William Penn University Men’s Soccer – Coach Simon Brown
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Simon Brown from the William Penn University Men’s Program in Iowa. We talk about the main tournaments and camps he attends to see players. He describes the great athletic community they have on campus. Lastly, we discuss how his GAs and other coaches assist with the program. Learn more about the team.
[00:00:00] Matt: Hi, everybody. Welcome to discover college soccer. I am very excited to be joined by coach Simon brown of William Penn out in Iowa. How are you doing today, coach?
[00:00:09] Coach: How’s things. Were
[00:00:09] Matt: you doing all right, thanks for joining us and taking the time. Um, you know, there’s a lot of people who maybe aren’t familiar with William Penn, uh, out in Iowa, but, uh, hopefully we’ll, we’ll enlighten them a bit and let’s start talking about just the way you do your recruiting.
[00:00:23] So when. When do you start looking at players? What year in high school? When do you start hearing from players that are interested in your program?
[00:00:33] Coach: Yeah, so I’m hearing from players. I’ll talk about first. So we hear from players probably, you know, more local kids, um, sophomore, junior year, uh, And, and to be honest, we don’t do much.
[00:00:51] There’s not much with that on the men’s side. Um, the big we, we start probably a year out. Um, so probably going into your senior year to summer of your senior years, when that we’d probably be able to facilitate is the wrong word, but we’d be able to give you some, we’ll be able to help you with the process.
[00:01:12] Um, juniors and sophomores is more just like identifying. Um, but the way, the way that we work and most of men’s soccer I’ll say is usually it’s, um, it’s a year out. It’s going into your senior year and that’s from what a lot of my peers have said, um, at a higher level anyway, at the NAI level. Um, I don’t know, that’s the same for some other places too.
[00:01:34] So unless you’re a superstar kid, um, But if you’re a superstar kids, you’re probably not coming to any high school at William Penn too. So, um, yeah, so that’s usually how early we would start. And then we probably kick into gear, um, towards the end of our season. Um, so October November is when we’d start putting out a little bit more feelers to the different recruitment agencies and, and when emails started to pick up, um, and then we go probably all the way up through what would be a kid’s senior year.
[00:02:08] Um, you know, like I’ve, we’ve signed kids in June, um, to come in and that August and you’ve signed kids died late. Um, but for us, the main reason being is, you know, I’m, I’m the only full-time coach. Um, so it’s just time, you know, like if I’m, if I’m in season, I’m focusing on in season, um, and then anything other than that is trying to get the, I’m trying to get the best out of our kids.
[00:02:33] So, um, um, scale in, um, you know, I’m, I’m planning sessions, um, I’m doing all the other stuff that entails doing the travel, doing all that stuff. Um, so we’re only really looking a year out. So as soon as the season ends, that’s when we really kick into gear. So, and November, December a big month for us, um, And then we don’t have a dead period at NAI, so we can crack on over the whole Christmas.
[00:02:56] Um, and the same thing into the January. So like January is a busy one for us. We just had a visit day last week where we had 15 kids here. Um, so yeah, so right now it’s pretty busy for us and, and we’ve probably got, um, two more kids that we’re trying to find. Um, so yeah, but that’s been helped a lot with.
[00:03:18] And we’ll get into that if you want it. That’s what, it helps me a lot. A lot of our kids are using their call with year. So I had, this was supposed to be a big recruiting class for me, started to come to with my thing. This was a big recruiting class for us, um, because we had a lot of junior college kids two years ago.
[00:03:31] Um, but now it’s not because all my seniors want to come back for the COVID year. And so I don’t have. I don’t have a lot of needs because all my senior kids were last year coming back, which is good news. And, but for kids looking into the recruitment process, there just, isn’t a lot of spots and that’s from what I’m hearing from a lot of places, you know, it’s, um, Yeah.
[00:03:51] The COVID year has changed a lot on word, but you know what, if I have a kid that’s been here for four years for me and knows the conference, knows the competition, and we’re going to provide a product on a ride with them, I can get an extra year out of them, you know? Yeah. That makes
[00:04:03] Matt: sense. So I guess I’ll, I’ll come at it from a little different angle.
[00:04:08] Your, your, your accent’s definitely not an Iowan.
[00:04:12] Coach: Sorry.
[00:04:15] Sorry. Sorry.
[00:04:17] Matt: That’s okay. Well, I was gonna say, uh, your, your accent is definitely not an Iowan accent. And, uh, looking at your, your roster, you guys got quite a bit of international flavor, uh, there on your roster. So when you’re recruiting your American based players, where do you like to, to go in terms of tournaments and, and things to find, to find players,
[00:04:41] Coach: um, A couple of different things.
[00:04:44] You know what, like I’ll talk just in the last year. Um, I went down to a, an IMG showcase last, um, Last winter. Oh, we should’ve
[00:04:53] Matt: grabbed it. We should’ve grabbed the coffee. I know.
[00:04:55] Coach: Yeah. We’ll know. We’ll know for next time. Next time. Yeah. I mean, I’ve been to Vegas that America go up and I went to the California Juco showcase.
[00:05:06] Um, and then in and around the Midwest, you know, there’s, um, we’re only a couple of hours from Chicago, Kansas city St. Louis almost. And so all the local clubs down there, they not being biased into those tournaments. So that’s our main, our main base. Um, we do quite well out of California, um, with the kids, you can see most of the kids that we have, American kids are California.
[00:05:27] Um, and then we get kids from down south too. So all over, we don’t, we don’t, we don’t then. Uh, discriminate is the wrong word. We don’t discriminate if you’re good enough. You’re good enough. Doesn’t matter where you’re from or, you know, I mean, if you, if you’re good, want to come to Iowa to play we’ll, we’ll take you.
[00:05:45] So to
[00:05:45] Matt: Howard, how are you getting your, your international pipeline?
[00:05:49] Coach: Um, A lot of it is through, you know, it’s, it’s through watching film on online, you know, we’ve, we’ve got, this will be my fifth year at William Penn. Um, going into my third year as the head coach is just, you accrue a lot of those relationships.
[00:06:05] Um, so you know, you take a kid your first year. True the same recruitment agency. And then that person MES you back, like, how is so-and-so doing? Like we actually have this kid. So, um, it takes a while to build those relationships with the recruiting agencies so that they send you the best players first.
[00:06:21] Um, but yeah, there’s so many, there’s so many, like now I’m, I’m honestly probably getting at least par I’m probably getting 50 emails a day from recruiting agencies that have. Uh, a number of kids. And like I said, we’re a small high school, so I can only imagine what division one schools again, what good.
[00:06:46] The two schools again, you know, themes again. So it’s like, yeah, we just, we get, we get a lot. And I think a lot of it is data don’t involve. Yeah, we got, we got a lot of kids and it’s tough to sit through it all. Um, you know, I’ve got a couple of GA’s to help out quite a lot with that. Um, we have, we’re like, we’re still, we’re still in contact and still contacted.
[00:07:06] Kids from, you know, Florida gets from, from down there that we’re able to find a line too. So, yeah. So
[00:07:12] Matt: you say you’re getting a bunch from agencies. How many are you getting just from players themselves and what do you like to see in that first communication?
[00:07:20] Coach: Uh, so we do get some from players themselves.
[00:07:23] Um, I just think that the easiest thing for us, cause we just, we get, we get so much, don’t need a lengthy email. You know what I mean? Like the film and something like within the film, a five minute clip of you playing, you said it doesn’t need to be a full game. It doesn’t need to be 20 minutes because.
[00:07:45] Well, not just for lack of not watching it. You know what I mean? So I don’t need to be, I don’t mean to sound crude, but like, you’re going to spend an extra 75% of your time putting together a 20 minute video when five minutes you can get everything you need in there. Like, I don’t need to see a kid passing the ball aside.
[00:08:00] Right. For eight minutes, if you can do it once or twice, I know that you can do it. You know what I mean? Like, um, but yeah, like, I mean, if you want, like some kids put in stats too, some kids talk about the level that they’re playing. Um, you know, which, which, uh, like I play. It was like, I used to play da, I play SNL.
[00:08:19] I play us national league. I was playing at this time and that team type of thing. So yeah, that, that helps just, uh, put some validity to it. So, um, yeah, a short, short and sweet to the point. Here’s my video. Um, and then the next conversation would be about, you know, how have you been to Iowa before gets some kids to see now every school in the country and some kids make it more tailored.
[00:08:46] Hi, I coach brown. I see you guys went to national tournament last year. Like, you know what I mean? So it’s, uh, yeah, every kid has their own way of doing it and there’s no right or wrong way. And it just, for us, we prefer, um, convince, um, here’s the information that you need because you’re going to want to see the film.
[00:09:06] Uh, it makes
[00:09:06] Matt: sense. Um, well, when, when you’re looking at players, whether that’s on the film or at one of these tournaments or something, what’s your, your hierarchy of what you’re looking for both on and off the field from a player. Yeah.
[00:09:18] Coach: Um, I think one of the things for us and, and just my personal, we always get asked when, when we speak to kids, they always ask like, what’s your, what’s your style?
[00:09:28] Or what’s your philosophy? Um, I can’t help that I’m intense, um, to speak to, and then when I’m coaching. So I want to see that in my kids too. So, and I mean, if somebody, if a game is going on and a kid is standing around, it’s a big, no, for. Um, because there’s, uh, at our level, um, we can’t afford anybody to stand around.
[00:09:51] There’s not very many, there’s not a lot of superstar players that are that good. Right. I can just stand there like Ronaldo, or am I seeing someone else do the job and get me to ball? Um, so been having a high work rate, um, with done without the ball was massive for us. Just your overall energy and intensity.
[00:10:09] When the game goes. Um, I think that you stand out those because it means that, you know, you’re willing to work and enough just for yourself, for your team, um, shows that you’re a good teammate. Um, and then you’re able to impact the impact the game, you know, with that, just with that energy and then the technical tactical stuff that can all come along with it.
[00:10:26] But yeah, just your, your work right. Is you, you can control that. And it’s one of the things that we look for, you know, we get highlight videos all the time. Okay, that will play left midfield, for example. And when, when the, his team doesn’t have the ball, he’ll just stand there and I’m just like, no, no way.
[00:10:45] I can’t, there’s no way I can justify having him on the team and making everybody go sprint and do work when he’s just going to stand out there and not do that. So as good as they are so still for me sometimes to sell with that, and that’s just a personal preference, so
[00:10:59] Matt: makes perfect sense to me. Um, so when.
[00:11:03] Looking at your, you know, let’s take the COVID year out of it. Cause that’s obviously a big difference for everybody, but you know, is there a set number of players you’re trying to bring in every year or does it just kind of vary with your graduating classes?
[00:11:15] Coach: Um, yes, the boats and there’s a set number and it’s usually with the graduating, like who’s leaving, who CA who needs replacing and then who can be replaced.
[00:11:30] So again, who is replacing the seniors that are leaving and then who can we replace? So is there better out there than what we already have? And if not, then we’re probably not going to be able to give them, you know what I mean? It doesn’t make sense for us to go through the scholarship route. If there’s somebody here that we have already, that we think we can develop into a better player, as opposed to, you know, giving a scholarship to somebody that we’d have to bring back in.
[00:11:53] So. Does that make
[00:11:55] Matt: sense? Yeah. Yeah. No, it makes perfect sense. Yeah. So you mentioned scholarships, you’re in AIA, so you do have athletic money, but how does, how does that work specifically at your school? Especially in combination with say academic money or other aid
[00:12:09] Coach: from the school? Yeah. So every school is different and especially the NAI level, um, in regards to their scholarships.
[00:12:16] So for us, we’re, we’re one of two, we do academic or athletic. Okay. So, um, If you have great grades, you’re going to get an academic scholarship. If you don’t have great grades and you’re going to go to soccer, you’re going to get something. So it’s one of the unit for us. Um, and both can go up to both can go up to a pretty sizable chunk of your, your scholarship and what you, you hear the term in college coaching like stack, can you stack academic monolithic don’t stock?
[00:12:47] It’s either you’re on a soccer scholarship or you’re on an academic scholarship. Um, one of the other, if you want an academic scholarship, you can be on the soccer team. Um, but that’s pretty much how our university specifically works.
[00:12:58] Matt: Okay. Makes sense. Um, in terms of going back to recruiting, do you do a lot of ID camp specifically at your school?
[00:13:11] Do you work? How do camps fit into you and your coaching staff? Do other camps just fit in?
[00:13:16] Coach: Yeah, I, I liked doing frescoes camps. Um, you know, cause it’s like when you run your own camp and it’s nice to have kids come here, but you’re worried about everything. I’m worried about the foods. I’m worried about like the facilities, the Weber, um, you know, check in process.
[00:13:36] I’m worried about little police cars broke down on , you know, like all those things have happened. Um, but when you’re working somebody else’s comp, you’re just a coach there and you get to watch the kids and, you know, It’s relaxing, you know, it’s, you can have fun with the kids. Um, so I do enjoy that part of it where you get to just be a, just be a coach because everything in our world is administrative work and office work and paperwork.
[00:14:02] So as little as we can do with that, the better, um, well, I liked, I liked to delegate the work of the camps to the kid, to the coaches, and, um, it’s better for them to learn how to do that. So I have a couple of graduate assistants that were trying to get involved with us. Um, But yeah, like there’s enough division ones around those staff.
[00:14:20] They they’re always looking for coaches to go and run the camps and then you went there and it’s always a good conversation with them. It’s like, listen, like this, kid’s a good player out air camp. Uh, we don’t have the money from this year. Like maybe he could go with you develop for a year or two. You can come back.
[00:14:34] Um, or like this case probably is good. He’s not good enough for us. Would he play for you? And then, you know, then it’s conversation like, oh, you have a direct avenue from back there. So, you know, if you go work at Drake is up here. It’s a division one university in the morning. So work Drake’s camp. There’s a hundred kids there, not a hundred kids can go to Dre.
[00:14:54] What’s the next opportunity for these kids and we’re, we’re less than narrow down the road. So, um, yeah, it’s definitely beneficial for us to go there and just get in front of those kids. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:15:04] Matt: Well, you, you, you kinda mentioned the potential for transfers there, like how to transfer as kind of fit into your you’re recruiting.
[00:15:10] You mentioned junior colleges as well. So how does that, how does that work for you guys?
[00:15:14] Coach: So, um, I have a little bit of bias because I went to junior college. Um, and for us, if we’re losing a big, so two years ago, Um, when I took over, I was the assistance. We went to national tournament. We were a top 10 team.
[00:15:32] We graduated eight seniors, and then I got the job. Um, so we, it was a year that we really needed. We needed junior college kids. We needed kids that weren’t. Ready for lack of a better term so that we didn’t have to take lumps were freshmen and you don’t know what you’re getting so much and they don’t know what they’re getting.
[00:15:49] And so recruit a big junior college class. So that’s why this year was supposed to be those guys graduated. And, but then they’re using their COVID year. I don’t know. We try to say, we can call with ball. Um, I liked junior college kids just because. For the ready. You know what I mean? They’ve had two years and they’ve developed a little bit, uh, physically, you know, uh, they understand the landscape.
[00:16:11] They know that, um, you know, a strange thing, when you recruit internationals, they don’t know what. You know, like we have kids that come over as freshmen and when the 90 minute ends in Sidra, they’re looking to shake people’s hands. So you have to get them to understand that America, you go overtime and you can, if they score, you lose the game.
[00:16:28] It’s not like it is back in Europe, you know? So, um, Yeah. So I do, uh, junior college fits in. It’s a, it’s a master priority plan just because you see a junior college kids that score 20 goals at a top junior college, they’re going to be ready for, for us as opposed to a high school kid that scored 20 goals in high school.
[00:16:48] There’s a lot of dog and doc high schools out there that you’ll make a score 20 goals against, you know, nevermind, uh, fast forward. So that’s, that’s just you, that’s just, that’s just how we work. And again, I have some bias with that older people like to get freshmen in work with them for three years and then sorta already by the junior.
[00:17:04] And bought me going to junior college. I know that was worked best for me and the play, um, my first two years. Um, and then go on to a four-year school and then, yeah. So,
[00:17:16] Matt: well, let’s, let’s talk about your school, uh, for a bit. Um, you know, there’s a lot, like I said, a lot of people probably not familiar with William Penn and Iowa, they know maybe they know Penn.
[00:17:25] Yeah. In in Philadelphia, but, uh, but you know, I can go to the website, click around. I see, you know, it’s, uh, I guess it has the, kind of the Quaker history, uh, as a school, but, but give me, you know, give me some of the things that are really great about William Penn, that maybe I’m not going to find on the.
[00:17:42] Coach: Yeah. So, um, a funny story about Penn, first of all, we probably get, um, five emails per semester for somebody that wants to go to school on the east coast to Penn. And I see her name and I was like, I don’t have to go to school on the east coast to, well, it’s not here. We’re Midwest. So yeah. So we’ll invent.
[00:18:01] The Quaker thing that you’re speaking about is a William Penn was a guy that established like the, was it prior to Quaker system in that area, over in, in Pennsylvania. And that’s where he set up the university here. And, um, you know, we’re not like, uh, a Mormon school. We’re not, it’s not, we don’t have a big religious affiliation.
[00:18:21] Um, the Quaker values are just be a good person, do the right thing. You know, uh, be respectful, respectful through all those things, and that’s pretty much it, you take one class on it and every freshmen, if they get called Quaker values and it’s just learned about being a good person, um, and that’s pretty much it.
[00:18:37] So again, not really a religious affiliation, we don’t have to go to, um, go to Bible schools out there. You don’t have to get out also. We’re not a Baptist school, um, nothing like that. So again, people see that. Oh, man, that sounds cozy. It’s it’s not all this. It’s just one thing about, about values. So
[00:18:55] Matt: we probably need more people taking, taking, taking those courses in the world
[00:19:00] Coach: as it is today.
[00:19:02] If everyone could take it, it might be the place. So, um, but at the university and we’re a small private school and just that sat at the Moines, Iowa at the mornings, the Capitol, um, We probably got around anywhere from 1100 to 1200 students. Um, majority of students is at the majority of the population is student athletes.
[00:19:24] And so we have right around 20 sports. And so all your major ones and including, we just added the last couple of sports we added was women’s wrestling. Women’s lacrosse. Um, so again, we’ve implemented them onto the university. Um, men’s volleyball team, um, just beat the number one team last year. We they’ve only added in a couple of years.
[00:19:44] So, um, a lot of student athletes and the good thing about that for us is, uh, everybody’s in the same boat. So we get great attendance at games because everybody’s shooting that lead for the most part. Um, so that’s great for us because it makes a small town college experience and everybody supports. And with that also comes a great relationship with the professors because the professors know that if the majority of my kids are student athletes, that, um, they work with us really well.
[00:20:12] So again, we have kids coming over that, you know, don’t do amazing on the TOEFL. I can speak English and nays and right away, the teachers are great with our kids and giving them extra time because it’s a small classroom experience where you have, you know, 20 to 30 kids to one professor. And then I teach class here too.
[00:20:29] Um, you, you, you, you get that relationship with a professor and they help you out with your work. You know, you help you with your coursework. We all the possible that’s one of the things that we’re able to, um, that’s unique to William Penn, um, with that, um, you know, the, the, the classes are academically rigorous.
[00:20:47] We have a variety of variety of degrees that we, um, I don’t think I’ve ever, I teach, um, a soccer class and I teach a fitness and wellness class, um, just on the side just to help out. We don’t have to do that, but, um, uh, as far as the campus goes, um, so we’re actually owned by. Um, a company called Moscow lighting.
[00:21:08] I don’t know if you’ve heard of them before.
[00:21:11] Matt: So big stadium lighting companies
[00:21:13] Coach: in the country that headquarters in Oskaloosa and they, they, uh, they pretty much own the university. Um, so on our campus, if you look at the window there, I see a massive Moscow light with the baseball stadium. And so they’ve built us an indoor, uh, indoor turf and they have, we have an indoor basketball and volleyball arena.
[00:21:34] Um, So basically air compass is, uh, this is good. This is gonna be wrong. But what I mean is it’s a demo site for Moscow.
[00:21:44] Matt: It’s a showcase site.
[00:21:45] Coach: Yeah, exactly. So like, let’s say you down in Florida wants to start a soccer club and you want to build a facility that has 10 fields with lights must go, would bring you to William Penn.
[00:21:58] Oskaloosa here’s the difference? So air complex, um, like half mile, that way has, uh, Different fields. So we have our turf football stadium. We have a soccer stadium. We have practice fields. We have small side of fields. You have baseball soft. And with that, there’s different lights that are on it so that you could choose which one you want.
[00:22:18] So again, the good thing for us is we get all the state-of-the-art and lighting and facilities. Um, and then with our indoor turf too. So the indoor volleyball arena, they brought in people from Disney to do the lion for the experience. So it’s the same lights that they have in the NBA. Um, is that William.
[00:22:35] And the same thing with our life and at the, at the stadium too, it’s the exact same light in that is going to be doing the super bowl this weekend or the same lights. So again, we have that massive advantage because our facilities are similar to a smaller division, one facilities. Um, and then next year we’re, we’re just had a meeting with the ADA yesterday.
[00:22:53] So we’re getting on the football side of the tariff. We’re getting the same turf that the Minnesota Vikings have. And then on the soccer side, they’re tearing up and then we’re getting the same grass field that just got put in at Wembley. So it’s a hybrid of, um, turf and grass. So it’s, uh, that you, you put sand down, you pull us turf what you’re used to.
[00:23:17] And they grow grass. And then when it’s 50% Dawn, the machine goes over and stitches the plastic into it so that the grass can whoops, over juices in, at injuries with cutting on ACL’s and concussions. When you land on the ground, it’s a little bit more forgiven than the turf side. Um, and then the, the surface is immaculate because it’s the plastic and it helps the grass go up straight on and through.
[00:23:39] And, um, it stays at the same level. So again, we have all these fantastic things that you’d never see at a division one school because we’re affiliated with Moscow. So. Probably don’t, we don’t know about the university little spiel on, on the school, the academics, the, the, the facility side of it. And then some, like some of the things that we have that are proprietary to us.
[00:23:58] Yeah.
[00:23:59] Matt: No, that, that’s, that’s amazing. Um, let’s talk about kind of the student athlete experience, you know, you’ve mentioned great facilities, but what what’s it like for students at your school balancing their academics and the athletic part?
[00:24:13] Coach: Yeah. Um, we, we like it because, um, and when I speak to recruits and parents, one of the things that parents love is, you know, it’s a smaller town.
[00:24:23] There’s not a lot of things to do here to get in trouble. So you get to focus on your soccer and you get to focus on school. And there isn’t a lot of distractions, so it’s not like we have a campus downtown Manhattan where there’s lots of things going on. You know what I mean? Like even up in the morning, Less than narrow, excuse me.
[00:24:41] That’s an hour away. Um, uh, talent, uh, 700,000 people. Um, there’s things to do. There’s distraction. So for us, we love it because our kids never get in trouble. You know what I mean? And it’s not like there’s a hundred different buyers they can go to and go out and gallivant and there’s not, it just doesn’t happen here.
[00:24:58] So it’s, it’s good for me parents a little bit, uh, because it means that kids are safe. They’re in the Midwest is, has a perception of being a safer part of the country. Um, so again, we definitely feel that, and it’s like the it’s one of the few places, the area around is one of the few places that you see that kids walk to school on their own, you know, so that the safety aspect is must have up there.
[00:25:18] So with that being only an hour away from the morning to see if in the off season, if you want to go shopping or you want to go to the Moines to the movies, or you want to go, you can do that. You know, we’re only less than marijuana. They’re right by Kansas city. You’d want to go down there. We’re close to Chicago.
[00:25:34] We’re right in the middle of all the major hopes in the Midwest. And so you can have those experiences for you. But for William Penn, just being acquired to student, buddy, like I said, you, you’re focusing on your soccer and you’re focusing your schoolwork. And those are the two main reasons that you come here and for us anyway.
[00:25:49] And I know that the other coaches like it too. So the kids don’t find a way to, you know, if trouble seems to find you in bigger towns where I’ve lived in the past. Yeah.
[00:25:58] Matt: Well, so w w what would a typical day look like for a player? Like just a practice day during the season from, from waking up to, to nighttime.
[00:26:10] Coach: We will do. So we do a lot with different than, I don’t know, some schools don’t have, but we lift in season. Um, and then we also lift on game day. And so like, if it was a non-game day, um, it would be, uh, class starts eight till three 15 for us, um, practice three 30. Um, and then that would go to like five o’clock.
[00:26:36] Um, So, again, whatever you have in your class within that would be opportunities for you to do some work on your own. So, and you’re not in class from the whole time eight and four, three. It’s not like high school. Um, so again, we have kids that are in the treatment room on campus and kids are doing some individual stuff on the practice turf that we have there.
[00:26:57] And then. After that will be practiced anywhere from an hour and a half. And before that would be your, before we, whatever way we work at, depending on if it’s a game the next day or if it’s post game. And that would be our scouting reports. And so at the stadium, Um, we have, uh, we have our own space that we have TVs that we can watch the game back or watch the game forward.
[00:27:19] Um, and then we can implement the stuff that we want to work on straight into the practice. So, um, kind of get us ready for the game. But after that, if it’s a game day, then you’d wake up. We have lifting at 6:00 AM and then they’re off on their own because then we don’t have. And again, we don’t kick off till seven 30.
[00:27:37] So again, if it’s, even if it’s a road game, so they lift in the morning and if we leave at 12, so they left and then go. So we just, we want bigger, stronger kids here and it’s tough to find. Lift in times that don’t compliment practice. Um, so again, if a kid goes straight from class to lift in and then the us, by the time practices, don’t, they’re dead, but you know, if we space it out on the game day, you know, it’s, it gives them that 12 hours of recovery.
[00:27:59] And they’re not maxing out on the lift and days they’re here, you know, a couple of reps activations. And mobility and all that stuff in the game. So that’d be a typical day with our class and practice. And if it’s a game day or not game day, but it depends a home in a way as well, if we’re traveling a couple of hours.
[00:28:15] So yeah. Yeah. What’s your
[00:28:17] Matt: normal travel times to games on your, on your normal
[00:28:21] Coach: schedule? Yeah. So air conference is, it goes from north, east, Iowa, all the way to Springfield, Missouri. That’s the furthest two teams. So they’re nine and a half hours apart. So we’re right in the middle of that. And so the furthest for us is five and a half hours to Springfield.
[00:28:42] And then we’d go up there as a three or so arrows to Northeast Iowa. So at Springfield, we have four teams in around Kansas city. Um, so that’s the bulk of the conference is kind of. Um, so that there’ll be a way game. So again, we thought would be, if we’re playing them on a Saturday night, we’d go down Friday evening.
[00:29:00] We’d practice here, get on the bus Friday evening and spend the night in a hotel and then wake up there. We do a, like a team walk, um, head to the game and then play the game Saturday night and then head back up here. And so that’s usually where we’re going. So we’re not no effort in yes. Uh, Springfield, Missouri, which is the down the very south of Missouri.
[00:29:21] Matt: Okay. Let’s talk a little bit more about the team and playing and stuff. So how, how many do you like to keep on your roster? Usually?
[00:29:31] Coach: Um, it depends. So like travel roster, travel roster. We probably take 20 to 22, uh, home rosters. We can, we can roster up to 30. Um, so I mean, it’s, it’s, I like to have it as full as possible, like especially away games, like it’s tough on away games because.
[00:29:53] You know, if you only have 20, two of them are goalkeepers, you know, you don’t have as many subs that you would like. And obviously with the college game, you could slip as much as you want. And it’s a big part of it. So with that being right around 30 to 20 and is a great number for us because it’s very, very competitive.
[00:30:08] And you have the kids 30 to 20 that are probably the younger kids. You know, like the experience of practicing, um, and then being on the, being a part of team for the home games and then your, your away group is probably your bigger bulk of kids. You know, your, your starters and on your second string kids, aren’t going to contribute minutes.
[00:30:28] Um, so that’s roughly what we’d like to keep on, on the roster. Um, And I said, cause like it keeps them, keeps them engaged and then, you know, one of the things are injuries always happen. Suspensions always happen. So you need those next kids ready to play and then normally what we practice with.
[00:30:45] Matt: Yeah. So in terms of, if I’m a freshmen coming in, you know, am I resigned to that 20 to 30 slot or my fighting for minutes and starting
[00:30:54] Coach: possibilities?
[00:30:55] Uh, we S we started three freshmen this year. Um, it’s not, it’s not, it’s never a case of. Uh, seniors, I’ve definitely going to play. It’s just that they’ve been here for three. They’ve been here for two or three years, then just know the lay of the land. It’s just easier for them to come in the preseason.
[00:31:14] They’re just a little bit more acclimated when they get here. That’s usually why you see more seniors playing, you know, they’re bigger, they’re stronger. They’ve been through the way program. You know, they, they get a little bit more, um, but that being said, like I said, we, uh, yeah, right-wing back this year.
[00:31:28] I start in center back over 3, 5, 2 were both freshmen. Um, and then with that, um, uh, center made, came in as a transfer, started for us. Um, and then the right side center back also as well. Um, and then we worked away at the, having a new keeper, started the season two. So new kids come in and definitely contribute.
[00:31:47] It’s not a case of. Um, we have these kids that are having to play. So yeah, we w if you, if you’re, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
[00:31:55] Matt: All right. Well, you mentioned earlier, you had some gas and some other stuff. So how big is your soccer staff and what role do they play? Whether that’s practice or game?
[00:32:06] Coach: Yeah, so, um, we have the most we’ve had, and it was this year. We have three graduate assistants. One of them was a player using as COVID year, last year. Um, so we had to, um, a lot of other schools have full time staff and we’re just not blessed with that. And here we’re trying to integrate, we’re trying to get one of the GA’s on to be a full-time assistant, um, which will hopefully help.
[00:32:31] But as far as then I leave, I like to delegate a lot to them because what I’d like for them to do is eventually leave and become coaches and. So for that to happen, they have to know pretty much they have to have runnings of everything. And, and here, when you’re at, um, smaller school ethics, you do everything.
[00:32:50] Um, for, you know, we ruin their own study halls. We do our own grade checks. Um, we do our own fitness stuff where we have staff here to help out with that. And. You know, we, we do our own fundraising and we have to, they’re in charge of the, they help out with the recruit and you know what I mean? They’re, they’re sending emails, they’re sending up visit bays, they’re running the camps.
[00:33:13] And so again, I like to delegate a lot that I’m because, um, like I said, eventually you’re going to want to have a handout hands-on experience. Um, and I’d like it to be a place where. If somebody is looking for an assistant after being a GA, here they go. Oh, they’ve been through the William Penn system.
[00:33:29] They know what that looks like, as opposed to, you know, you hear, I hear stories of what a GA’s that don’t have to go into the office, just turn up on game day, picking up cones. And you’re not really learning anything here. So it’s a definitely a hands-on experience. And I know our guys like it. It’s still fun times.
[00:33:45] Uh, this job is supposed to be tough cause it’s never easy winning and losing.
[00:33:49] Matt: Yeah, for sure. Um, well you mentioned a little bit earlier in terms of, of your, your style of coaching, but, but what, what is, how would you describe your style of coaching? You mentioned 3, 5, 2. How do you, how do you guys like to play as a team?
[00:34:04] Coach: Sure. We play 3, 5, 2, and, and kids ask us this all the time. It’s the number one question. Kids ask us and. On these calls when, when, when recruiting would a kid through zoom and that’s the way, that’s the norm now that’s, what’s your, what’s your style? And what’s your philosophy on, it’s a tough answer to give because of some of the stuff I’ve said where I can have an idea in my head, I was like, I’m going to play this way.
[00:34:26] And then you come in and you have to unbelievably fast. I’m going to play for three, three or two, like there’s my best players. I’m going to, um, I’m going to adapt to the best 11 that I have, um, in order for us to win the game. So that would be the most important thing that I try to say. Cause like we, it changes every year.
[00:34:44] You know what I mean? Some years I have to play direct some games you have to play direct, sorry, some games you have to defend more notice. So we just want to adapt it as much as possible to win the game. But within that comes our set of principles. We want the ball as much as possible. We want pressure on the opposition as much as possible.
[00:35:04] We want to be the fastest transition team on the field. So what does that look like in training sessions? So we thought that back to our sessions. Okay. So I can’t afford to, like I said, have two or three guys standing around. If we want to be the fastest counter attacking team, the fastest defensive track transitions.
[00:35:23] Because it’s not just defensive transition. It’s defensive about trash transition team. It’s not defensive dressing transitioned these eight guys and you five guys down the line. Are you guys over there? So that it’s kind of a, we try to make it work. Cause we can adapt to win the game and to have a successful season.
[00:35:41] We’re also keeping with our principles of our work rate and how that looks on the field. So again, kind of a vague roundabout answer and specific to you to you. Um, but like I said, if I never want to promise a kid that we’re going to play 3, 5, 2, because we won’t always play that way. And I never want to promise a kid that we’re going to be a high present team.
[00:36:01] Like we have the last two years because maybe I don’t have the players that are like that. Maybe I have more ballplayers. And like I said, it changes every year. Just being able to adopt, I think is, is, uh, something.
[00:36:13] Matt: Yeah, no, I mean, it makes perfect sense. Um, you know, we’re, we’re talking here during the spring, so w what does, what does your off season program typically?
[00:36:23] Coach: Yeah. So right now, um, kids came back the second week of January and from then until spring break, which for us is the first week in March. Um, because I in, so I listened four times a week and so Monday. Uh, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, they’re lifting the Wednesday part. Is there, um, cardio days. And like I said, we’re fortunate where we have our own strength and conditioning staff.
[00:36:51] Um, not a lot of other schools have that. Um, so we have our own staff that run that program. Um, they’re all, um, USDA S S USCS certified and so beneficial for us, for them to run that program, but whether or not it’s lifting four times and then depending on their grades, their study hall. So again, if, if you have above a 3.5, we don’t make you go to city hall.
[00:37:14] If you have below that, you are, once you have glow 3.0, you’re going twice. Um, we do, we’re doing that grade checks of two. So do you all a couple nights, a week left and up until spring break, after spring break, we’ll dial back the lift. And so they’ll lose two days of lifting and they’ll pick up three days of practice.
[00:37:31] So it will be at two, three. So. Um, one day there’ll be a left and day Tuesdays, a practice day, Wednesdays go through both. And then, yeah. So that’s kind of how it looks like for the spring. Um, and then at NAA, we get three playing dates to play. Um, so we get three scrimmages in the spring too. So we’ll use the after spring break.
[00:37:49] There’s not much you can do. And Iowa before. It’s spring break, unless you’re shoveling snow and find a patch for you. The playbook, we will practice in the all weather indoor turf. So we’ll practice in there. Um, and then graduation is the first week of may and then crack on.
[00:38:06] Matt: Sorry. Well, shell shoveling gets you your strength and your, uh, cardio you both in one shot, right?
[00:38:11] I’ll tell
[00:38:11] Coach: my guys, you said that,
[00:38:15] Matt: although I don’t know if the, uh, the certified strength and conditioning guys would agree, but that’s a, that’s neither here nor there. Well, coach, I appreciate your time. I’ve got one last question. This is kind of just the catch all here. You know, what else would you like prospects, families, potential players to know about your school, your program, anything that.
[00:38:34] Covered so far.
[00:38:35] Coach: Yeah, I would just say, do your research. Um, I think that’s important for not just for William Penn for every university. And like I joked about, if you send the co uh, if you’re a recruit, if you’re looking to be recruited by a school, maybe you send them an email that you want to go to Penn on the east coast.
[00:38:52] I’m probably not writing back to that email. You know what I mean? So, and then simple things like if you’re emailing coaches, like spend the time. Don’t email every school. So if you do the research and I’m going to open an email that says, hi, coach brown, as opposed to hi coach, because you’re high coach, you’re blind, copy blind carbon.
[00:39:11] Copy. I did it before. I know exactly what we’re doing on every kids I’ll do it. It’s easy thing to do, but you know, being recruited and find a scholarship isn’t easy and not everyone gets to play college soccer. And especially now with the COVID stuff that is, I know we don’t want to talk about it, but it’s a very real reality for high school seniors and juniors, because like I said, with schools out there to keeping kids on for an extra year.
[00:39:34] So through your research, um, on the school, the research on the level and the research on the players that are graduating, that could be graduating. So, you know, a position may open. Um, so that would be my, my, my better. Wisdom for the kids, not just for William Penn for, for, for everywhere that they’re going in there in their recruitment journey.
[00:39:54] Matt: That’s great. No, I appreciate that. Well, coach, we wish you the best of luck, uh, in the fall season. Hope you get back to that national tournament and hopefully take home some hardware. Uh, we’ll keep an eye on your progress and, and wish you nothing but the best. Thanks man. Appreciate
[00:40:07] Coach: it. Thank you.
