Southwest Virginia Community College Men’s & Women’s Soccer – Coach Gary Warford
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Gary Warford from the Southwest Virginia Community College Men’s & Women’s Program. We talk about how he is reigniting two different programs. He describes the school’s genuine care for all its students. Lastly, we discuss how he plans on building out his staff. Learn more about Southwest Virginia Community College Men’s & Women’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi, everybody. Welcome to discover college soccer today. I’m lucky enough to be joined by coach Warford. Welcome coach.
Coach: Hey, thank you for having me, Matt.
Matt: Ah, thanks for being here. You are down at Southwestern. Oh, excuse me. Southwest Virginia community college. I almost had Southwestern cuz I’ve interviewed somebody from Southwestern college, but um, down there, uh, almost to Tennessee, right?
Coach: Yeah, we’re a stone throw away from Bristol and Kingsport, Tennessee.
Matt: There you go. Yeah, that Bristol, where, where you’re, you’re partly in, uh, Virginia, you’re partly in Tennessee, right? That’s it. Awesome. Well, appreciate you joining and, and, and this is gonna be fun, cuz it’s a little bit different. You’ve been there all of, uh, three or four weeks, uh, as well as you’re gonna be heading up both the men’s and the women’s programs there.
If I’m not mistaken and you’re actually, you know, we’re talking in September, but you are gonna be really kind of starting those programs or restarting those programs [00:01:00] next fall. Is that correct?
Coach: That is correct. I am tasked with building both the men’s team and the women’s team to participate, uh, fall of 2023.
Matt: Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Well, they good. We get, we kind of get you while you’re, uh, you’re still, you’re still painting that canvas as to what this is gonna look like. Right. Um, great. So, well, let’s talk a little bit about, you know, about how, how you’re gonna build these programs, right? So from a recruiting aspect, um, I guess what’s gonna be your, your focus in terms of, of where you’re gonna gonna find players or kind of start drumming up interest to, to play next year.
Right.
Coach: Thank you for that question. Uh, just quick background about myself. I’ve been coaching for about 20 years, uh, at high school club and the collegiate level, uh, my last institution by 11 years. So I’m familiar with the recruiting process and where to find all the talent. So essentially what I’ve done now that I’ve been on the job here for every bit.
Of three weeks is to send [00:02:00] out a blanket, net cast, a blank net to find out, you know, what interest is out there for Southwest, because like we’ve had soccer here for three years, but we haven’t really gotten it off the ground yet. Uh, it won’t happen until fall of 23. And then, uh, I got the responses back of what areas of geographical areas to contact and then.
From there. I reached out to my international contacts and in the UK, uh, in Oceana, like, uh, New Zealand, Australia, uh, my south American contacts. So it’s, it’s truly recruiting from my backyard, so to speak, but also looking at it as a global aspect. Okay.
Matt: Now, in terms of, um, you know, the, I guess for the next nine, 12 months, right.
As you’re, as you’re building this out, Are you, are there specific like club tournaments, uh, or events showcases, et cetera, that, that you’re gonna try to focus on. If so, kind of what parts of the [00:03:00] country, what areas are you? Are you looking?
Coach: Yeah, I’ve got, I’ve got a couple that’s going on in, but hold on.
There’s one in November in Chattanooga Tennessee. Mm-hmm know there’s one in Indiana. We’re looking at going to, and then I’m flying down to El Salvador to see some south American, uh, talent in February. Wow. Okay.
Matt: So that, that’s nice to see a community college with a little, a little bit of a recruiting budget there for you to, to, to take some trips.
Coach: I have nothing but nice things to say about this place because they’ve given me. A task to build and the ability to do so. And I have support from our president and leadership on the campus, as well as our athletic director. Jason Benzel, he’s been nothing but supportive.
Matt: Ah, that’s fantastic. What, um, you know, uh, these days it seems like camps are playing a bigger role in the recruiting process.
Um, are you guys gonna have any camps down there or are you gonna, or any, I dunno if you have staff yet, it might be a little early for that since you’re only a month in, but. Are you planning on working outside camps as a way to [00:04:00] help draw in potential recruits as well?
Coach: Right? So the way I’m gonna work this, let me back it up from the very last of your, your, your quote there, or your question.
Right now I’m a staff of one to build two programs. I haven’t really had a chance to build my staff. I’ve got some, some ideas of who I wanna bring in to help me be a part of something special here. But, um, we do wanna host a prospect camp before it gets too cold outside if we’re not able to do it. And you know, November, December we’ll do it early spring, because again, we have some time and that also coincides with the, uh, the fast, the window that opens up August, or I’m sorry, October 1st.
But, uh, I have reached out some of the local high schools that, uh, aren’t playing this, this fall. They play in the, in the spring. I think Virginia plays in the spring. Yep. And, uh, let them know, Hey, I’m available. Use me as a, as a resource to come out, you know, watch a couple, your sessions, maybe jump in and run a session or two.
Uh, I have had the opportunity to go out and watch. I know Kentucky’s playing right now in west. Virginia’s playing right now. I’ve had a chance to. To go out and, [00:05:00] and do some recruiting in those areas. So it’s been quite beneficial, but yeah, we will have a prospect camp. It’s just, I need to get my staff in order first.
Matt: No, that makes sense. Makes sense. Well, when it comes, you know, obviously as a community college, you gotta reload every two years instead of every four. Um, so having to go through tho those kind of numbers is there, you know what I. You say you’re casting that wide net. You’re looking lots of different states, even different countries.
Are there specific things you’re looking for in a player, whether that’s on the field or off the field, uh, aspects.
Coach: That’s a great question to ask. And that’s something that’s always asked of coaches. Hey, what are you looking for in a player in your first touch, getting their eyes up, checking their shoulder.
You know, all those things are really nice, but the first thing I wanna find it is, do you have respect for the game? And the broader picture of that are to break it down to smaller pieces. Having respect for the game means having respect for. Having respect for your teammates. And when I get a chance [00:06:00] to talk to them, either with a zoom or face to face or a phone call, do you have respect for your parents or your guardian?
And then when we’re talking, you know, back and forth and I’m talking, do you have respect for me? Because. Sometimes you talk to recruit and it’s all about me, me, me and the coach, and trying to talk to you, but you know, you’re not giving him a shot to do that. So truthfully, I wanna find out if you are a respectful person that I can bring in here and help make you an even better person on and off the field, a strong athlete on the field and an even stronger, uh, student in the academic classroom setting.
Matt: Okay. No, that’s great. In terms, let’s talk a little bit more, uh, I guess, about the school, um, as, as folks, you know, may not be familiar with, with that area and, and, and your particular college, um, You know, kind of, I know you’ve you haven’t been there a long time, but I guess in the short period of time that you’ve been there, kind of, [00:07:00] what, what has, uh, has excited you about the opportunity about the school?
What is it that, that, you know, kind of makes it, uh, a great place for a student athlete to be.
Coach: Right this place. Now I’ve gotta tell you, I’ve been doing this for 20 years is, is if there’s one word that I have to select to describe my experience thus far at Southwest community college, it’s genuine. They genuinely care about their athletes.
But even more. So they care about you being a student and getting the proper experience that you need to have at a two year school to get you ready. If you move on to a four year school, they genuinely care about your wellbeing. Uh, I’ve talked to several of the professors on campus and they’re all about student success.
Uh, or I’ve talked to the president many times. He genuinely cares about. The, uh, the livelihood of his, of his students that are underneath his care. And again, I mentioned my athletic director, Jason Zel, you know, [00:08:00] he’s a genuine leader leader. His leadership has really, uh, springboard, not just soccer, but other sports that he’s, uh, in care of.
And it shows every day. I mean, I come in, I say, good morning boss. He says, good morning to me. We have a chat. And just, it’s just a genuine place. Mean a lot of places promote, you know, this is a family atmosphere and things of that nature, but truly from day one, when I walked on this campus, I felt it. And nobody had to say a word to me.
I felt the vibe on campus and it’s truly remarkable.
Matt: That’s great in. One of the things that I guess folks, uh, are always, always concerned about when going to college is the financial side of things. Um, and that’s, you know, community colleges are a great, uh, avenue for folks to, to help maybe save some of those, some of those dollars on those first couple years of school.
But can you, can you give me just a, a brief overview and again, [00:09:00] I don’t need specific, uh, dollar amounts. I’m not gonna hold you to it yet. You, you haven’t, you haven’t been there long enough to, uh, to have all that memorized yet, but, but can you just gimme an a, a. An overview of potentially what a student athlete might be walking into from a financial aspect, uh, of what it’s gonna cost to go there.
What, what aid is available, different types of aid, you know, is there, uh, with the new programs, is there gonna be some potential athletic money? Kind of just, what does the big picture look like from a dollars and cents
Coach: perspective? Well, the important question is, you know, your background’s a soccer pitch.
I need to ask, do you have eligibility?
Matt: Ha, sorry, not burned through mine many, many moons ago, but, uh, but I appreciate the
Coach: offer. Oh, that’s quite alright. But, uh, you know, like any institution two year or four year we offer, um, Uh, FSFA if a student eligible for Pell grants and student loans and things of that nature, they obviously can apply for those awards.
Uh, there is because we’re in JCAA division one, we do offer an athletic award, [00:10:00] which can cover, you know, books and tuition and things of that nature. And then, uh, what’s UN a program that’s really unique, uh, to Southwestern or Southwest is the G three program. And I’m still becoming familiar with that. G three, essentially.
Pays up to a hundred percent. I think of tuition for counties that are surrounding, uh, Richlands, Virginia, which is where we’re located. So it’s a really neat thing that, uh, you know, somebody graduating from a local high school, they don’t have to travel very far to go to a, a quality institution and it would not cost them an arm like to do so, but yeah, we can, we can stack, you know, you know, federal money, state money, and then obviously, uh, a soccer award.
Matt: Okay. Well, and, and again, I know it’s super early, but, but we’ll, we’ll last these questions anyway, just to get an idea of, of what these soccer teams are gonna look like, you know, a year from now, but is there, um, you know, you talked about, you’re looking to build out staff, you know, I guess what, what are you hoping that staff is gonna look like in [00:11:00] terms of, of who you’re gonna have there with
Coach: you?
Well, um, I have some ideas and I don’t wanna put it out there, but no, um, myself, like I’m a veteran coach I’ve been around the way for a little bit. I’d like to find someone that obviously has some experience with, uh, both the men’s side and our women’s side, because they are uniquely different. Uh, I need to have someone that, uh, understands my play, my coaching style.
And then someone has a background in goal keeping. That’s always been the, the thing, you know, your assistant coach need to have a strong background in goalkeeping. Yep
Matt: for sure. Um, in terms of, of both the rosters, is there a specific, uh, number you, you you’re trying to hit what maybe your target roster size might look like?
We are
Coach: tasked with 20 players for the men and then 20 players for the women. I’d like to make that 21, just so I can have an extra goalkeeper, especially when we finish those tactical sessions, you know, you wanna be able to rotate keepers in and, and give as many touches as you can. And plus, you know, soccer’s a very [00:12:00] physical game and that goalkeeper is your last line of defense and sometimes your first line of attack and they get brutalized sometimes.
And you never know what can happen during a long. Oh,
Matt: absolutely. Yeah, my, my, my little guy’s taking a shine to goal keepings and he’s, he he’s feeling it, uh, after his labor day tournament. So I, I, I, I can relate to that one. Absolutely. Um, well, in terms of, um, you know, what you’re looking for. Um, in, in balancing the, the roster and, and student athletes and, and that kind of thing.
Um, you know, what, what do you see, um, Uh, kind of like a typical week looking like for a student in terms of training and, and what, what their course load might be and, and, you know, what kind of things does the school offer to help those student athletes kind of balance their studies and, and then academics or in athletics,
Coach: excuse me.
Right. So when we report, you know, end of July, well, have your traditional preseason, there’ll [00:13:00] be, you know, three sessions a day. You know, that first session will typically be. Uh, a technical fitness with the full team. Second, session’s probably gonna be something more positional. And then that third session would be more style of play.
Uh, once we’re favorite, pre-season play a couple of Friendlys and classes resume and start up. Um, we’ll practice pretty much every day that we don’t have a game. Uh, if we do have a match, you know, the next day is usually a recovery, something light, maybe some video. But, um, you know, athletics at no means will interfere with, with academics.
I’m I have a doctorate degree in education, so I’m a firm believer in, in getting your degree and moving onto something more productive, because at some point your legs are gonna give out and you’re gonna need this to get you ahead in life. But, uh, the school does have. An activity time built in to the school day.
I’m still getting my feet wet with this, but I think it’s from 11 o’clock, so 12 o’clock or something like that. So, and you know, that’s not gonna [00:14:00] be with soccer. That’s just, students have some time, some downtime just to do what they need to do to take care of themselves, to, to keep themselves mentally focused on their day.
Matt: No, that’s great. Well, coach, uh, you know, covered a lot of ground here for a, for a new program. I like to kind of end these with, with what didn’t we cover. What else do you want people to know? Whether it’s, uh, soccer related school related, recruiting related, anything? Uh, at all, I kind of just, uh, leave you with the floor in the last word.
Well,
Coach: the first question always asks recruits is what team do you cheer for? So I gotta ask you, Matt, what, who’s your team? I’m
Matt: a spurs man. So we, we had a nice w yesterday in the champions league opener. So, so I gotta be happy with that. Yeah. Even though
Coach: my boys kinda let me down yesterday.
Matt: Oh yeah. I, well, woo.
They, they had a, they, they had a rough
Coach: one. Yeah. That wasn’t fun, but you know, It’s we, we have a, a, a, a rotating roster and we have new folks coming in and new personnel, so it’s gonna take time for it to happen, but we’ll be okay in the end. Yeah. Yeah. [00:15:00] But, uh, you know, and then the second thing I always ask, you know, or not ask, but, um, what’s your favorite soccer memory?
So I’m gonna ask you, Matt, what was your favorite soccer memory?
Matt: Oh, well, It’s funny. I was my, so my daughter is freshman in high school, so she’s getting ready to go to her first homecoming dance here, uh, next month. So she was, we were talking about homecoming and the fact that, uh, I think in high school, you know, they it’s always around football.
So, so I think I was actually had a home game, homecoming weekend once all of high school. And then in college, the same thing had it once. Right. And the once in college, Our homecoming soccer game was at the exact time as the homecoming football game. Oh. So I couldn’t go to the football game, obviously, cuz we were playing and hardly anybody went to the soccer game cause they were all at the football game.
Right. But my sophomore year that homecoming soccer game, we won two to one against. Somebody just down [00:16:00] the road from you Lynchburg. Um, and I had both goals, so, uh, they announced it at the football game. And so I, you know, coming down off the, our field was up high off the hill and you had to walk through the football stadium.
And so I got mobbed coming out because, uh, they had announced it and everybody’s like, oh, you got both goals. So that was. That was a big, a big one in my soccer memories. That’s
Coach: for sure. So when you score the two golf, did you dance with the robot
Matt: or anything fan? No, no, no. It was, uh, you know, I came from the school of thought like, act like you’ve been there before, you know?
So there you go. I can respect
Coach: that. Well, that’s cool.
Matt: So, well, coach, I appreciate the time I, we wish you the best of luck in building this program out. And, and I think you’re you’re well on your way. It’s a nice area of the country. Great, gorgeous area. And, and I think it sounds like you got some, some great support there from the school, and I believe you’ll you’ll have nothing but the best moving forward.
So [00:17:00] hopefully this interview will get some folks interested and, and you’ll get a few phone calls from it.
Coach: I appreciate you having, having me on. Thank you coach. Take care. Thank you, you too.
