need to know that hard work is the most. There is no I deserve, there is no, you know, I should get it is everybody in your environment should be working as hard as they can. And then you talk about how technical you are and how smart you are and what you can do in the game.

[00:29:41] You know, and I think that’s a lesson that they need to take into. Right. When, you know, as I look at society, I’m like, Hey man, like whether I agree or not with, uh, bill gates or an Elon Musk or whoever, right. Those guys are working, they aren’t, they aren’t successful because they’re cool. And someone likes what they wear and you know, their boots are pink.

[00:30:02] You know what I mean? They’re putting in the work there. They’re brave. And I would say the other thing, um, I’ve heard a lot of people say I hate, I hate losing more than I love winning in while I can appreciate where that comes from. I challenged the people in my environment to think of it this way.

[00:30:23] Cause I think words matter. I’m willing to risk everything I have. I’ll risk losing. Right. And, and I, and I, and I think when players really understand what I mean by that is you have to try, you have to be brave. You know, you have to do things that are uncomfortable if you really want to be successful in anything this game, this training life.

[00:30:48] And I think that’s, that’s what this place is. You know, being, being that brave to go be different and to, to be everything that you can be.

[00:30:58] Matt: Awesome. Well, thanks coach. I appreciate it. Great words, um, that, that I definitely want to want to share as far and wide as possible, for sure. So, uh, appreciate the time, wish you the best of luck this upcoming season.

[00:31:11] And if you ever get down, uh, down here to Bradenton, give me a shout. All right. I’ll I’ll I’ll check in on Oscar. I’m sure he’s over there somewhere.

[00:31:18] Coach: Hey, man. I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. And just your, the last 180 soccer coach has built a soccer specific field over here. That’s so kids know soccer is number one.

[00:31:28] Don’t tell my football team. Thanks coach.