Both men’s and women’s soccer at Lawrence have been attempting to turn the corner as competitiors in the Midwest Conference ad aim to do so with strong coaching and leadership. I asked head head coaches Will Greer and Joe Sagar what new techniques they have been implementing this season and their goals for their team with the next few games to come. Coach Greer responded by saying, “We have been implementing a shape in attack and finding ways to penetrate past our midfield and onto our forwards. Then, getting people ahead of the ball and behind the defense. Also, we have worked on zonal defending a ton. Scoring more goals is the answer to all! Upset St. Norbert’s College and go down to Illinois College and Grinnell College with victory on our minds!” In contrast, Sagar said, “I am trying to communicate my ideas to players often and early when possible. We have a lot of team meetings pre-game when possible to talk about tactical plans and personal responsibilities a player may have. I feel that players enjoy being in the loop and understand the game better when they can ask questions in a safe and secure environment…I ask my players to give their best each day. My goal is for us to continue to grow and lay a solid foundation for the program heading into our conference play in October.” On a different note, I asked the players what they are hoping to gain from this season and what goals they had for themselves or the team. Dweh said, “I hope my team and I can learn from mistakes on and off the field, improve my tactics and hopefully work towards building an even stronger connection with my team.” For his goals he lists: “Improve the quality and consistency of performances, boost my personal match stats,and develop the skills, abilities and characteristics necessary for me to achieve my goals.” Bingham said, “I am hoping to gain more experience as a leader this soccer season, as it is my first season as a captain of the team. I expect that we will improve every game and keep our strong, positive mentality up as we are trying to revamp the program.” So far, Bingham believes that these expectations have been met and her goal includes wanting to “keep this morale strong through the end of the season and into the off season.”
Whether you are a jock or nerd—most likely both because that’s the Lawrentian way—I urge you to take the time to get involved and support our athletic and music programs by attending concerts and events, for the artist is nothing without interpretation from others.
