Catholic University of America Women’s Soccer – Coach Casey Sommers
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Sommers from the Catholic University of America Women’s Program in Washington, DC. We talk about the wide geographic diversity of their roster. She describes the school’s unique campus feel within a big city. Lastly, we discuss the style of play they aim to play. Learn more about Catholic University Women’s Soccer.
[00:00:01] Matt: Hi, everybody. Welcome to discover college soccer. Uh, I’m excited today to be joined by coach Casey Sommers from the Catholic University of America. Women’s soccer program. Uh, good to have my Alma mater on the show again, this time on the lady side. So welcome coach.
[00:00:18] Coach: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
[00:00:20] Matt: Yeah. Thanks for being here. Well, um, You know, I, it was funny.
[00:00:24] I was just looking at the roster, I guess it’s last year’s roster, obviously still, but, um, and, and it kinda mirrored my experience at Catholic. I think you have had 12 states represented or something like that, uh, last season. And that’s the beauty of Catholic youth pulling folks from all over the country, but. You know, a lot of division three schools are very regionally focused recruitment wise, but because it’s the Catholic university of America, you guys are a little bit broader. So talk to me a little bit about recruiting and, and, and where you tend to go to see players or find out about players or how it works, uh, on, on your end.
[00:01:01] Coach: Yeah, I’m sure DC is definitely an attractive location for people all over the country. And we’ll get a lot of interest from everywhere. I think we still do get it. The bulk of our students from like New Jersey, uh, Pennsylvania, kind of a sweet spot. I think this school is like from Boston, you know, down to Virginia.
[00:01:20] Um, we’re fortunate, I think with the sport of soccer, that a lot of the best tournaments are actually on the east coast. So I can typically. Um, use my money wisely and kind of players come this way so I can hit tournament’s like that. But I think a lot of kids go on their eighth grade school trip to DC and it sparks an interest and they want to come.
[00:01:41] So we’ll get calls from, uh, from the west coast. And I think even in our, in our next class coming in, we’ll represent a little more of the Midwest and a little south. So. I’m happy to pull kids from everywhere. I think it creates a good experience and kind of brings different energy and personality to the team.
[00:02:00] I know our baseball coach here said since our name of our school is Catholic university of America who wants to have every state represented on that team. So we’re trying.
[00:02:11] Matt: Yeah, funny thing is I think, I think he was the baseball coach when I was there too. So. Um, so when do you usually start looking at players? Uh, start talking to players. What kind of year in their high school journey are they, when did kids start to commit? What’s the timeline for you usually?
[00:02:31] Coach: Um, I typically start talking around sophomore year, but it definitely gets more serious and more focused, um, for juniors. And I think a lot. Sophomore year. I’m happy to watch players and talk about the school, but I think sometimes they’re still trying to figure out, uh, what division they want, what they’re looking for.
[00:02:49] So sometimes, um, I definitely spend more of my time watching games with juniors. And right now with the rising seniors, I’m looking to kind of put out my offers. Pretty quickly, actually I have two out and then we have an ID clinic next month, and then hopefully we can invite them to campus, meet each other, see a game and, and get those commitments so they can apply early.
[00:03:17] Matt: You mentioned ID camps. And I think you’re, you’re one of the few I’ve heard that’s running one in season, which is, uh, is, is good, which is great for players to be able to see a game and that sort of thing. How important are camps overall in your kind of recruitment portfolio, whether they’re camps on a Catholic or you work in other camps, how does that work?
[00:03:40] Coach: Um, w currently, um, I like to use my ID camp as an opportunity to identify the students who are really serious in, in Catholic. So hopefully I’ve already seen them play a couple of times, invite them to campus, um, get to meet some of the players. And, um, it’s an opportunity for them to also observe.
[00:03:59] Me and how I coach and what I’m doing and how they feel about the school. So, um, that we are a full high school age group. So we’re obviously introducing some people, but it also gives me a chance to have the, I have 15 freshmen coming in this year. And I think nine of them went to an ID clinic. So. It kind of helped solidify their interest in me, if I’m lacking a recruit, that’s made me from further away or I don’t have an opportunity to see as much in their attending, like a regional edgy camp or a future 500 or something like that.
[00:04:32] There’s some value in that for me to see them compete, compete, and play games. Um, but I’m not working a ton of summer camps and going to other schools. So my ID clinic, yes. And then some regional based stuff. So primarily my recruiting is from tournaments and showcases.
[00:04:52] Matt: Well, that’s perfect then for my next question, you know, what are those. Showcases, obviously you mentioned that 95 corridor is your main, uh, main recruiting ground, but also the home of some really good tournaments. So what tournaments are kind of must-see TV on your, on your list?
[00:05:08] Coach: um, yeah, I try to hit a lot of the ECL stops. Um, Jefferson cup is a big one going up to PDA, New Jersey around Memorial day, um, is a big one with us. The showcase, if I can get to wag, sometimes it’s tricky cause we’re in Susan, but I like to see them with the king of the local talent is in the, in the DMV.
[00:05:27] Um, and go ahead and down to Florida for any of the showcases around Disney and things like that.
[00:05:35] Matt: Oh, well, you gotta, you gotta get to Bradenton instead of Disney. Come on. You know, we, we, we get, we get an ECN elephant, and then obviously I am G cup. So we’ll we’ll get you down our way instead
[00:05:46] Coach: Okay.
[00:05:46] Matt: anyway, um, so when you’re, whether it’s at camp or whether it’s, you know, watching a tournament game or anything like that, you know, what’s your kind of hierarchy of what you’re looking for in a player, whether it’s on the field or off the field attributes.
[00:06:03] Coach: Yeah, there’s a, there’s a few things I like to make note of. And, um, as silly as it may sound, I love to try to identify how much someone just loves the game of soccer. Cause you know, once you get into school, you’re, you’re playing quite a bit and you’re around those people. And I want those two hours of your day to be the best part of your day.
[00:06:22] The kids who are hungry to play, and it’s not just, I’ve been playing for 14 years and now this is the next step. Um, so I looked for kind of the uncoachable, that good body language, um, aggressive style of play, physicality , players, who, who wants the ball. Cause I want, I want players who want to win. So even if you’re playing right back in the balls of the left forward, like how are you making, you know, putting your players in a, in a better place.
[00:06:47] So even if I can show up to a game early, uh, it doesn’t always happen because you’re running on the field to feel it. I’ll, I’ll try to watch how you engage with your teammates or your coach, or, you know, how you’re preparing for. Specifically goalkeepers. Cause sometimes you don’t know if they’re going to get much action in a game, so I’ll definitely go watch them, um, warm up and, you know, try to watch their touches and things like that.
[00:07:10] But, um, soccer IQ, for sure. Like, like I said, the movement off the ball and first touch, um, and you know, hopefully that, that hunger for the game.
[00:07:21] Matt: Okay. So the, the always the difficult part. And I know specifically for Catholic university, having, given them a lot of my money over the years, uh, let’s talk finances a little bit, obviously no athletic money, but w you know what, wha what’s the academic money look like these days or other scholarships and grants that look like these days at Catholic?
[00:07:44] What does a typical student athlete going to be walking into?
[00:07:49] Coach: a typical, uh, merit based. Um, the range for merit based aid is from like 17 to 24,000. And then kind of 25 to 28, 29 would be reserved for potentially like the honors program, um, which you can find out later after the admissions process. If you get a little more, you can get $4,000 a year for the parish scholarship.
[00:08:12] If you check that box and you’re in a parish, if you’re a legacy student, maybe you have a brother or sister in school, you can get another thousand dollars. Um, otherwise the financial aid FAFSA. Process would be the same as any other school.
[00:08:27] Matt: okay. Well, let’s talk more about the school itself, uh, because I know I’m sure you still get it on the recruiting trail. I get it. Uh, when people ask me where I went to school and I tell them Catholic, you, they think, oh, you mean Georgetown? Cause it’s in DC right now. No, it’s not. Oh, Notre Dame. No, no, that’s not it either. Um, but. can go on the website. I mean, I can tell you what I loved about Catholicism, but what, what do you think are some of the most attractive parts about Catholic university that maybe you’re not going to find out just by clicking through the website?
[00:09:02] Coach: Well, it’s, it’s crazy how many people I bring to campus who live not that far away. And don’t even realize how big our campuses are, how are their locations? Whereas. The best of both worlds with kind of a traditional campus setting, um, with the access to all the benefits of a city school and between my interview two years ago.
[00:09:23] And what people I know say now, like there’s just this welcoming feeling like across the board with the people you meet and the sense of community with the school. That’s part because of the size of the school. And, you know, you can walk across campus and definitely see people, you know, but you can still find those spots where you can, you can not do that.
[00:09:44] So I think it’s a nice mix. Um, and with our athletic department making up such a large part of the student body, I think it’s around 34% right now. Um, the relationships with the other sports. And like you mentioned, I’m sitting here in the D four center, like ever. Just support everyone and, and you can really feel it when you’re here.
[00:10:04] And that’s why I love, you know, to bring people on campus whenever I can. That pretty much seals the deal. When you, when you say Carlini field and, and meet the team that’s kind of it.
[00:10:17] Matt: Yeah, I, uh, I married a Catholic university volleyball player and, uh, so I can, I can attest
[00:10:22] to that, but, uh, you know, the nugget I’ll always like to give people is the second largest landowner in the district of Columbia besides the federal government is Catholic university. So, uh, you really do. Campus feel, even though you’re in a, in a city environment. It’s great. Love it. Um, You know, Catholicism is a very good academic school. And so there are, you know, challenges in, in academics. How do student athletes these days, you know, really balance their commitments in the, in the classroom versus, uh, on the soccer field and being a D three school, you know, how does, how does the, the sport help that process so that, you know, students really are students.
[00:11:10] Coach: I think. In general. I think student athletes are coming into college and are more prepared for that because of, you know, the schedule that they’ve potentially already had playing travel soccer and things like that. We have, um, a great program here called Cardinal success where you kind of have a team of mentors between, um, myself, my assistant.
[00:11:30] The Dean of your class, the Dean of, if, if you have already declared a major plus your professors of that semester, and we can kind of communicate, keep an eye on how you’re doing, potentially you need a tutor or let’s say, you’re doing really well. Maybe we can say, Hey, this other student could use your help within the team itself.
[00:11:50] They really support each other. And I know the upper-class and we’ll hold onto books and see if freshmen need it. You know, that next year and being a fall sport, I think we have some. Some bonuses where you come to this campus early and they can kind of, um, the upperclassmen can show the freshmen, the ropes and where the buildings are and just get them a little more situated before it gets a little more challenging.
[00:12:11] But it’s been an interesting two years in that, like the college students went from a kind of virtual learning back to the class. And that’s been an interesting adjustment on time because they have to factor in things like travel and actually physically being somewhere. And, um, I think we were all a little surprised by that.
[00:12:29] Challenging the switch back to what we all thought was normal. Cause for some students, you know, their freshman year was just virtual, but, um, there’s just a great support and network here to get it done for my team in particular. Um, I’m always stressing about academics first. So if you have. Leave practice early or come a little late, or let’s say you have a big test and your mind is just elsewhere.
[00:12:53] You know, that’s the priority for the day. You’re not going to be helpful at practice. So just go take care of that class and income, you know, the soccer team is not going anywhere. So come back when you’re, when you’re feeling good and, and the kids know that. So they, they, they balance their time. Well,
[00:13:12] Matt: That’s great. So can you walk me through what is typical, I know there’s no such thing as a typical week, but a typical week during the season looks like with regards to practice times, class, times, leaving for games, that sort of thing. What, what, what should someone expect when they come.
[00:13:28] Coach: Yeah, I think I just finished our schedule this morning, actually. Um, a typical week for us is a Monday morning practice. We start around six 15 in the morning. I will end. Around eight. Most of the students have class between 9, 10, 9 40 and, you know, go through till afternoon. Some of the majors have some night classes here and there.
[00:13:51] Um, Tuesday again, morning practice Wednesday. Is it typically a game day? Um, so our students will have class between like eight and they try to get out around one 30 so that we can get ready for. Um, Thursday’s a recovery day. So we’ll meet later in the afternoon around 4: 35. And it could be a variety of things, whether it’s film or a pool session or yoga or light jog, um, just individual meetings Friday or back, uh, in the morning.
[00:14:21] And Saturday is a game day and then Sunday we have off. And I think one of the fun things with the landmark conferences, the men and women’s conference games are double headers. So. Well, we don’t travel together. Um, we are always able, um, to kind of watch a half of each other play, which is nice.
[00:14:41] Matt: No. That’s great. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the team and that sort of thing. So is there a set roster size that you like to try to get to each year?
[00:14:52] Coach: I’ll say yes, but I haven’t gotten there yet. Um, so we’re, we’re on the larger side right now. I have 34 players. Um, The classes are a little, um, eventually we’re trying to get it down. Yeah. Between 27 and 30 around, um, six to eight per class, I would say.
[00:15:15] Matt: And in terms of your staff, you know, how big is your staff? What roles does everybody play? Uh, and is there other support staff in the athletic department? Besides just, you know, assistant coaches.
[00:15:29] Coach: Sure. Um, this fall coming up, I’ll have two assistants. One is my graduate assistant. Um, and one is my former GA who’s now just returning to, to be on staff and she specializes with, uh, goalkeeper’s. Um, I work very closely with our athletic training staff, um, shout out. Yeah, well, she’s great. So I kind of just consider her another step, like a member of the coaching staff and making sure we have extra eyes and ears, um, on the student athletes.
[00:15:57] Um, so I have two assistants this year. Last year I had three, so. It could potentially change, but definitely, um, enough attention for the size group that we have. Um, we have great support, um, from our SWA. Who’s also the lacrosse coach and Jamie Wells does academics, compliance and eligibility. So I bother her quite a bit, um, right now about getting kids moved in early as in setting up meal plans and things like that.
[00:16:24] But they’re also just a great resource, um, for the players to, to reach out to for anything.
[00:16:30] Matt: No. That’s great. Well, how would you describe your style of coaching and the style of play these days?
[00:16:39] Coach: Um, to the extent that I can, um, I like the game too, to teach the game essentially. So during training, I’ll try to create scenarios where they’ll simulate real game situations so that we can kind of talk through it. Problem solved. I want the players to think that when we’re in a game they’re not feeling overwhelmed or pressured, everything will be.
[00:17:01] Familiar and comfortable. So, um, hopefully I get my talking instruction out during practice because in a game I’m a little more reserved in that and hopefully it can just, um, cheer in those moments and support and make changes where needed. I’m not shouting a pass now, running now, things like that.
[00:17:19] Um, so the encouragement for me is thinking of possession with a purpose. Um, I like to get forward. I hope we can score a bunch of goals next year. Um, I keep the goalkeepers pretty close with the field players. All of our goalkeepers are really good with their feet. Um, and that’s part of their training.
[00:17:38] They’ll spend some time because I want them to be that 11th field player. Play out of, and not just in a panic situation. Um, so I’m looking for thinkers and hopefully practice simulates a situation where they have to think and be creative.
[00:17:55] Matt: Okay, that’s great. Um, in practice or in games, do you guys use any sort of technology or anything like that? Uh, to help in the coaching and training process?
[00:18:08] Coach: Um, very little, occasionally we fill in the practice. We’ll film intrasquad scrimmages. If we’re working on something specific, if someone wants to work on their shooting form or set pieces, we’ll kind of, we’ll bring out an iPad for that, but we don’t have any other techniques.
[00:18:25] Matt: Okay. Just wondering, um, now, you know, we’re, you’re, you’re getting ready for the fall, but, uh, in terms of the non traditional quote unquote season, you know, the spring, what does that off-season program look like? Uh, typically for you.
[00:18:40] Coach: Yeah, we just had an awesome, uh, non-traditional season. It was so great to actually have one cause it’s been, I think, uh, oh, it’s been a while at least. Um, so it’s, I like to use it as an opportunity, um, to, to work on the individual and let them know what I hope to see from them in the fall. Maybe it’s less game preparation and more player development, but also.
[00:19:06] And that’s an opportunity to kind of identify new leaders and a new voice and personality for the team going forward. And an opportunity for the seniors is just leadership in general to kind of step up and have a voice. And this. Particularly last year. It was great for me to just form stronger bonds with the team, because this is still going to be just my second season, a fall season with the group.
[00:19:28] So our non-traditional season was, uh, four weeks long. We did three or four practices. Um, a week we were in the weight room twice a week. Um, so we basically went from March to right before Easter. We had two scrimmages against Mary Washington and. Uh, Randolph-Macon sorry, forgot for a minute. Um, and we also have leadership meetings.
[00:19:57] Um, once a week we made a kind of a committee. We had three representatives from each class and we just started talking about how you don’t have to be like a captain to lead. And the teams have a couple of captains and grade teams have leaders everywhere. So just kind of trying to develop that skill set.
[00:20:16] Matt: No, I liked that a lot. Well, you know, we, we, we’ve talked about a lot of different things. I always like to end these kinds of questions with the same question. Is that what didn’t we cover? What else do you want to talk about? Uh, whether it’s about the school, about the program, about soccer, anything, uh, this is, this is your chance.
[00:20:35] Coach: Oh, well, you know, forever for whatever student athletes are watching this, I hope you can find a way to kind of enjoy your recruiting experience. Make sure you make it your own. And don’t judge yourself by how quickly or slow your teammates are doing it. Some may commit before you, but you’ll, you’ll find a place that’s right for you.
[00:20:50] And remember, you know, to be an advocate for yourself, this is a time where you can brag about yourself and make that film and update coaches. Keep reaching out until you get that. Yes or no. Thanks email. And you can, you know, um, half the recruit, you know, more than half the recruiting process is really you putting yourself out there.
[00:21:09] Cause the coach won’t know you exist. Unless you’re gonna introduce yourself. I know that you’re interested in the school. So, you know, do your homework, find those schools that have the majors, um, go visit as many campuses as you can to get that field? I think, like I said, Catholicism is a wonderful place. We have great facilities, great conference.
[00:21:27] That’s even growing in 2023. So it’s more, it’s going to be, you know, even more exciting, um, and good luck to everyone.
[00:21:37] Matt: All right. Thanks coach. I appreciate it. And, uh, we really wish you the best of luck in the fall. Hopefully I’ll be able to get up there and, uh, to the old, the old stomping grounds and see some games, but, uh, in the meantime, uh, go in the landmark and get to the-
[00:21:51] Coach: Yeah, you have to get, get your girls up here for
[00:21:55] Matt: All right. Thanks coach. Likewise.
[00:21:58] Coach: Nice to meet you.
