Aug. 16, 2001
Head soccer coach Nick Cowell sat down Thursday afternoon and chatted with fans online. The following is a transcript of the chat session.
For archived transcripts of earlier chats, click here.
Dallas: What are the challenges of recruiting talented players to come to Baylor and what are your plans to overcome these challenges?
Nick Cowell: The biggest challenge is finding the types of student-athletes that are going to fit into Baylor. Baylor is a fantastic educational institution, but is not the right fit for everyone. We therefore have to do fairly extensive personality checks to make sure that the athlete is going to fit at Baylor.
April Lord, Houston, Texas: What do you consider the single most important attribute that a soccer player needs to have to play for Baylor?
Nick Cowell: There really isn't one attribute. We look at the technical ability of the player. We will look at the tactical understanding the player has of the game, and we will also look at the physical characteristics the player brings (speed, size, etc.). We have found the most important category is the psychological dimension (i.e., willingness to work hard to be a contributing member of a team). We talk to the players' coaches, teachers, etc. to find this sort of thing out.
Brian (Waco): It seems like you have a very young team this year, much like last year. Do you handle a young team the same way you would handle a more mature team?
Nick Cowell: With a young team, you need to be more focused in the way that you want them to play. They need fewer options, not more options, in order to simplify the game. With an older team, you can give them more leeway in terms of making decisions on the field. With a younger team, practices and playing styles need to be more structured.
Judy Robinson-Smith (Houston): I see where the Bears are picked to finish 6th in the Big 12 this year. Can we do better than that? Who will be stars for us this year?
Nick Cowell: Absolutely, we can do better than that. Who can be stars for us? We will need our defense to be leaders (Rachel Kacsmaryk, Melissa Humke, and Tamura Crawley). We will need our freshman forwards to show a great desire to take responsiblity and score goals. We will be looking to our midfielders (Candace Reilly, Ryan Lee, Alyson Miles, Whitney Barrett) to fight for possession of the ball.
Kenny, Waco: Coach Cowell, What system of play do you intend to use the season? How many players do you think you will carry for the 2001 campaign and how do you see your Freshmen fitting into the system? Thanks and good luck this season. Kenny Dalgleish
Nick Cowell: This season we will be playing a more offensive style of play, with a 3-4-3 formation. We intend to put opponents under a lot of pressure because of the great speed that we have up front. We'll probably carry about 25 players on the squad. We currently have 30 in preseason training. So far, the freshmen have impressed me with their level of fitness, their enthusiasm, and their willingness to learn. We expect many of them to get significant playing time.
Casey (Tampa): I am a huge college soccer fan. What do you think you need to do as a coach as far as recruiting to get up there to compete with such teams as Indiana and Clemson and such? Best of luck coach.
Nick Cowell: With the limitations that the NCAA puts on playing and practice seasons, it makes recruiting probably the most important aspect of a winning program. All coaches like to think that they can transform mediocre talent into champions, but reality would suggest otherwise.
Andrew(Baltimore): How do you expect to do in the standings this year?
Nick Cowell: We expect to win the Big 12. We've never entered a game that we didn't think we could win, and if you take that thought to its logical conclusion, you'll win them all.
Irene: What is the type of student that fits well at Baylor, personality? Ethnicity? Please expand.
Nick Cowell: Baylor is inherently a fairly conservative campus. It therefore attracts students that have strong moral values and who are most interested in getting a strong education in a supportive environment.
easton: Which University did you prefer coaching at, Baylor or Trinity?
Nick Cowell: I spent eight wonderful years at Trinity, and have very fond memories of the people in San Antonio. Baylor has exceeded my expectations of another school, and I have nothing but positive impressions of the University and the athletics department. I think my experience at a highly competitive academic institution like Trinity was a great training ground for Baylor.
Irene: How do you scout new players, tournaments, web-profiles, etc.?
Nick Cowell: We scout most of our recruits at soccer tournaments. We also highly encourage those interested in attending Baylor to come to our college prep soccer camp, where we will give you information on how to choose the correct school for yourself. (FYI: 15 of our 30 current players attended the Baylor camp before enrolling here.) Occasionally, we will attend high school games, but we tend to concentrate on club and ODP soccer.
Stamford, CT: What steps need to be taken within the Baylor structure to compete and beat some of the powerhouse East Coast soccer schools?
Nick Cowell: I think we've already shown that we can compete with the East Coast teams. In recent years, we've defeated Duke and Maryland. It's the west region teams that currently seem to have the strongest programs. This year, we're traveling to San Diego and Loyola Marymount, and we are hosting Arizona State. These games will be great indicators for us as to how we'll fair on a national level.
Mike ( Austin ): There is a lot of preseason hype concerning the Longhorns...do you think that your Bears are as good a team as Texas?
Nick Cowell: There's only one way to find out. Of course, I appreciate the accolades that have been bestowed upon Texas' recruiting class and on the players themselves. However, we have great faith in the collective ability of our team, and I think we match up well with the Longhorns. Come watch on Oct. 5 in Waco, and we'll see.
Carlos (DC): I attended Baylor'f first socccer game and have attended almost all home games before graduating. How important do you rank the fans in the teams performance?
Nick Cowell: Traditionally, Baylor has had tremendous student support for its soccer program. I think it's critical to the success of the team to get as many of the student body out there as we can, to create a supportive atmosphere for the Lady Bears. It seems more and more students have soccer experience now, and we anticipate our crowds growing this season.
Nick Cowell: I appreciate everyone's interest in our program, and I look forward to seeing everyone out at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Stadium this year. Sic 'em Bears!
