Practice Like a Champion
Coach Demay and Coach Sullivan Tell Us How
Morgan Boys Soccer
The way athletes perform has everything to do with how they practice, how they are coached, and how hard they push themselves. Although sports are similar for both boys and girls, what goes on behind the scenes is entirely different. The Morgan School’s boys and girls soccer coaches had a lot to share. Boys coach Ross Demay and girls coach Steve Sullivan gave great insight and shared a look into a typical week of an athlete.
Both coaches stated that during the season each team practices 5-6 days a week, with Sundays off. Coach Demay pushes his athletes during preseason and regular season by scheduling practices for 2.5 hours each day. Coach Sullivan has a different approach. He states that preseason practices are 2 hours, but regular in season practices are only 1.5 hours, in order to “…keep the players as fresh as possible.” Both coaches agree that their preseason schedule differs from their main season, but both are equally rigorous.
Practice looks very similar with both teams in terms of drills and conditioning. They start with running and stretching, and move on to technical drills to prepare for upcoming games. However, due to the fact that female athletes are more likely to get ACL injuries, the girls spend longer doing dynamic stretches in order to prevent injury. They end practice with scrimmages and, depending on the day, drills that prepare them for their next opponent, and what to do to win. As of Wednesday, October 26th, the boys team has 10 wins, 3 ties, and 1 loss ranking them 8th overall in the Class M state bracket and additionally are ranked as the 3rd seed in the Shoreline Conference. The girls team has 8 wins, 3 ties, and 3 losses, ranking them 1st overall in the Shoreline Conference, and 7th overall in the Class S state bracket.
Another huge part of success is making sure the athletes are not only a team, but a family. The coaches explain that team bonding is incredibly important to them. Team members participate in team dinners, locker decorating, senior celebrations, and the girls specifically participate in a program called ‘Guardian Angels’. This is when underclassman players pick senior players and fill their lockers with stickers, streamers, and gifts, to show their appreciation for their hard work and commitment. This builds better relationships between each player and allows the team to be closer on and off of the field. Before games, both coaches review the opposing team’s skills and tactics along with evaluating the opposing team’s returning, new, and graduated players. This gives Morgan’s team an idea of the strengths and how to “exploit their weaknesses”.
Hi! My name is Rachel Hromadka. I'm a senior here at The Morgan School. This is my first year on the Pawprint, and I'm eager to see what our team creates!...
