Warren Wilson College Men’s Soccer – Coach Kendyl Baird
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Baird from the Warren Wilson Men’s Program in North Carolina. We talk about how she is looking for hard working personalities. She describes the unique work experiences their school offers. Lastly, we discuss how she likes to employ a fun but serious atmosphere. Learn more about Warren Wilson College Men’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I am lucky enough to be joined by Coach Kendall Baird of Warren Wilson College. Welcome coach.
Coach: Thanks. Thanks for having me.
Matt: Yeah, thanks for being here. My daughter was actually just up at a. A church camp in North Carolina, I don’t think, not too close to you, but, but, uh, she, she’s, she was enjoying the, the wilderness and the mountains.
And, uh, I know you guys are near, was she close to Asheville? Well, she was over more Brevard area. Um, okay. Pretty close. So not, not too far, but, uh, yeah, absolutely. But anyway, so, um, If I’m not mistaken, you’re getting ready to start your second season on the men’s side, which is fantastic. Yeah. Uh, you’re too about to happen.
Yeah, it’s coming. Yeah. All right. Well, you know, we’re, you and I are talking in July. I know people will be listening to this later, but I always like to set, set the calendar, uh, for folks. Um, senior, I’m sure you’re getting ready for preseason, but as a division three institution, kinda what. What is your recruiting calendar like?
What is your focus right now? I’m guessing it’s primarily on the 24 class, but are you talking eight 20 fives? Kinda what is your normal timeline on the recruitment side?
Coach: Yeah, I mean, since it is division three, I am definitely like kind of behind the other divisions. Um, like even just like a week ago, just like finalizing even the 2023 class.
So like. You’re trying to add in like those last few little pieces, uh, for the season, which can be really stressful sometimes, but um, but yeah, so now everything is kind of focused on that 2024 class and I’ve [00:01:30] had 2020 fives reach out. I’ve had 2020 sixes reach out and I’m just like, okay. Like I appreciate, you’re like, I know you like, I love that you’re reaching out and everything, but I’m not quite ready to start recruiting you yet.
Um, just kind of getting going with the 2020 fours. So, um, yeah, it takes a little bit longer, I’d say with. You know, the division three and kind of just Warren Wilson as a whole, but like starting to, even now, just my second year, it’s, I’m finally able to like, get to know a class for like a whole year before kind of jumping into it all.
So I think 2024 class will be really good. Just that I’ve had a longer time to get to know them and, and start recruiting them, so.
Matt: Okay. Well, when it comes to recruiting, what, what are some of your. Your hit list events, places you like to go the most, what, what does your, your calendar generally look like?
Coach: So honestly, a lot of my recruiting is done like online, um, which is, has been great for me ’cause we don’t have like a huge recruiting budget. So traveling is not like a huge thing at the top of the list. Um, but like the Raleigh showcase, the N C F C, that’s a massive one. I mean, there’s so many teams that come in.
Um, I like to try and make it up, you know, into, into Richmond for a few tournaments. That’s always a good sport. Spot as well. Uh, just kind of depends on the schedule and everything like that. But yeah, I mean, I try and utilize everything that these kids are doing now, like Twitter. I mean, I’m, I’ve found so many kids just from Twitter just reaching out and being interested.
Um, [00:03:00] Instagram, like you wouldn’t think, but there’s kids that, you know, put all their film on their Instagram page and they share that. And then like N C S A and stuff like that. So, um, a lot of it is online, but I do love of course to try and get out to as many like fairly local ones that I can. Um, and of course just like random college IDs and they’re just like, Hey, you wanna come?
I might have some D three kids or something. So yeah, just try and hit those up as much as I can.
Matt: Well, it sounds like, you know, you and I, I did the same when I was coaching. Is, is work other people’s camps do to your own camps as well? Yeah.
Coach: Yeah. So we, well, we, we didn’t do one this year. Had a lot going on this year, so hopefully in the future, um, we’ll be having a few more camps.
Okay.
Matt: Well, when you’re, when you’re at an event, um, say, um, Jeff Cup or something, and, and you’re looking at players when, when you’re at the event, how, what, what would you say is the mix of you’re going to see players who you’ve had a conversation with, you’ve been in contact with somehow versus. I just wanna sit down at this game and hope to see something.
Coach: So, I mean, Gordon Wilson is still such a small school that a lot of people don’t know about, and so that’s like, I’m trying to get it more out there for everybody to just see how cool and like awesome and beautiful a place it is. Um, so I mean, yeah, there’s always like a few that have. Reached out, they saw us coming, they’ve reached out, and I’m excited to like actually go and, and see them.
But a lot of it is just me coming and just like watching a game and being like, all right, who do I like here? Who can I reach out to? Um, and just [00:04:30] like get Warren Wilson more on the map than you know it is right now. So that’s kind of the goal is just continuing to like show people who we are and where we are and kind of what we’re about.
Um, and then growing from there.
Matt: Well, whe whether it’s at a camp or an event or something, kinda what makes up that, that hierarchy of things that you’re looking for in a player that that makes, you wanna make those contacts.
Coach: I mean, first thing is just like, I love, like you gotta be hardworking. Like I’m gonna kind of watch for your personality a little bit and things.
Um, I mean, one of my biggest recruiting things is yeah, I wanna have a conversation with you and I wanna get you on campus so I can fill out your personality. Because that is just like, my team is definitely a family oriented team, so are you gonna be able to fit into that? And, you know, are you. Trying to win every single ball.
If you get it taken from you, you’re stopping and you’re just like, oh man. How, why did that happen instead? Are you working to get it back? Like, are you always putting 110%? Um, I always want hardworking guys because my program, I’m bringing in guys that want to immediately jump in and make an impact. So I’m not bringing you in to sit on the bench.
That’s not the kind of school that we are. You know, and it’s just guys that seem like they’re so ready, that first step. They come in as freshmen and they’re gotta be ready to go right off the bat because I’m going to be, you know, expecting a lot from the guys that I bring in and want them to be able to go from day one and preseason proving themselves that they belong and that starting 11.
Um, so yeah, I mean, that’s just a lot of it is personality and just kind of figuring out who that person is and how they act on the field, how they’re, you know, the effort they’re [00:06:00] giving and stuff like that.
Matt: Okay. Well, I mean, you mentioned, you know, you’re, you’re bringing people into play to make an impact.
So how, how big a roster are you looking to have? What’s kind of your ideal size?
Coach: I. I mean, uh, this fall will be around 24 25, which I think is pretty ideal. Uh, I like sitting around there. I could roster 30 if I wanted to. Um, that’s like our Jersey numbers we got up to like 30, 31. Um, I don’t wanna go past that.
I, you know, I would hate to have to be that coach that has to bring in a developmental team. Um, that’s just also what, like, Warren Wilson is not that, we’re not probably ever going to have that unless the school is like, you know, you gotta do it. Um, but yeah, I kind of like that 24, 25 range I think is pretty perfect.
Just, you know, we have 1111 at practice, um, and then guys will have somebody to fight, you know, for their position. It’s not just handed to ’em. Um, so that’s kind of ideal and I’m kind of excited. That’s why where I’m at in the fall.
Matt: Okay, well you mentioned doing a lot of recruiting online, so are you guys looking at international players or, or folks from the transfer portal or anything else like that that would kind of be kind of online recruiting?
Coach: Yeah, so I mean, I definitely looked at the transfer portal. Um, again, it’s just like a, what’s Warren Wilson? You gotta figure out what it is. Um, you know, had a few hits on there, but. Um, it’s hard to get internationals because we are division three and it’s a very expensive school. Um, so it has been pretty impossible to get.
International students been like almost right there, but then it’s like, oh, just a [00:07:30] little bit too much money. Um, and haven’t been able to make that work. So, um, a lot of it is, I do recruit, like lucky for me, like North Carolina has a. A lot of really good soccer. Um, and so like North Carolina, we have a NC Free grant, which means, you know, a lot of these kids that live in North Carolina can qualify for this grant, which means they don’t pay tuition.
They’re only paying room and board. So that’s been like really useful and helpful for me is finding like really good talented players in North Carolina and then being able to be like, Hey, like, you might not have to pay tuition. You’re only paying, you know, for room and board, which is definitely doable.
Um, yeah, so I mean, I would love to, I’m trying to bring in kids from states close by, you know, I’m reaching out to kids, um, across the country. You know, I lived in, worked in Montana for two years and so I’d love to have some West Coast kids come over, um, and experience the beautiful side of North Carolina.
But you know, it’ll be a work in progress. Just continuing to kind of like, get the program out there and grow it and, and then hopefully, you know, get kids a little bit from, from more all over. Yeah.
Matt: Well, it makes sense. I mean, obviously as, as a parent that that dollar. Number is one we’re looking at. So, you know, there aren’t any D three schools down here in Florida, so honestly, it was part of the, I played D three when I was in school.
I loved the D three model and, and one of the reasons I started those pod was to introduce to people, to schools that they may not familiar with. So [00:09:00] absolutely. Someone who’s down in Florida who might be interested in, in say, going to Warren Wilson. I’m not holding you to hard numbers here, but give, give me an idea what, what might that student athlete be looking at from a cost perspective with, with d the different aid that’s available, uh, for outstate students?
Coach: Yeah, I mean, I mean, of course, you know, the division three is all the academic side of things. So we have a really good academic, um, you know, scholarships. So the higher your G p A, the like, the more money you’ll get. Um, and, and then of course we have like grants and things like that. If people are like, Ooh, like I might need a little bit more money.
Okay, we have like an owl grant, which is what we call it. And it’s just like, here, we wanna help you come here, you know, if you like, really wanna be at Warren Wilson, we’re gonna help you and try and find you kind of that money. Um, I mean, but it can still probably sit at. 20,000 ish. Mm-hmm. Um, it just kind of depends of course, on their G P A and then, um, like the financial status of the family and stuff like that.
Um, but I mean, we’ve been able to get it down, you know, for kids that make it workable. So, uh, but you know, still gotta recruit those, probably those smart kids, you know, the G P A for that division three level. Um, but yeah, hopefully some more, uh, out of staters can find out about Warren Wilson and come and enjoy it as much as we do.
Matt: Okay. Well let’s talk a little bit more about the school, ’cause I’m sure there’s folks that aren’t familiar with, with Warren Wilson there in North Carolina. So you’ve been there a couple years now or, or getting ready to enter your second season. What have you found to [00:10:30] be kind of the, the awesome things about the school?
Maybe even some things we wouldn’t learn by going through the website.
Coach: Um, I mean, well first of all, it’s in one of the most beautiful places. I mean, we’re right 10 minutes outside of downtown Asheville. Um, so we’ve got all the mountains, kind of school is tucked right off of the, the interstate. You wouldn’t know it’s there and we’re kind of just back in the woods, so you kind of feel like you’re living in the woods.
Um, it’s just beautiful. We have, um, like 15 plus miles of trails on campus, so a lot of our. Students mountain bike or trail run or just going hikes? We have access to the river. There’s a lot of swimming holes. Um, very, very outdoorsy of course. So that brings in a lot of those kind of kids. Um, and then just, of course, just like the small community, we are a super small school.
I think there’s about 850 students, so it’s very close-knit. Um, you don’t come and just be a number. You know your professors, they talk to our student athletes all the time and kind of figure out and help help them figure out schedules and stuff like that. And then I think another really cool thing about Ward Wilson is that we are like a work program school, which is only about.
Five of us, maybe in the country. Um, which just means that every single kid on campus has a job on campus and they get paid for it. Um, comes off tuition. So that’s another little bit of like a scholarship that they can get. Um, doesn’t go to their pocket, of course, which I’m sure they wish, but it comes off tuition, so it helps there.
Um, and it’s, it’s great because we have. 60 plus different work crews that they can kind of choose from. So let’s say they wanna major in business, we have a business crew, [00:12:00] they can get four years of work experience within business before they even graduate. Um, which I like to say, you know, some kids might be like, oh, I worked at Starbucks for two years.
Like, that’s the work experience I have. But most employers nowadays are like, oh, you need four years of experience. Like, how do you expect me to do that, um, in college? So, you know, we have that where they can go in like, I mean, there’s, you can be an electrician, you can work as like, Metalsmithing stuff. We have an athletics crew that helps out with all of the setup for events and does the announcing and all that kind of stuff.
Um, and they only work about eight hours a week. It’s 120 hours a semester, so it’s not something massive that they really have to put, um, a lot into. But it’s such a great opportunity to just build a resume for four years before you even graduate. And, which I think is really cool about Warren Wilson.
It’s a great selling point. A lot of, you know, parents are also like, oh, okay, yeah, you get the work experience before you graduate. I love that. Um, so that’s been kind of a good selling point as well.
Matt: No, that is very unique. Um, well obviously besides the, the sports side and the work side, they’ve got the class side.
So, and for a lot of student athletes coming into college fresh that, you know, the. Time management. The balance is tough. Right. So specifically, how do your student athletes really balance their studies with their sport? Kind of what support systems does a school offer to help them?
Coach: Yeah. So I mean, yeah, this school you gotta do your work, your classes and um, soccer.
So it does seem like kind of a lot. Um, but I know since we come right in off the bat and we get started that first day [00:13:30] before we even start classes, the guys are kind of figuring out how their schedule’s gonna work. A lot of classes are done by three 50. We practice from four 30 to six, so they don’t really have to worry about that.
Um, and then just finding kind of spaces in there where they can get some work hours in. Um, but our work crew leaders are really good about helping them kind of plan around, um, athletics and stuff like that. So our work crew leaders are really big on helping them kind of figure out their time management and stuff like that.
And then there’s just so many other resources on campus that they can go and ask anyone for help. That’s the thing about the small school, like you, it’s so easy to just say, Hey, I need help with something. And someone’s gonna be like, okay, here. This is how we’re gonna do it. This is what we’re gonna do.
So, I mean, even like the athletic staff, we’re all really super close and, um, our ad is absolutely wonderful. She’s been incredible. This is, this will be the start of her year two as an athletic director. Um, but she’s been at the school for about eight or nine years already, so she really knows all the ins and outs of everything and, and so, um, she’s been really great at helping us and helping the students kind of figure out.
Um, but yeah, there’s just a lot of support on campus since it’s such a community.
Matt: Okay. Well you mentioned. The, the practice time being there in the afternoon kinda. Let’s just assume it’s, it’s October. Uh, can you walk me through what a, what a normal schedule for a week would look like for a player in terms of practice, meals, game cadence?
Yeah. Classes, all those kinds of things.
Coach: Yeah. So I know that they don’t have eight ams. It might be like an eight 30, [00:15:00] but it’s like, oh, it’s not an 8:00 AM so, mm-hmm. Um, so I know they start kind of early sometimes. Um, the campus is smaller, so of course it’s easy to get to everywhere pretty quickly. Um, so they’ll do class and then get some work hours in, in the morning and, um, lunchtime, maybe get some studying and stuff around that.
And then of course, like I said, classes end around three 50 or even like a work schedule could end kind of there at three 50 and then they kind of quickly transition over to practice. They come in, you know, get changed, get ready for practice. We go from four 30 to six. Then they’ll run over of course, to dinner, um, and get that.
And then I know some of them will get together and, and study kind of after dinner. Um, and then, you know, starting to do study hall. And so hopefully they’re gonna be jumping into that as well. But, um, since we kind of, it can be kind of a crazy week here just because of our conference as well. Um, so our conference is called Coast to Coast Conference, which means that.
There’s a school in California, there’s two in Wisconsin, there’s two in Virginia, one in Maryland. We’re the only North Carolina one. Um, so we don’t actually play any of these teams in the regular season. So I get to pick out, um, the schedule. So the only, like our conference, it’s like top six based on Massey rating, your record schedule, that kind of thing.
We’ll go and play at one of the schools each year. Um, so this fall it’s actually in California, so that’s our goal is to make California. Um, but because of. Not having like a set conference schedule. I have to work around all the other schools we play, which are in a conference. [00:16:30] So, and our September can be like really crazy because we’re trying to play all those teams before they jump into conference, um, in October.
Uh, so it can be a little crazy. I have a game on like a Tuesday. I have one on Wednesday. It could be like really any day of the week. Um, so the schedule really does vary in that sense. Um, But once I get into the rhythm of it, it’s been pretty simple to get going. Um, but yeah, just we’ll have of course that one day off that everybody gets.
Um, and then how many games do we kind of end up that week and, and practice that week as well, so, okay.
Matt: Well, let’s talk a little bit more, uh, about the team and the soccer side of things. I know we already talked about roster size, but what about staff size? Who else is on your staff? Kind of what role do they play?
Are there. Let’s just say athletic department staff that also help with the program. What does that kind of look like?
Coach: Yeah, so I have one assistant, um, he is part-time, but he is absolutely wonderful. He just actually started at a, a new U P S L team here. Um, so he is kind of taken on a lot. Um, but he is been really real, really wonderful.
Kind of came in with me last. Um, last year when I started, brought him in, um, the guys really, really like him. And then of course, you know, we got all the athletic trainers that you need. We got all that access to all of that stuff for them. Um, and then we just made a full-time strength and conditioning coach as well.
So she’ll just fully be doing all that for us. Um, so we’ll be setting up all those work schedules for them, for lifting and programs and stuff like that. Um, and then of course, you know, [00:18:00] we have like counselors and stuff that we have good connections with that the guys can have access to very easily. Um, and then any other like, support staff, you know, We all kind of, anybody who works there kind of takes on a lot of different roles.
Um, and so we just are all there to kind of help each other. And um, so that’s like the great thing too with the staff that I work with, we all kind of know each other’s athletes as well. ’cause it is smaller and sometimes we kind of share some athletes, um, and kind of know each other from that. So, I mean, yeah, they’ve, they’ve got plenty of support anywhere they need to turn and look.
They’ve got access to all of that.
Matt: Okay. Awesome. Well, In terms of you as a coach, how would you describe, you know, your coaching style, the, the style of play that you’re trying to implement with the team?
Coach: Um, I mean, soccer is my life, of course, and I freaking love it. Um, so I mean, I love to have a lot of fun with it.
Of course, ev like what we need to get done and what we need to do, I’m gonna be absolutely serious about we’re gonna get through what we need to do, but I love to have fun and just make things like lighthearted. I don’t want it to. To be something where they dread to come to practice and it’s like, ugh, that’s just another session.
Like, I hope they’re excited and ready to go every single time. Um, trying, I’m very big on, you know, high positive energy, so I bring that every single, every single practice and just enjoy being around them. Um, and then of course, just like our playing style, like I love playing out of the back. I. Don’t like the Americanized kickball kind of [00:19:30] soccer, that drives me crazy.
Um, but you know, you know, of course sometimes that might have to happen if the team is just coming at you pressing you like crazy. Um, but that’s where, you know, I hope I have a keeper that can notice those moments and then just, Maybe break a line and then we kind of play from there. But playing out of the back is definitely kind of, you know, what I really instill into them and, and keeping possession just to progress through the thirds of the field.
So I want to try and make it beautiful. Soccer, it’s not always gonna be beautiful soccer. Um, but as much as we can kind of work on that and like try and make that happen just to keep the ball and not destroy ourselves, playing defense the whole time, of course, um, is, is what I really enjoy and I. Think the guys have really bought into that and it was a lot of fun just getting used to it and learning it like last year and getting better and better at it.
So I’m excited for this year because now I’ve got a group that already kinda, you know, understands what we’re doing and what our goal is. And so now hopefully these new guys come in and they just immediately off the bat kind of jumping and we’re ready to go right off the bat. So.
Matt: Okay. Well, what about your spring, your, your off season, what would that typically look like for, for your guys?
Coach: Yeah. So thankfully the NCAA just bumped it up to, we get 24 days, um, in the spring now, even though it was the 16, which is just crazy to me. Um, so we, this last spring, it was just kind of, they came back, they kind of did their thing January, February. I let the, you know, they went to spring break and then we started right when they got back.
From spring break. Um, so [00:21:00] that lasts about five weeks of school. We were going three times a week, um, to get those 15 days. And then that last day was our play date. Um, so we went and played division two team and two really good N A I A teams that I was really proud of. Um, you know, the results that we got and, and how hard they worked.
Um, but it’s just so hard when you only have 15 days in spring to work with them. And, um, we were already kind of a smaller team, so that’s why I was kind of recruiting big for this year. And so we only had like 14 guys in the spring. So definitely much smaller compared to the teams that we played, um, that were bringing in like 30, 35 guys.
Um, And they all, you know, held their own and it was great. So, but I’m super excited, you know, this next spring that we’ll get those 24 days to actually really work. Um, and we’ll have more numbers this time and so we can really build on what we’re doing and continue on into the fall 2024. Okay.
Matt: No, that’s great.
Well, you, you’ve given us a lot of info. We’ve talked about a lot of different things, but, uh, the last question I always like to, to have is if you had one piece of advice, one, one nugget of information you’d, you’d. Would love every parent, player, anybody going through this college recruitment process to have, what would that be?
Coach: Um, I mean, I just, I always like to, you know, preach. Just like go and step on a bunch of different camp campuses. Just see how it feels to you, because for me, in my recruiting process, like I could look at a school on campus and be like, Ooh, this looks really cool. I [00:22:30] really like this. But then I go and step on it and I was like, oh, like.
This just doesn’t feel like the right vibe to me. And you know, where I went to school, I stepped on campus and it immediately felt like home. And so, like I want, you know, all recruits to go and explore different places and make sure that they get on campus, make sure that they meet the coaches and the players because that’s who they’re gonna be spending all their time with.
Um, so I, yeah, I just, I want ev them all to just, You know, take it in stride and, and go and visit as many places as possible just to find that right fit for them. Um, you know, we always preach it’s not about the division. It’s not about, you know, what kind of level. It’s where I think you feel at home and where you feel happy and somewhere that you’re gonna thrive outside of soccer as well.
Um, So I always want recruits to kind of just get the feel for things. I always try and get ’em on campus just so they make sure that, you know, Warren Wilson feels like a place that they could be happy and that they could, you know, feel safe and at home. So I think that would be my little bit of advice.
Matt: Love it. Love it. Well, coach, wish you the best of luck here in your second season. Thank you. Uh, if you, if you get down to Florida for any recruiting events, let me know. But, uh, wish you the best of luck and really thanks for your time. Thank you.
Coach: I appreciate it so much. Take care. Thanks.
