Bluffton University Women’s Soccer – Coach Zach Hammon
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Zach Hammon from the Bluffton Women’s Program in Ohio. We talk about recruiting the T.E.A.M. acronym. He describes the small enrollment, but heavy athlete influence on the college. Lastly, we discuss how he likes to help his players learn and move the team forward. Learn more about Bluffton 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 Zach Hammon from Bluffton. Welcome coach. Thank you. Thanks for being here. Well, you, you, you got a nice division three women’s program over there in the, in the good old Midwest.
Uh, I was down in Evansville for a couple years, uh, coaching, so, alright. Uh, we, we didn’t, we didn’t play Bluffton, but, but some of your, your other compatriots we, we crossed paths with, but, uh, so let’s talk a little bit about the recruiting side of things. Um, you know, now that the season’s wrapped up, are you.
Pushing in full gear. Were you, were you over in Indianapolis this past weekend? Uh, braving the cold and snow checking things out?
Coach: Oh yeah, yeah. I’ve been out on the road, yeah, the last couple weekends. Um, lots of stuff going on. Um, showcases yesterday was actually like a organization held like an ID camp at Ohio Dominican. Oh yeah. Um, so I was over there as well. So getting, getting. Everywhere that we can.
Matt: Yeah. I, I went to high school about a mile from, from Ohio Dominican, so it’s a great little spot there. Yeah. Um, so what are you trying to wrap up your, your 23 class right now? Are you looking at 20 fours? Like when do you really start talking to players and, and Yeah.
Getting hot and heavy?
Coach: Yeah. So 23 is, yeah, we’re starting to get towards the, towards the end. We’ve got quite a few on, on the commit list, so starting to get pickier and pickier with that side of side [00:01:30] of it. Um, 24 is definitely starting to ramp up now that they’re, um, for us, definitely the perfect timing, right?
Like junior year, they’re, they’re done with their seasons. Stuff’s kind of slowed down a little bit. So now, now we wanna get ’em on campus, um, so that way they can get the experience and meet the current players and all that sort.
Matt: So are, are there tournaments that are kind of, uh, you know, must see TV on, on your list that you get to every year that are kind of the main ones that you’re looking at when you’re scouting players?
Coach: Yeah, so GRA Grand Park there in Indiana, that’s, I mean, when they host stuff, it’s fantastic cuz they draw from all over this past weekend. I mean, there was, there was teams from all over the country, um, and even the one, two weekends ago, like there was a team from Alaska at that one. So like, so that, that one, when they host.
Gotta try and get to that at least one day. Um, as far as like around the area, um, Cleveland, um, hosted one recently. Um, Cincinnati is always good. Um, So yeah, the, the bigger cities, the bigger club ones, um, we definitely try to get to as much as possible.
Matt: Now you mentioned a, a camp at, at Ohio, Dominican, uh, uh do you guys run your own camps?
Are you pretty active in working other camps? How, how important are camps to your recruiting? ,
Coach: oh, I, I love camps. Um, both on both sides of that, like, um, outside organizations and, [00:03:00] and schools and stuff. Um, I’ve made a lot of connections in those areas to be able to come down and, and I, I love the camp scene because you get to know players a little bit more, right?
Like college coaches, we get to run the session and players can be a part of. and really get a feel of like, oh, this coach, coach isn’t this way. Right. Um, but yeah, we’re, we’re ramping up our camps as well. When I came in. Um, camps weren’t really much of a thing on the women’s soccer side. Um, but I, I love them.
Gives, like I said, gives players, recruits a good chance to get to know the coach, but also our current players can be there, kind of like working help run things and they can get to know the culture in that sort of way. Talking with the players, so, for sure.
Matt: Well, whether it’s at camps or tournaments or or anything like that.
What’s kind of your hierarchy of things that you’re looking for when you’re recruiting a player, whether that’s on the field stuff or off the field stuff?
Coach: Yeah, so I have kind of like an acronym that I’ve been using for a few ne years. It actually spells out team. Um, so it’s pretty. To remember. Um, t is for the technical side, right?
Like, um, I mean, I feel like every coach looks for that really, uh, like how good they are on the ball and that sort of thing. But also like the defending side is important, right? Like, um, how, how they, do they just like sprint after the ball and like chase it? Or like, are they breaking feet down and all that?
Right? Um, the e is like the effort and [00:04:30] energy enthusiasm, so that gets more into like the person. , do they communicate on the field? Um, off the field? Like I said, per personality, talking with them, would they be a good fit? into the culture? Or would they kind of be kind of awkward or stand out, however you wanna say that.
Um, a is a, is another easy one. Athleticism, right? Cuz you need that in college soccer. Like if you’re fast, uh, fast and athletic in college soccer, you can, you can go pretty far. Um, and then m is like that movement, soccer iq, right? So it gives me a good baseline of like, if you were to come to to Bluffton, What, what am I gonna have to teach you?
Um, sort of thing.
Matt: Right. So, yeah. Makes a lot of sense. Yeah. Well, in terms of, you know, the stuff that parents are, are, are very concerned with. It’s, you know, sometimes that, that, that check or that they’re gonna have to write, so, yeah. , can you give me just the overall sense of what the, the cost, financial aid, just the, just the general, uh, overview Yeah.
Of what that looks like in Bluffton.
Coach: Yeah. So, um, our overall tuition is about 34 k. , um, which, yeah, being a small private school, like not too much surprise there. Um, but our academic packages are, are pretty good, um, from what I’ve seen comparatively elsewhere. Um, if you have like a 3.5 gpa, [00:06:00] you, you can qualify for like, um, an 18 K package.
um, right, right off the bat, any higher gpa, it, it increases from there. Um, so like that’s a pretty good chunk right there. And then, then there’s smaller ones after that that you can qualify for at the school. Um, you can stack from outside. Um, FAFSA comes into play. Um, so there’s definitely ways to make it affordable.
Um, Sometimes you gotta let, especially the outside scholarships, sometimes you gotta put in the work though, right? Like writing essays and all that. So, yeah, absolutely. Well,
Matt: do you guys look, uh, at the transfer portal at all? Are you recruiting internationally at all? Ha. Is that factor in?
Coach: Yeah. Yeah. So the international scene is a little harder for us, um, cuz we don’t have, we, we do give scholarships for them, but it’s.
As much as like most want to put it plainly. Um, usually the budget for internationals isn’t very high. We, we can get it down to about 22 for them. , um, which is lower, but definitely not in a huge range of a lot of internationals at all. Sure. Which is fine. Like I, I get that. Um, as far as the transfer portal starting to dive into that, um, cuz we’ve got, so I started here in March, um, and so really trying to even out the classes a little bit.
So [00:07:30] next year senior class is, . Um, while like the freshman class in 23, I’m looking to bring in probably about 10. So that’s like, that’s very bottom heavy, right? Like yeah. So try I am interested Yeah. In, in trying to even it out. Um, plus it adds some experience, right? So, Yeah, absolutely.
Matt: Well, let’s, let’s switch gears.
Talk a little bit more about the school. Some folks may not be, uh, familiar with Bluffton. Uh, you know, it’s in that, that northwest corner of Ohio. Uh, kind of close to a lot of different things. But, you know, besides what I’m gonna learn, uh, by clicking around the website, can you gimme some, some insights into, into what you really liked about the school since you’ve, you’ve gotten there.
Coach: Yeah, I love Bluffton, uh, as like a community school, like it, it’s a small community. We’ve got about 800 students on campus. Um, 75 percent-ish, um, are actually student athletes. So like that, that community feel is very apparent across campus. That’s what I noticed for my in-person interview. Um, just the connection and, and even still, I haven’t yet hit a full year here.
I’m still meeting new people and everyone acts like they’ve already known me for like years sort of thing. Um, really open, really personable and all that sort of stuff so that, that part’s awesome. Um, And with that, like, as far as like student athletes, like you get small class sizes, um, which, which is important.
[00:09:00] Like I, I love bringing in good soccer players and all that, and like being competitive, but at the end of the day, after four years, they do have to graduate. So that means getting the grades done, um, that they need to. So getting extra help from professors and that sort of thing is, is a huge. ,
Matt: well, you, me, you mentioned grades, so you know, with all those academic commitments along with sports commitments, how do your players specifically kind of balance those two things and what support systems does the school offer to really help them in that journey?
Coach: Yeah, the number one thing that I’ve noticed, um, like successfully here for, for athletes is like time management, right? Like you have to be able to time manage. , like, I’ll help players as much as possible. Like if, if there’s individuals that do kind of struggle with that, scheduling themselves out throughout the day, I’ll help walk ’em through that and all of that sort of stuff.
Um, if there’s classes they’re struggling in, again, professors are willing to help, um, because they, they have smaller class sizes, so they actually know names and , that sort of thing. and then there are tutors available. I have yet to hear an issue on campus of, of someone needing a tutor and not finding one sort of thing.
Like there’s tons available. Um, as far as like program based, we do have study tables in place. Um, when you, when you come in as a freshman, you get have to report six hours per week. [00:10:30] Um, which honestly, if you’re just doing your homework during that time, you should be able to do, get those easy. Um, and then after your first semester, we actually base it on gpa.
So we kind of have like a reward system. Like the higher GPA you have, the less study tables you have to report. So, um, but yeah, academics is huge to me. Like if, if players are struggling, like. we’re, we’re going to put in more implementation of, of different things. Whether it’s like proof, kind of like proof, or however you wanna say it.
Like that you’re meeting with tutor. That you’re meeting with professor, like taking the necessary steps to have that success.
Matt: Okay. No, that’s great. Well, Looking back here over the last couple months, uh, during season, can you just walk me through what, what a typical week looked like for a player in terms of classes and meals and practices Sure.
And all that kind of stuff?
Coach: Yeah, so we typically are doing soccer stuff in season, about six days outta the week. Um, we have to take one day off at some point. Typically it’s a Sunday cuz that’s the easiest usually. Conference wise, this game schedule’s very regular. Wednesday, Saturdays. Um, otherwise, yeah, we’re training the o other parts of the, of the week, um, a couple days a week.
In the mornings, the weight room is reserved for players to go in and, um, do like an in-season lift. , um, it’s very early in the morning. [00:12:00] Uh, one day was like reserved at 6:00 AM the other one at seven. So we avoid classes. They can get in, get out. It’s not a huge demand, like time, time crunch and all that. Um, then the, then the rest of the day is like, besides the two hour block for training, like it, it’s open for the student athletes.
They can go to class, um, a couple. Actually more than a couple of upper upperclassmen have gotten like part-time jobs here on campus or just off. Um, so they can kind of do whatever they need to do, um, to be successful.
Matt: Okay. Um, in terms of like your, you said Wednesday, Saturday on the game schedule, I mean, looking at your conference, it looks like you, you’re not, you’re not traveling too far, but it’s also, you know, Not right next door either.
So, uh, yeah. What, how does, how does all the travel work in terms of missing classes and, and mm-hmm. , what’s kind of an average road trip for you guys?
Coach: Yeah. Nah, you, you nailed it. Like, our conference isn’t too spread out. Um, the furthest pa this past fall was down to Hanover, uh, which is about a four, just under four.
Um, next year we will be going to Rose Holeman, which. , uh, if I remember correctly, it’s a closer to four and a half cuz you gotta go around in Indianapolis and all that sort of stuff. Um, so yeah, dealing, dealing with travel, like academics, classes wise, the communication factor is huge. Like [00:13:30] it starts with me, I give out our travel schedule and like itinerary and all that sort of stuff starting in pre-season.
So players have it well in advance. . Um, and then once classes start and like we’re approaching days. There’s two levels of communication that go out. First one’s from me, 48 hours in advance, I have to send out an email to professors saying like, Hey, just a reminder, women’s soccer’s gonna be gone leaving this time.
And, and kind of some details. And then it’s also on the players to go to the professors more than just the, the day before or day of, uh, to, to talk with professor, like, especially if they’re missing a test or. Speech or projects do, or whatever it might be, set up the necessary, um, procedures to be able to still succeed.
Matt: Yeah, absolutely. No, that’s great. Well, let’s talk then a little bit more about the team and, and games and whatnot. Yeah. So you, you mentioned evening out your classes. Is there a roster size overall that is what you feel is kind of an ideal size that you’re trying to hit?
Coach: Yeah, so this past fall we had 25 on the roster.
Um, the biggest I want to get to is 30, um, . So I think that’s pretty perfect, four of those being goalkeepers. Um, the rest field players, obviously, um, that allows for a lot of depth, right? Like, I mean, bigger, faster, stronger game. Um, injuries do happen, [00:15:00] unfortunately. Um, we had, we had some freak injuries this year.
Uh, we had a senior Centerback second season or second game of the season. go down with a broken ankle. Um, just, just during a slide tackle, like our foot got caught wrong in the turf and just, yeah, it was not a pretty scene, but like, it was just freak stuff, right? Yeah. So we gotta have depth, illness happens, academic stuff happens.
So like, all, all those reasons we have to have, be able to compete. So, ha, having depth is huge. Um, also in training, like I am a huge proponent. At least like 20 to 30 minutes at the end of training is gonna be bigger sided, 11 V 11 or whatever we have numbers for. Um, because it gives those game-like moments, um, and it gives the players the chance, like to prove themself, right?
Like, uh, as a coach, sometimes you hear, uh, oh coach, I wish you would just gimme a chance in a game. Right? Well, we’re doing those in, in training then. That’s your. So, um, so yeah, so, so 30 is about the perfect, any bigger than that. Then it starts getting a little harder, um, both on the players and, and coaches to, to really make it manageable.
Matt: Yeah, for sure. Well, you talk about the coaches. Do you, do you have other staff? What, what does that kind of look like in terms of the coaching staff?
Coach: Yeah, so I’ve got two kinda like part-time coaches. Um, one is a senior, actually softball player here. She’s interested in coaching after she graduates. Um, [00:16:30] but her fall.
Um, semester here. She was able to do like an internship through us, um, which was awesome. She played soccer in high school and that sort of thing, so loves the game. Um, and she, she was great. Um, and then I have another part-time, um, assistant slash goalkeeper coach. Um, she was actually just doing stuff only at the local high school.
Um, and I kind of like swooped in and scooped her up to, to come over and help out with us. So, um, they’re both awesome. They work hard, the girls love ’em. Um, so we are actually looking as well for, for a graduate assistant still. Um, the one that I, when I came in, in the spring, she left to go somewhere else, like a better, like it was a step up opportunity for her.
So, um, but it was late in the spring semester. Couldn’t find anyone to find, fill it. So, um, so yeah, starting that process of, of looking for that again,
Matt: always, always fun. Always fun trying to find, find new staff. Um, oh yeah. What, can you describe your style of coaching and kind of just the overall team style play, what that culture of the team looks like?
Coach: Yeah, so playing style is probably the easiest to start with there. Uh, playing style. I say it’s possession based, but more specifically, like I want us to play with a purpose. Like if a team is high pressing us, I don’t like, yeah, I want us to try and keep the ball, but if necessary, all right, let’s, [00:18:00] let’s have a purposeful ball forward.
Um, like a bigger ball. Not just, not just a kickball, not just whack it like play, play with a purpose, right? Like if a team’s sitting back, let’s possess forward, let’s not. Play in the limited space behind them. Um, I, I want us to be able to read the play, adapt to whatever the opponent’s doing, that sort of thing.
Um, Like switching, switching the point of tax important with that and like all that sort of stuff, right? Like, um, could go on and on with specifics of that, but that, that’s to sum that up. Now, my coaching style, I kind of have two different ones. Um, during training, I’m very high energy, like I am 100% an extrovert.
Um, so like I am all over the place. I don’t stand still. I’m walking around the grid sometimes through it to get a different view if necessary. Um, but I, I want to be able to hit every player cuz like, it, it definitely happens that like players get stuck on one side. Some, sometimes even though you tell ’em to move around and stuff like, , there’s still those that kind of like try to stay in their one area, right?
So like I try to see everyone and give everyone points as much as possible. So, um, so yeah, I’m high energy all over the place, giving coaching points, trying to coach within the flow of training rather than stopping it too much. If, if it’s a repetitive thing that like, we just can’t get down, then I will freeze it.
Uh, I’ll make points and that sort of thing, but for the most part, I, I want them to learn within the, [00:19:30] within the activity, within the game, whatever it might be, rather than just me talking all the time. Right? So during games it’s a little bit different. I’m, uh, I’m a little quieter. Um, I’m still up. Um, I’m still very energetic on the sidelines.
I, I still stay on my feet and that sort of thing. If I sit down, it’s like 10 seconds and I’m back up. , but I’m not joystick coaching during a game. Like I, I might help solve problems and like that sort of thing, but for the most part, I want players to figure it out. Like, uh, I often tell them like, training is the studying for the test and the game is the actual test, right?
Like, gotta see what we, we learned what we know, and move forward. Right.
Matt: That makes a lot of sense. Well, in terms of, you know, now that the regular season’s done, you’re, you’re looking into the winter and, and spring season, can, it can just be an overview of what that off season’s gonna look like until, until you get back to, to next year.
Coach: For sure. Yeah. So once season ended, um, I actually just gave, gave the girls time off. Like I didn’t give them anything expected from me. Um, like we’ve, we’ll get together a couple times here before the semester ends, a as just kinda fun, fun times together. Um, but as far as soccer and like workouts, nothing until next semester.
Um, when we come back in January, we’ll start, um, like the workout packet will start mid-January. Um, but [00:21:00] the. it works for, yeah. D three is like everything before we get to those allotted team trainings is all technically voluntary. Um, so e everything will be put in place for them to use and, and succeed like three times a week there’s gonna be a lifting packet, uh, couple days a week.
There’s gonna be like a agility and cardio. Um, in the evenings, like later in the evenings. Um, there’s gonna be foots all a few times a week set up in the. Um, but technically it’s all, like I said, voluntary and they don’t have to be there if they, if they don’t want to sort of thing. , but I tell players like, tho that time is your time to grow, right?
Like, if you wanna play in the fall, you gotta put in the work in the off season. So, um, once we hit about mid-March, uh, we’re gonna yeah, get to our, our team trainings, which we have 15 of those. So about, it spans out to about three weeks for five weeks, and then one day of, of scrimmage, um, where we’re looking to have like a round.
with some other teams to make it really worth it since we only have one of those available.
Matt: Right. That makes sense. Well,coach, we’ve covered a lot of ground and, and I always like to end these the same way and that’s what didn’t we cover. Is there anything else you wanna let us know, whether it’s about recruiting the school, the soccer, anything?
I give you the last word here.
Coach: Oh man. Uh, last word I would say like, especially to recruits. [00:22:30] Make sure schools check all your boxes, right? Like the, the transfer portal is like, don’t get me wrong, it’s great, like if, if you need to use it, but at the end of the day, you should really know everything about the school that you want to go to.
It should be a great fit. Every single box should check off. Um, I always tell recruits when I talk to ’em in person, like if, if, if knock on wood that you like, have a seasoned career ending injury, Are you still gonna enjoy your time at this school? If the answer is no, then maybe the school’s not for you, right?
Like that. Or, or suddenly a coach leaves like, Knock on. Like, I have no plans to to leave, but like, knock on wood, something happens. I’m not here, are you still gonna enjoy it? Like that? Those are huge things to, to really consider. Um, cause like I said, transfer portal is there for a reason, but the number that keeps growing.
uh, is astounding. So
Matt: agreed. Well, coach, I really appreciate the time. Wish you the best of luck as you gear up, uh, for all this recruiting and, and your first full year there. And, uh, if you’re making the convention in Philly, uh, make sure you come by and, and say hello at our table. All
Coach: right? Yeah. Looking forward to it.
