Office Hours

Mike Singleton

The soccer coach’s winning formula is all about recruiting hungry players, teaching them about the privilege of playing and, most of all, being kids on the field.

BY LOUISE UFFELMAN • PHOTO BY SHELBY MACK

“They always need to laugh. They always need to enjoy the game. If they’re not having fun, they’re not going to be the best they can be.”

DESCRIBE THE IDEAL TEAM When I started here the team was a very different animal and this was a very different job. We didn’t have a whole lot of depth, and they had been playing a different style. For the first few years it was very much about finding the best players at whatever position they’re at, making sure they’re hungry and enthusiastic and, obviously, academically able to succeed here. In the last few years, we’ve been in the Sweet 16 [at the NCAA Division III Tournament] three of the last four years, and our reputation is established — people are starting to see that we’re pretty good. Now we look at how we strengthen certain areas of our team — what specialized positions or skill sets fit our needs. One of most valuable assets in building the team is acquiring that player who is hungry. That seems pretty simple. But for an athlete to be hungry, we want them to be comfortable going after the chance to change the game. We don’t want them to play safe. We want them to be confident and eager to be a significant team member. When we recruit players, I ask them specific questions, and I give them constructive feedback. I do it directly, very purposely, to see how they react. When I see that player six months later, I take note of whether he’s incorporated that feedback into his play. That mindset is very important because it tells me about that player’s adaptability.

KIDS ON THE FIELD One of the things that makes our team successful is that they really like each other — not just on the field. They’re getting together off the field all the time. They’re visiting each other before preseason starts, which I think is crazy because you spend that period just living, eating and breathing together for two to three weeks. Sure, we’re very particular about who we recruit because we don’t want to bring in personalities that might have a negative tilt, but one of the things that’s important is they always need to laugh. They always need to enjoy the game. If they’re not having fun, they’re not going to be the best they can be. I really do believe we need to make sure that they feel like kids on the field. That warm-up routine where they’re playing tag still makes the seniors giggle.

PLAYING PRIVILEGES Our 2021 spring season was absurd. The pandemic put most of the players into quarantine and isolation, and those who were playing were out of shape and unfocussed. But it was very useful in getting the guys to understand that playing is a privilege, and they have to do the work for the right to play. They took that to heart, and during the 2022 fall preseason I saw how hard they had worked to get back into shape. The seniors realized that they had essentially missed their junior year, and that’s what drove them. During our team meeting, we went over some goals, one of which was to make the final eight. But after some heated arguments, the decision was to go for the national title. The upperclassmen basically said, “We know we have the talent to do it.” For them, it was a unique situation, and they were going to take advantage of it.

ABOUT THAT RED FLAG At the national semifinals, one of our players got a red card for a foul he didn’t commit, and that changed the game for us. Players obviously were extremely bitter and angry about it. That is understandable but not helpful, and I always ask my players to focus on improvement. For this case, I encouraged them to bottle up those harsh feelings and take a sip from the bottle every time they workout or train. Doing so will aid the intensity of the workout and push the players to improve maximally. In the future, if we have a referee who makes a bad call, we can’t change that. If we get to nationals this coming season, we need to score another goal or two so a bad call can’t affect the overall outcome. That is what we can and should control. These are the moments where we need to teach our students how to manage their emotions and reactions to negative events. Whether it be next season, off the field, or even later in life, having such skills will help them forever.

MORE ABOUT MIKE

PITCH PERFECT

Singleton is a 1995 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in psychology and English. He earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Purdue University in 1998. He currently holds a USSF “A” License, a FIFA Futuro III Diploma and a NSCAA Premier License.

UNDER THE LIGHTS

“The newly installed lights at Watt Field really come into play when we go off Daylight Saving Time,” said Singleton. “Being able to use the full field to prepare for the NCAA Tourney helped us greatly.”

TAKE NOTE

Singleton added: “Not every player will be a starter or a hero on the field. But these students commit to their role on the team with humbleness and enthusiasm. Their youthful exuberance is inspiring.”