University of Pikeville Men’s Soccer – Coach Shaun Schetka
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Shaun Schetka from the University of Pikeville Men’s Program in Kentucky. We talk about the number of inbound contacts he gets each week. He tells us about how the school really becomes a home for its players. Lastly, we discuss their conference and how playing against top teams elevates their program. Learn more about Pikeville.
[00:00:00] Matt: Hi, everybody. Welcome to discover college soccer. I’m with coach Sean and Sean. I’ll let you tell me how to pronounce your last name. So I don’t butcher it.
[00:00:07] Coach: It’s
[00:00:08] Matt: Schetka. That’s what I would’ve gone with, but you know, you never know. Um, uh, and, and coach Sean is with the Pikeville bears. And you were on the men’s side, you guys are in NAIA school.
[00:00:22] Um, so let’s jump right in and talk about, uh, your recruiting process. Um, you know, when do you start looking at players? Like what year in high school are they and when, when you’re starting to that recruiting process?
[00:00:35] Coach: Yeah, I mean, well, you know, we’re pretty fortunate in NAIA as far as like, we don’t have any restrictions to when we can start looking at kids, but, um, for me, you know, usually your.
[00:00:45] Junior year to, you know, add the sophomore, beginning of junior year is when we start to start to identify guys, um, you know, obviously the, the local, the more local talent, the more access we have to them, you know, those types of, so some of those guys kind of get identified a little bit earlier and then with the internationals, you know, those kids go, I mean, I’m still identifying kids now for 22, 20 22.
[00:01:09] So, I mean, it’s just. It just kind of ranged from, you know, where, where you’re from and you know, where we are in the game.
[00:01:18] Matt: How many inbound contacts would you say you get in a normal week?
[00:01:23] Coach: Ooh, I would say probably probably 75 to a hundred. I think a lot of that being international guys, you know, their agencies, you know, that’s one of the, one of the routes that we, we tend to do go the most with it.
[00:01:37] So, I mean, you’re constantly getting. The messages and things like. What do
[00:01:43] Matt: you like to see in those first communications from a recruit, whether they’re domestic or international?
[00:01:48] Coach: No, I, I mean, I think for me, you know, I, we got to know your academics. Um, so GPA sat act score. For me on what major you’re interested in.
[00:01:59] I just, because that kind of helps me, um, you know, when we started to go through the process, um, what resources I can send to you and those types of things, and then also, you know, short little highlight video, you know, no more than about five minutes, you know, but have your best stuff forward, you know, be that good first impression that, you know, you, you want to send.
[00:02:22] Matt: No, it makes sense. Um, when besides the inbound, you know, stuff that you get, when, what are you doing from an outbound perspective? Are you holding ID camps? What tournaments do you like to go to, to scout players? That
[00:02:36] Coach: sort of thing? Yeah. I mean, as far as region, I mean, we do a little bit of stuff locally, you know, with some clubs and or high schools and that kind of thing.
[00:02:44] I mean, there, isn’t a huge club scene, relatively close to us. You know, the, the closest club is an hour and 45 minutes away. So for me, you know, it’s a lot of going to places, you know, trying to work a lot of, um, uh, different ID camps or, um, Clinic’s going to other schools. Um, tournament’s, you know, I’m a big, I like the blue chip and, um, the Cincinnati area, you know, that’s been a good one for us.
[00:03:11] Um, we’ve had a lot of success in Tennessee, so really anytime I can get to anything there, I mean, it’s. You know, the, the Memphis area has been good to us lately. So, you know, those are two real main areas for me. And then, I mean, I have a Pittsburgh connection as that’s where I’m from. So, I mean, I, anytime I can go back that area, you know, as good as well.
[00:03:32] Yeah.
[00:03:33] Matt: Do you ha do you have a criteria list of things of attributes that you’re looking for when you’re looking at a player, but either both on the field or off the.
[00:03:43] Coach: Yeah. I mean, obviously, you know, they’ve got to fit the style of play that we, you know, that we want to have. Um, for me, you know, I like technical players, like players that can play multiple positions, um, you know, off the field, you know, are, are, do they treat their coach as well?
[00:03:58] You know, do they. Nice to talk appropriately to their, their teammates, the officials, you know, those types of things. How’s their body language when they’re, you know, when they’re up versus when they’re down, you know, just kind of, you know, getting that whole first impression of the whole person I think for me is important.
[00:04:17] Yeah.
[00:04:18] Matt: That makes sense. Century in AI, you know, you’ve, you’ve got athletic money to give what’s the kind of scholarship seen both academic and athletic, uh, at Pikeville.
[00:04:31] Coach: Yeah. So we’re actually, we’re able to stack both academic and, um, athletics, so that kind of helps us, um, Well, you know, obviously anytime you can give more money to kids, the better off and, and our, um, admissions department, they’ve actually just revamped our scholarships a little bit more.
[00:04:48] So we’re actually going to be able to give a little more academic money for kids that, you know, would pools outside scholarships to things. So, you know, that kind of really is going to help us on the athletic side is, you know, we’re, don’t necessarily have to. A lot more athletic money because they’re getting, getting the academics.
[00:05:07] So just kind of balance out.
[00:05:10] Matt: No, that’s, that’s good. Um, you mentioned it, you know, you have strong international interest in the school. So how do international students transfer students and walk ons kind of figure into the whole scenario for you?
[00:05:27] Coach: Yeah, I mean, international students for us on the men’s side is.
[00:05:31] 50 to 70% of our roster. Wow. Um, I think in, just with our conference in that AI, the Midsouth conference, And that’s like our roster makeup internationals is on the low end. You know, the teams like Lindsey Wilson, uh, Cumberland’s Kentucky, you know, they’re full rosters of international players. So, you know, for us where our situation is, we, we have to be a little more balanced.
[00:05:53] Um, so for me, it’s. Whether it’s an international kid as a freshman or an international kid coming from a Juco or even an American coming from a Jew. You know, we’re just trying to find, find the best players that fit, you know, our, our program, our profile, and allow us to have an opportunity to compete.
[00:06:12] Matt: Yeah. Yeah. It’s Lindsey. Wilson’s always, uh, always famous for their, their international flavor. So shall we say,
[00:06:23] Coach: I mean, but as a coach though, you know what I pride myself on. I want to go against the. So, you know, to be able to compete in our conferences is really something that I, that I enjoy and I look forward to, and I think it’s made me a better coach, but also, you know, it makes us a program that makes our program better.
[00:06:41] Yeah,
[00:06:41] Matt: for sure. For sure. Well, let’s, let’s talk about the school a little bit, you know, there’s probably a lot of people not familiar with Pikeville, Kentucky. Um, you know, I, I used to, we used to vacation down a lake Cumberland, you know, several hours to the west, but, um, You know, tell us about, uh, about the town, the school, you know, what, what is it that’s awesome about the school that I’m not going to find by clicking on the website?
[00:07:06] Coach: No, I think, you know, Pikeville is, it’s a small town in Eastern Kentucky in the Appalachian mountains. Um, the town itself is about four or 5,000 people. Um, on campus. We. Probably the smallest school to have both an optometry school and an osteopathic medical school on our campus. Um, so you know, the science majors here are very, very strong.
[00:07:30] Um, we actually have a. Um, kind of not a official relationship. Um, but most of our kids that come through the biology programs and those things that want to go get into the med school are kind of the ones that get first in line with that. So that’s a huge draw. We have a pretty good relationship with the Pikeville medical center, the big medical provider in the region.
[00:07:54] We just announced a bunch of different things as far as you know, to help nurses. To get nurses, but also help our students graduate debt-free and things like that. Um, but for me, you know, there, it has this home feel to it and like, I don’t know how to describe it, but I mean, I’m not originally from here, but like, it just feels like home, you know, the people here are so nice, you know, they’re so genuine with you.
[00:08:18] Um, they, they really take an interest. You know, our students are doing on campus and in the community and things like that. So it just really, it really has this connected feel to it, which, I mean, it makes it hard to leave. You know, our, our kids, they joke all the time. They were like, especially our international kids, like they get here and then it’s like, they don’t ever want to leave.
[00:08:36] There’s all like, co-taught, can you help me stay here? How can I stay here? And, you know, sometimes, sometimes we can make it work and sometimes, sometimes we can’t, but I think it just it’s that environment where it’s it’s. Not too small, but it’s not too big where like everyone feels part of something when they’re here.
[00:08:55] Matt: No, that’s fantastic. So, you know, obviously kids are there for more than just soccer. So you talked about the academics. How, how does students specifically at your school balance? You know, the academic side with the athletic side, what support systems are there that your, your school that helped?
[00:09:13] Coach: Yeah, and I think, I think our school does a really good job because the majority of our undergrad students are athletes.
[00:09:19] So the, you know, most of the professors are, they’re, they’re pretty understanding with how, um, the travel in those types of things are. So, you know, For our kids, for example, I can speak mostly. We have a lot of business guys, so, you know, most of their classes are in the morning. Um, the professors are always available.
[00:09:36] We have a very good, um, student success program here, um, where they, you know, they do first-year experience. Um, Assigned a mentor and those types of things, but then they they’re constantly checking, checking in on their kids. You know, for example, like for us, I’ve had a kid that’s, um, he’s been out this semester.
[00:09:54] He’s had some, some medical issues and things, but, um, there’s always, always someone that’s been in contact with him, whether it’s his advisor, uh, whether it’s professors, you know, myself as the coach, as teammates, but also just other people on campus just to really create. Okay. That family environment where, you know, even though this kid is three and four hours away, he still feels like he’s part of the program and part of the university and making sure that he doesn’t slip through the tracks.
[00:10:22] So, I mean, I think, I think for that, like that goes back to that home environment here, you know, that I think, I think our school has done a really good job of, of creating that. So kids are comfortable here.
[00:10:32] Matt: No, that’s good. Um, you mentioned travel, you know, what, what does your, your normal travel for games look like?
[00:10:41] Your conference radius, where, uh, you know, what’s that look like?
[00:10:45] Coach: Yeah. So mid Midsouth conference for us is pretty much the state that can talk to, um, south Ohio, um, D Shawnee state, and then, um, into Tennessee, uh, as far west is as Memphis, uh, with UT Southern, um, Bethel freed Hardiman, uh, university of, or Cumberland university.
[00:11:04] So, I mean, we, sometimes we spend a good five, six hours on a bus, um, But, you know, anything like that, we try to, we do take, take about bus, try to go a little bit earlier, you know, whether it be a day or day and a half, things like that. Um, but then also the local more local schools, we do travel in vans, but it’s, it’s, you know, part of us because our conference requires doubleheaders.
[00:11:28] So sometimes, you know, we’re in that transition. With the staff before we were, you know, I w when I was an assistant coach, I was an assistant for the men’s and the women’s. So like, the kids didn’t have a choice. Like we all had to go, you know, for that, that same time. So, you know, the guys, for example, if they play the second game, you’re, you’re killing three hours just before you even start to get into that mindset of it’s time to play.
[00:11:50] So, you know, kind of experimenting with some things with, you know, maybe. The set programs are separate. You know, when the girls go, maybe we don’t leave until, as the guys don’t leave till a little bit later, just to try to keep them, you know, make the travel less as inconvenient as possible.
[00:12:08] Matt: Yeah. That makes, that makes a lot of sense.
[00:12:11] So besides, besides the games, let’s talk about just a normal day. So if it’s during the season, what does a player’s day look like from the time they get up to the, to the time they go to bed?
[00:12:22] Coach: Yeah. So during the season, you know, if we have, um, training, it just depends, um, the day of the week, but most classes eight to eight to four.
[00:12:32] Some we do lift during the season. So our, our strength conditioning program, um, this past season, it was, um, in the. Before training. Um, but now we just hired a strength and conditioning coach here in our department. So it’s kind of, I would imagine in the fall it will be a little bit more different from whatever we did it, um, this past year, but right.
[00:12:54] So it could be anywhere during the day or early morning. Um, we’ll go and train in the evening, usually from about six to eight, just depending on our field availability. As we share with the women, see men with. We have a football team here. So, you know, those types of logistics, um, but then, you know, study hall usually two days a week.
[00:13:15] Um, but training, it could be, you know, an hour training hour and a half, just depending on where we are in the, in the season. Um, you know, I’m big on. Using video. So like, we’re, we’re going to, we get more involved with that as the season goes on, just to try to save the legs and those types of things. So, you know, it can be half hour video before training and then get out there and, you know, do what we need to do and, and move on.
[00:13:42] Matt: Um, you know, we’re talking in the spring. So what, what is your off season program look like?
[00:13:48] Coach: Yeah, so, so very similar. I mean, we’re, we’re five days a week, um, with some type of activity, uh, they live two days a week and then we, we train three days a week right now. Um, and then we’ll play, we played a indoor tournament then in February, down at Tusculum, which was a great experience for our guys.
[00:14:06] And then, uh, we’ll play two games in April. So we’re kind of just kind of try to want to balance to give them the opportunity to, to be student. You know, and experience the things that they usually miss in the fall with us traveling and those types of things, while still getting the most out of our, our sessions.
[00:14:24] You know, so for me, like this is the first spring I’ve had with them because we played, we played our conferences and last year in the spring due to COVID. So, you know, for me, it’s really important to, to make sure we’re laying the foundation. How we want to play and just getting the cultural things.
[00:14:39] Right. And I think, you know, just, just still finding that balance, you know, I don’t want to, I don’t want to burn them out, you know, in March or, you know, right now. So like, it’s, it’s just finding that balance, but also trying to keep it fun and. Still be productive. Yeah.
[00:14:56] Matt: Let’s well, let’s, let’s talk a little bit about, more about the team and playing style, that sort of thing.
[00:15:02] So how would you describe your style of coaching your team style of play?
[00:15:07] Coach: Yeah, no, I think we want to be, you know, a very possession oriented, you know, I think having the international players, you know, kind of lends to that, um, I think, you know, w we want to keep the ball. We, you know, we want to be bumpy purposeful with it, you know, just keeping the ball to keep the ball doesn’t really do us any good.
[00:15:24] Um, you know, defensively, I think, you know, as a coach, that’s been one of my stronger areas, you know, as far as making sure we’re organized, um, you know, guys are. And they understand where, what we’re trying to take away and those types of things. So now it’s just getting that all together and, you know, really being able to focus on both sides of the ball and, and raise our intensity and, and those, um, in those areas, you know, I think as a coach, you know, I don’t want to say I’m really demanding, but I think I am demanding because like, I understand what it takes for us to have success.
[00:15:57] So, you know, like when we’re out there for two hours, like we’re going to get after it for the two hours or the hour and a half or whatever, but then, you know, there’s always a time, time and place to have. And I think, you know, we think we’re starting to, to understand that balance. You know, also for me transitioning back into the head coaching chair, after being an assistant for four years has taken a little bit longer to get those relationship, but find that balance, you know, because here I don’t, I don’t have an assistant coach.
[00:16:27] So like at the same time I’ve kind of got up. All the roles, you know? So, so it’s just, it’s trying to find that balance of, okay. When, when can I be that, you know, quote unquote, assistant coach. Um, mindset, you know, have some fun, you know, those types of things, but then also when do I need to turn on and be the head coach?
[00:16:46] And, and I think, you know, our guys are starting to understand this, to understand that balance, but I’m all, you know, me and myself, I’m also starting to find that balance of where I’m comfortable with that. And, you know, it kind of helps us. I think our relationships with the guys have grown a lot better, you know, in the past three or four months, just because.
[00:17:05] Having a better understanding of that role in how, how things go.
[00:17:10] Matt: Makes sense. So, how many, how many players do you like to carry on the team? What’s your ideal
[00:17:16] Coach: roster size? Yeah. So, so here we have, we have a roster requirement. Uh, we’re supposed to have 30 players. So ideally that is around 25, 26 field players and, and four or five goalkeepers.
[00:17:29] Okay.
[00:17:30] Matt: So when you’re recruiting, does that, do you try to keep that, you know, To eight, essentially around eight a year, or is it just kind of ebb and flow based on kids in and out?
[00:17:42] Coach: Yeah, I mean, I would, I tried to keep it, you know, consistent, but then there’s, there’s some years, you know, like with COVID I think.
[00:17:50] And it’s going to help us. It’s going to help us a little bit, but with our internationals, with our grad school, like it’s our grad school’s online. So we re we really aren’t able to keep them for that extra year. So, so it kind of tends to be that my roster or my recruiting number every year is that 10 to 12, you know, just to keep, because we have to keep guys coming in.
[00:18:10] So, I mean, it gets a little tasking, but I think, you know, as we do a better job, Competing and, you know, with the things off the field, I think our retention will get a little bit better. So hopefully I can, you know, draw that number down to where it’s eight, nine a year instead of, you know, 12, whatever. I mean, I mean, you know, recruiting is as tough than when you have to bring that many guys a year.
[00:18:35] It’s, it’s never, there’s never a time to relax. Right.
[00:18:40] Matt: Well, and I’m assuming for you it’s, you know, even. I always ask this question, but everybody has the same answer, but I ask it anyway. You know, if you, if you’re a freshmen though, coming in, are you, are you fighting for time right away? Uh, you’d like to ease people in.
[00:18:55] How does that work at your
[00:18:56] Coach: school? No. So for me, I’m a huge believer in like I’m going to play the best, the best players. I don’t care whether you’re, you know, freshmen, sophomore, uh, Senior, you know, someone that’s played for three years as a starter, you know, w we’re always looking to get better. And I think, you know, by giving guys that opportunity and making it known to them when they get here, that they’re going to have that chance.
[00:19:20] I think that that’s something that has given us, it’s helped us in the recruiting, you know, cause guys want to come in and they want to play. They don’t want to come in and sit. So. Allowing guys that opportunity, but also making sure that we recruit guys that are able to commit it and do that. You know, it makes it, it makes a difference.
[00:19:40] Matt: Well, you’ve given us a lot of info, told us a lot about the school and the program. My last question’s kind of the catch all, you know, w what is it that we didn’t talk about that you want folks to know about either the school or your team or anything else?
[00:19:54] Coach: No. I, I think, you know, for us, it’s, it’s important that, you know, in our conference, you know, we compete, we compete with the very best.
[00:20:03] And I think, you know, anyone that would, that decides to come here has an opportunity to really leave a legacy. You know, so soccer here has been, you know, up and down a little bit, but I think we’re really finally in a spot where we have the, have the ability to really make an impact, you know, and, and that’s, that’s something that we.
[00:20:21] You know, I preach every day that these guys is, you know, you have, you have really have an opportunity here to, to, to write your own, write your own legacy here in the soccer and do something that’s never been done before. You know, w we’ve done. In my time here, we’ve, we’ve made some strides, but like I said, I think that the potential is still, um, still larger to be, are greater to be achieved.
[00:20:47] And I, you know, I also think it’s important to find a fit. You know, sometimes people think. Okay, because we’re, we’re located in Eastern Kentucky, we’re in the mountains. It might not be for me, but I think the more you dig in those school and, you know, you understand the staff you’ll understand the programs and things that are offered.
[00:21:05] I mean, I think so. I think our guys have a huge advantage over some schools here, you know, with, with the things that we’re able to offer them. So, you know, I think it’s just, just finding that fit and, you know, making sure you do your, do your homework. Yeah. And things like that. Great.
[00:21:20] Matt: Well, coach, we wish you the best of luck, uh, in the fall and, and finish natural preseason and we’ll keep an eye on you and see how you guys fair this year in the
[00:21:29] Coach: conference.
[00:21:29] All right. Alrighty. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Thank you.
