Interview

When did you decide to become a soccer coach? Why?
When I was playing at Eastern Illinois University, I had a strong desire and commitment to the game. I decided at that point that I wanted to coach soccer for the rest of my life and that coaching was my future.

What are the most important ingredients for a successful team?
Talent and teamwork. You’re only as good as your talent. However, you cannot win big games with just talent alone. You need teamwork. Talent plus teamwork equals success.

When building a team, what is the first thing you look for?
The first thing I look for is players. I try to find players who fit into my system of play, players who can make things happen and players who can accept their roles within the system. I also am concerned about developing team chemistry.

Who were your coaching mentors? What was the best advice you have received from them or anyone in regards to coaching?
I’ve had many mentors. My college coach, Fritz Teller, made the game fun for me. My friends, like the late Mike Berticelli, who was one I could always talk soccer with. My friend John Cossaboon, who knows how to coach with enthusiasm. Sport psychologist and friend Bill Beswick, who opened my mind to many different ideas.

Does a player come with motivation? Or, is that something a coach can teach?
Most players have a level of self-motivation or they wouldn’t be playing. A coach can help keep a player’s motivation level high and can help the player perform to the highest level. Getting players to play better and work harder when they don’t want to is the definition of motivation. Every player is different and has to be motivated differently.

What are three adjectives that best describe in your mind the perfect coach?
The perfect coach is knowledgeable and has passion for the game. He or she is a motivational leader and a communicator.

Does a coach need a philosophy to be successful? What is your philosophy? Has it changed over time?
Yes, coaches need a philosophy to be successful. Through time and experience my philosophy continues to be formed. I became stronger in my convictions as I found more success and I believed in myself. My philosophy has been stolen from others who have found success in their arenas. Today, I believe in being prepared to do my job, to have quality training sessions, to evaluate my players and team after each performance and to give players feedback on their performances. Working hard and always motivating and communicating with my players and staff. My philosophy is always changing, tinkering, reevaluating.

Is it important for a coach to be liked by his/her players?
I think all coaches would like to be liked by the players. I also believe that it’s more important to be respected by the players. Players will perform better if they like the coach and like practices, and the respect will come naturally. When it comes time to make tough decisions, you can’t make everyone happy, so being liked isn’t that important. Being respected is the key.

Looking back on your career, what events gave you the most satisfaction?
SH: The events that give me the most excitement or satisfaction are pre-season and the NCAA Championships. Pre-season is all about the excitement of the upcoming season. The NCAA Championships are all about playing for a national title in the pressure of a single-elimination tournament. Excitement!

Is a coach born with leadership skills? Or can they be learned?
You have some coaches that are natural born leaders, while other coaches acquire their leadership skills. If you go to a playground and see the little kids playing, you immediately see the natural leaders, the ones taking charge. Coaches also can learn to be good leaders through experience and time. Having good mentors, taking leadership courses or reading material on leadership can help us all as coaches.

Can a coach create a competitor? Or is that something the player brings to the team?
There are some natural-born competitors who want to win at everything that they do. As a coach I believe that you can help improve a player become competitive by continually putting that player into a competitive environment. The will to win can be developed but I try to recruit players who are competitors.

Can teams really learn from losing?
Absolutely. You learn to turn negatives into positives. Every game is a journey. You learn what your weaknesses and strengths are. You learn what it takes to win. You learn about players’ character. Many times losing is a wake-up call.

Is there a formula for success? Are there any shortcuts to success?
There are no shortcuts, no easy way to doing things. Success takes hard work, being prepared and learning from years of experience what needs to be done in order to be successful.

What was the biggest mistake you made in your coaching career?
The biggest mistake – and believe me, there are many – was that in my early days as a coach, I lacked confidence in myself, so I tried to imitate other coaches, to do what they were doing. Today, with more experience and confidence, I realize what a big mistake that was.

How would you describe yourself as a coach?
It is probably much different than how others might describe me. I feel that I am a caring, experienced coach who is always seeking knowledge. I am someone who loves his job and the relationships that have been developed with others.

Have you changed as a coach during your career?
Absolutely. I didn’t know what I was doing back in my early coaching days. I coached as I was coached. Through years of experience and coaching schools and constantly seeking knowledge, I believe I’ve become a much more effective person and coach.

What advice would you give to the coach just starting in the profession?
Don’t take yourself too seriously, develop a coaching philosophy and work hard. Try to put yourself in a learning environment, surround yourself with good people and participate in coaching education courses. And enjoy what you are doing.

How has the game changed during your career?
The game has changed tremendously. Living in Dallas for the past 20 plus years, I’ve seen the number of kids playing soccer grow at an incredible rate. I’ve seen the college game continue to improve. Players are better today and there are more quality players across the country than when I started coaching 26 years ago. It’s incredible to see the improvement on the U.S. Youth and National Teams. We are light years ahead of where we were in the ‘70s.

How did you become involved in soccer?
I got involved with soccer at an early age. I was raised in Macau, China (a Portuguese colony) and came to the USA as a refugee. I started playing organized soccer in Dayton, Ohio. My cousin, Pat De Souza, took me out to play with the Dayton Edelweiss Soccer Club. I was fortunate to have so many adults who had a passion for the game of soccer influence me. I went to Eastern Illinois University on a soccer scholarship and was on the winning 1969 NAIA national championship team. I played in the American Soccer League with the Cincinnati Comets and immediately started my coaching career at Eastern Illinois in 1977. The rest is history.