WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:01.960 And this is where we bring in Michael Parkers. So 2 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:02.919 are they scoring goals? 3 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:08.080 Cap negative? What we got shut out last week to zero? 4 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:09.199 No? 5 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:09.679 Puano? 6 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.039 I mean come on now, uh, if you were, if 7 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:15.679 you were uh. 8 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:19.760 In that in that locker room, I mean, what would 9 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.320 you would you be discussing with them? I And this 10 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.440 is you know, outside of Kano. This is not any 11 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:29.280 kind of Kano discussion. But it's like, what would you 12 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.200 be talking to those players about. It's like, you know, 13 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:34.079 you know, put the biscuit in the basket kind of 14 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:36.640 a thing. I mean, so what kind of conversations do 15 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:38.679 you have when you have an offensive drought like that? 16 00:00:40.280 --> 00:00:41.960 Yeah, I'm just trying to give them confidence. 17 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:48.320 Maybe let them score a little bit in training, just 18 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:52.039 let them know that, hey, it'll happen type thing. I'm 19 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.320 not going to give him any advice because the last 20 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:56.359 thing a struker wants is a defender to tell him. 21 00:00:56.280 --> 00:00:57.640 How to put the ball in the back and then 22 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:00.600 right true. 23 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:02.840 So yeah, just try and give him a little pick 24 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:06.079 up like, hey man, yeah, we'll get there. We'll get there, 25 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:09.280 and just try and do our part in the back 26 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:13.000 of you know, try and keep a zero because it's 27 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:15.719 easy to say, well, just keep it zero zero. 28 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:16.439 But. 29 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:20.200 A lot of pressure on a defense, yeah, because then 30 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:22.840 you know, hey, you know, you put the pressure on 31 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:25.959 the defense, and if you end up with no goals scored, 32 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:27.280 then at the end of the day, at least you 33 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.680 get out of there with a point. But I mean, 34 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:35.200 right now, the Eastern Conference is a street fight, no shock. 35 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:39.719 Right now. If the season ended today, which it is not, 36 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:44.120 Rhode Island would be in the playoffs in the postseason 37 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:46.319 as the eight seed in the East. But you've got 38 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:50.879 what you have, six teams separated by six points north 39 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:53.640 of the playoff bar, south of the playoff bar. So 40 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:57.200 everybody knows what you were getting into in USL Championship 41 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:01.079 with Rhode Island. And it's a different kind of bulls 42 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:03.640 eye considering that the run you that reminds me, man, 43 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:06.120 I've got to get the gear from last season. I've 44 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:08.000 got I've got to add that to my stacks. But 45 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:12.039 I mean, everybody knows what Rhode Island is bringing to 46 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:13.800 the table now, So you're kind of working with a 47 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:16.000 bit of a bullseye on your chest at the same time, 48 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:18.680 and everybody's kind of gunning for you. The year after 49 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:20.680 you made the run that you did in twenty four. 50 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:24.000 Totally, and that's the that's what you have to deal 51 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:24.840 with with success. 52 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:29.719 Everybody's after you, especially when you knock three teams out 53 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:34.039 of the playoffs as a first year team, those teams 54 00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:38.840 especially have a target on you. So yeah, that's that's 55 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:41.639 part of playing as the as the favorite. But like 56 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:44.520 we tell all of our mentees, right that pressure is 57 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.000 a privilege. Right, we earned that and so now you've 58 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.159 got to deal with it and step up. So I 59 00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:51.159 think we will. 60 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:55.840 And you mentioned the whole idea of pressure is a privilege, 61 00:02:56.240 --> 00:03:01.560 and I mean if you are not, if you're not 62 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:05.879 being pressured, and if you're just kind of going out 63 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:12.199 there and you're either being underestimated or overestimated and there 64 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:15.159 doesn't seem to be any pressure, how do you tell 65 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:19.360 your mentees not to rest on their laurels if the 66 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:24.439 external factors aren't there, where the pressure isn't coming from 67 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:27.599 the outside, how do you tell your mentees to like, look, 68 00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:30.120 you've still got to be one hundred percent. You can't 69 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:32.680 just sit there and don't focus on the outside. Focus 70 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:35.000 on what's going on in here so you can continue 71 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:39.039 to grow and improve even if the noise isn't there 72 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:41.680 There still should be stuff that you have to respond 73 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:42.919 to on a daily basis. 74 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:44.120 Oh yeah, definitely. 75 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:48.199 It's just not being complacent, right, Complacency is a killer, 76 00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:52.599 and so being in that situation can be great for confidence, 77 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:58.520 and that's important. But understanding that there's always a next level, 78 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:02.560 there's always a higher goal, there's always something better that 79 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:07.039 we can become at a tougher environment and tougher opponents 80 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:11.360 and bigger goals. So yeah, it's constantly just challenging yourself 81 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:14.520 and understanding, hey, I'm not there yet, I'm not a 82 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:20.079 finished product, and that's difficult, but yeah, that's what the 83 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:23.560 best players are constantly doing. They're constantly challenging themselves and 84 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:25.160 they're constantly trying to prove. 85 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:29.040 Someone or people in general wrong. 86 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:34.639 How hard is it to challenge yourself when you don't 87 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:39.759 feel like either you're a being challenged or you know 88 00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:43.800 you're not being challenged yourself, or that there's something wrong 89 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:46.680 where the challenges aren't challenging. 90 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:47.680 Does that make any sense? 91 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:50.480 You know, when you don't feel like the level of 92 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:55.759 the challenges there, how do you maintain your own quest 93 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:59.240 and try to become better If the external stuff you 94 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:01.360 don't think is mad levels. 95 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.800 Yeah, we talked to younger players a lot about how 96 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:11.439 there's always going to be players, teams, maybe even coaches 97 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:16.800 that you come across and you either can be infectious 98 00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:18.800 on them or they can be infectious on you. 99 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.040 And so players that. 100 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:26.480 Aren't taking practice seriously and kind of goofing around and 101 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:31.000 they can have an effect on players that initially had 102 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:35.279 good intentions for that day, or the opposite can happen, 103 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:37.800 right of course, And so we talked to them a 104 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:40.800 lot about, hey, making sure that you are having the 105 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:48.000 infectious behavior and not being the one affected, and that's difficult. So, yeah, 106 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:51.079 constantly just trying to improve your own play, and I 107 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:54.199 get when the challenge isn't quite what you want it 108 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:57.240 to be, you need to create those internal challenges and 109 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.839 have those goals set for yourself to keep pushing or 110 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:04.360 to work on your leadership skills or something a little 111 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:08.279 bit out of your comfort zone. And then obviously at 112 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:10.199 some point you're gonna need to get into a different environment. 113 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:15.319 If if a game is a blowout and it's a 114 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:18.319 team that you're completely and totally overblowing, it's I mean 115 00:06:18.439 --> 00:06:20.639 you're overmatched, they're overmatched. 116 00:06:20.759 --> 00:06:22.120 You're taking care of business. 117 00:06:23.240 --> 00:06:26.319 How how difficult is it in those challenges. 118 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.360 Two, I don't wanna I don't want to sit here. 119 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:32.399 And say, you know, take mercy on the other guy 120 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:35.040 and make it look like you're being you know, a honk. 121 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.800 You know, when a situation, you know, it's there's a 122 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:41.639 comfortable win in a blowout, and then there's something that 123 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.199 can get completely and totally out of control where you 124 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:47.480 could be demoralizing the other the other guy. Where where 125 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.240 is that balance of working on yourself in a game 126 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:54.000 that's a blowout that you know that you're blowing the 127 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:57.680 other guy out to where you're still. 128 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:00.199 Working on your own game, but at the same time. 129 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:03.519 You don't look like the rest of the world doesn't 130 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:05.600 think you're a jackass because it's a you know, like 131 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:08.079 a seven to two thing. It's like, I'm working on 132 00:07:08.199 --> 00:07:11.079 me and I'm doing my best, and you know this 133 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:11.920 is what's happening. 134 00:07:11.959 --> 00:07:14.000 To try not to take blame in a situation. 135 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:18.920 Yeah, I think there's a difference between really stepping on 136 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:24.959 the gas and trying to embarrass an opponent versus hey, 137 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:27.279 you're playing the game the right way. And I think 138 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:29.600 that's the biggest thing in the opponent in a blowout 139 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:30.360 is to still. 140 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:31.560 Have the respect for the opponent. 141 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:35.000 I see it all the time on baseball field when 142 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:38.000 it gets to be a blowout and kids start chirping 143 00:07:38.279 --> 00:07:41.879 and just goofing around in the outfield. They're goofing around 144 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:47.000 on the infield, and just that that is disrespecting the opponent, 145 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:49.839 disrespecting the game. So and the same thing can happen 146 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:53.439 in soccer. So that's that's the biggest thing for me, 147 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:55.680 because there will be a day when you're on the 148 00:07:55.720 --> 00:07:59.560 other side of a of a butt kicking and you'll 149 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:03.759 see how it feels, and when the other team maybe 150 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:07.120 unnecessarily scoring goals, but they're still doing the things that 151 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:11.360 made them successful as far as you know, being organized 152 00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:13.160 and communicating and passing the ball. 153 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:16.040 Well, you can do a lot of things and still 154 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:20.439 not run up the score. That's part of it. 155 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:26.680 You mentioned respect and chirping and disrespecting those kinds of things. 156 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:30.680 I know that we have generational disconnects, and I'm seven 157 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:32.639 hundred and two years old and I probably look at 158 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:35.120 things a little differently than a lot of folks. But 159 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:40.440 how much respect do you see out there with your 160 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:43.279 your mentees and respect and understanding of what they need 161 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.559 to work on and how much correcting has to be 162 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:50.480 done with those of the ages of your mentees where 163 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.919 they have to be steered back and not be disrespectful 164 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.279 and chirping. And because I know chirping can have its 165 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:01.240 positivity at point, but how do you sit there and 166 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:04.120 steer them away from the negative aspects of chirping and 167 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:06.559 showing disrespect. Is it something that you have to work 168 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:09.960 on at all in address here and there? 169 00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:12.679 But it's rare for us, and maybe that's just the 170 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:17.879 players that are coming to us, but we've found. 171 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:18.679 It pretty rare. 172 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:22.919 There there is an occasion where a parent is honest 173 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:25.720 and says, hey, my kid's got this going on and 174 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.799 I can't get through to them and need some help 175 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:32.559 in that regard. So there has been the instance where 176 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:37.080 we're trying to let them know how to have respect 177 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:39.960 on the field and why it's important to have that respect, 178 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:44.799 and but it's not too too often. So I will 179 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:49.000 say that in general, most of most of the kids 180 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:50.519 have pretty good respect out there. 181 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:53.519 Yeah, well, and so what is it what is it 182 00:09:53.720 --> 00:09:58.399 like for for you and for Greg and your your 183 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:01.440 other mentors that I'm imagine are still closer and closer 184 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:03.320 to signing their contracts. Are you going to have the picture, 185 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:05.360 by the way when you're when your new mentor signs 186 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:05.799 and you're going. 187 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:07.519 To have the whole, the whole. 188 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:09.799 Are you going to have like the contract and the 189 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:14.159 the b GM background and the look and the smile 190 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:16.360 and the I'm look I look like I'm signing the 191 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:18.000 contract and I'm smiling at the camera. 192 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:19.440 Are you going to have that signing by the way 193 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:20.519 when you have your new mentor. 194 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.960 No, we've talked about this. We actually talked about this 195 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:25.600 with her last week because. 196 00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:29.200 We don't and she's a little bit naive because she's 197 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.360 a younger pro. As far as I don't want to 198 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:37.120 put her in a place where I've seen people do 199 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:40.000 a lot of things off the field as a professional athlete, 200 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:43.759 and when things are going well, that's great, and when 201 00:10:43.759 --> 00:10:48.639 things aren't going well, all of a sudden, coaches, GMS, teammates, 202 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:53.720 fans can be like, h, this person should do less 203 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:58.080 of that and more focusing on soccer, even though there's 204 00:10:58.120 --> 00:11:00.000 plenty of time in the day to do these things 205 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:05.799 away from job number one. And so just being respectful 206 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:08.000 of her, I don't want to make this a huge, 207 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:12.720 huge deal because this is very secondary to her career, 208 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:17.080 which is just getting underway. So she's been really busy 209 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:22.720 with national team stuff along with NWSL schedules. So yeah, 210 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:26.960 we haven't really locked down when we can announce yet, 211 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.399 but hopefully I think she's with national team stuff this 212 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:34.159 week and maybe back next week, so hopefully in the 213 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:35.960 next couple of weeks we'll be able to get something. 214 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:38.600 But yeah, nothing crazy to try and keep it low 215 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:39.159 key for her. 216 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:46.559 Okay, So when you have younger players, you know, trying 217 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:51.240 to be supportive in a team environment, and you know, 218 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:54.720 and we saw this and the reason I kind of 219 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:58.360 steered this way. We saw this in the matchup with 220 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:01.440 it Lane United in Columbus. Were you there by the way, 221 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:04.639 I was? Okay, So I don't know if you saw 222 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.840 what was going on at the beginning of the second 223 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:13.320 half where Noah Cobb is trying to be there and 224 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:17.159 be supportive and and you know, address the energy of 225 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:19.960 everybody out there on the field. And Noah wasn't part 226 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:21.720 of the eleven that was out there playing at the 227 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:23.960 beginning of the of the second forty five, but he 228 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:26.679 was out there, you know, dapping players up and things 229 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:33.039 like that. When it comes to that kind of behavior, 230 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:37.679 what's it like for you to see someone who isn't 231 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:40.639 regardless of age and level and experience, to see someone 232 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:42.799 who's not a part of the starting eleven sitting there 233 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:46.159 and trying to raise the energy level up of the 234 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:48.840 of your teammates in a situation like that, What's what's 235 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:53.000 it like for you to see a younger player take 236 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:56.039 that mantle and address that issue and sit there and 237 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:57.840 it's like, okay, guys, you know, beginning the second half, 238 00:12:57.919 --> 00:12:59.399 let's rock and roll. What's it like for you to 239 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.440 see that kind of activity from a younger player? 240 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:05.960 Yeah, it's nice. It shows maturity, it shows a level 241 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:06.440 of care. 242 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:08.000 Right. 243 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:10.120 So many players are just in it for themselves, So 244 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:13.200 it's easy when you're on the bench to be like, well, 245 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:15.679 in a blowout like that, poof thank god I'm not 246 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:16.000 on the. 247 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:17.519 Field, yeah, or. 248 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:21.960 Or obviously the other way is to be upset that 249 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.000 you're not on the field and upset at the coach 250 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:26.279 and upset at the other players that I'm not getting 251 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:29.360 my chance, and you kind of stick to yourself, and 252 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:30.519 you know, that's. 253 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:34.279 Definitely what I see from at least. 254 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:38.840 One player on the Atlantian at a bench. But yeah, 255 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:40.799 that's that's just the type of person. No, it is, 256 00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:43.639 So I'm not surprised, But yeah, that's great. It's great 257 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:46.799 for the team because, yeah, they needed some energy and 258 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:51.840 he obviously saw that and was trying to do whatever 259 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:52.480 he could. 260 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:56.320 Yeah. Well, and I mean, and that can be taken one. 261 00:13:56.200 --> 00:13:58.320 Of two ways, and you hope that it's taken in 262 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:02.559 the most positively possible where I and I know that 263 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.320 in some circles, and I'm gonna, you know, step away 264 00:14:05.320 --> 00:14:07.799 from it, Landy Knight, And I'm fairly certain that there 265 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:11.039 are veterans in some situations regardless of where you're talking, 266 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:12.799 it's like, well, you know, what is he? You know, 267 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:14.759 what is he doing? It's like he's not out here, 268 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:17.000 what is he doing? I'm gonna focus on me? And 269 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:20.679 then that negativity, you know, continues to fester in those moments. 270 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:24.360 But and I would imagine it would take a true 271 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:28.960 professional to understand where that player is coming from, regardless 272 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:32.240 of level of experience, about trying to make sure that 273 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:34.519 the messaging is best and that the effort is the 274 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:38.039 best heading into that situation where you can improve your 275 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:39.919 lot in that second forty five. 276 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:41.840 Set, Yeah, for sure. 277 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:44.320 And I think that a lot of it is timing, 278 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:46.120 a lot of it is personality. 279 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:50.159 Right, Who is it that's saying it their energy level? 280 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:54.200 You can tell a lot as a player of where 281 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:57.960 where this is coming from. Is it genuine, is it 282 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:01.600 real for the team the energy wise, or is selfish somehow? 283 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:06.320 And it's one thing if he's trying to from the 284 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:08.399 side of the field get somebody going right after you 285 00:15:08.440 --> 00:15:10.519 give up a goal and kind of like pick somebody 286 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:12.559 up or something like, then the guy on the field 287 00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:15.679 might be like, you know, f off right now. But 288 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:18.960 if you're you're coming off of halftime, you know it's 289 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:21.799 purely just to get the energy going type thing. And 290 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:25.879 I think that players know that Noah, by the way 291 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:28.720 he carries himself, is a genuine person and wants the 292 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:29.480 team to do well. 293 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:31.240 So I think those little things make a difference. 294 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:34.279 Right if it was a player that you know has 295 00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:36.320 a bad attitude generally and is doing it, you kind 296 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:37.120 of shrug it off. 297 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:40.039 And be like, dude, go back to the bench, I 298 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:40.879 don't need it right now. 299 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:46.840 But yeah, So, and that's why character and holding yourself 300 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:50.360 well is important, because the only in moments like these, 301 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:56.000 you're viewed differently based off of your character and how 302 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.000 things have been portrayed over time. 303 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:03.519 How many discussions do you have with mentees about their character, 304 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.679 whether it's an adjustment or a reinforcement. 305 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:06.399 How much? 306 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:09.679 How many conversations do you have about characters specifically with 307 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:10.320 your mentees? 308 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:14.679 An a ton because when I asked a college assistant coach, 309 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:19.519 what's the number one red flag when you're watching a player? 310 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:24.639 He said, body language and body language is such a 311 00:16:24.679 --> 00:16:29.679 big component of character. And you can have a great 312 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:33.279 character and terrible body language, don't get me wrong, but 313 00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:37.960 in general they go together, and characters such a huge piece. 314 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:41.879 And I think that sometimes younger athletes don't realize how 315 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:45.200 important character and the way you hold yourself and the 316 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:49.080 way you conduct yourself is versus how well you pass. 317 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:52.159 The ball, kick a ball, score all these other things. 318 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:54.559 Right, of course those things are important, but you can 319 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:57.360 do those well and have terrible character terrible body language, 320 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.600 and you will not have the opportunities that you would 321 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:01.639 if those. 322 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:02.159 Things were different. 323 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:04.920 How many, and I'll go back to the great character 324 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:08.200 poor body language thing in a second, how many coaches 325 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:12.319 reach out to you and to Greg to get intel 326 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:16.359 on mentees. How much of a conversation piece is that 327 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:17.799 in that two way street with you got? 328 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:22.319 Yeah, we we always for our mentees, tell us, tell 329 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:25.000 them to put us down as references. So there have 330 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:30.119 been some, not not a ton, honestly, but you know 331 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:35.880 we do have small checkings every now and then or 332 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:38.160 you know, tell us about the dis guy, or how's 333 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.119 the family or little things like that. 334 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.480 It's never anything to do with. 335 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:45.279 Soccer and it's always just off the field stuff and 336 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:46.359 you know that. 337 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:47.319 But that's important. 338 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:52.880 Okay, So great character, poor body language? How how does 339 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:57.880 that look? I mean, you know, is it self? Well, 340 00:17:58.000 --> 00:17:59.720 it's yeah, break break that down for me. 341 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:02.039 How do that? How does that? How does that look 342 00:18:02.119 --> 00:18:03.000 to the eye? 343 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:06.240 So we know what we're we're staring at because we 344 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:10.200 can all we can all see great character, great body language. 345 00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:13.799 But you could have somebody who's great character in poor 346 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:15.119 body language. How does that look? 347 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:19.759 It looks either selfish or it looks deflated. In my opinion, 348 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:24.880 right where you can have you know, a great character 349 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:28.960 who's got poor body language right at Lanta United right now, 350 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:35.960 or I'll take Atlanta United twenty seventeen eighteen Miguel great 351 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:39.440 character in the locker room, great human being, terrible body 352 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:43.640 language out on the field and right constantly getting upset 353 00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:48.440 with guys about making mistakes and you know, not playing 354 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:50.880 the right past at the right time and these little 355 00:18:50.920 --> 00:18:55.960 things like that which can drag on guys. And you know, 356 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:59.559 that was addressed and he got much much much better 357 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:01.559 about it, and now I think his body language is 358 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:06.920 way way better in general. So that's one example. But 359 00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:12.039 you can also have in these instances a great character 360 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:14.880 that's just sick and tired of the way things are going. 361 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:20.599 And that's that's kind of normal in this regard. But 362 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:23.079 I can see, like, you know, even Brad's body language 363 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:26.960 on Wednesday was good, even if he's constantly like he 364 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.319 knows he's got two homegruns in front of him, right, 365 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:32.759 it's not going to be perfect. Things have not been good. 366 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:35.240 So anytime he had the opportunity to pat a guy 367 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:36.920 on the back, you know, say a good job, or 368 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:39.200 he was doing it right, even after he makes a 369 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:42.480 big save, like hey man, whatever whatever he's saying, but 370 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:45.880 it looks positively he's trying to bring positive energy instead 371 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:46.279 of just. 372 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:48.240 Another one. 373 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:49.440 I got to dig out of the back of the 374 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:54.279 net right, And that's difficult. It's really difficult, especially when 375 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:56.240 times are like they are right now. 376 00:19:56.680 --> 00:19:59.440 I was going to ask, how hard is that to 377 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:03.880 continue you to I'm not I was about to use 378 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.240 the word spin, But that's not right to lean into 379 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:13.880 the notion of finding a positive, finding encouragement, making sure 380 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:17.880 that those younger players are the inexperienced players that are 381 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:21.000 out there having to perform in a situation so they 382 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.200 don't get dragged down and get dragged down into a 383 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:26.119 negative in a situation that's already negative. How hard is 384 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:29.799 that to try and be positive, find a positive, and 385 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:31.160 be encouraging in a situation. 386 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:35.359 Yeah, it's difficult, but I mean that's where it's important 387 00:20:35.400 --> 00:20:37.039 to have some veteran guys in the field as well, 388 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.039 because you know, these these homegrowns, it's not their fault. 389 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:41.680 At Atlanta Night is not doing well right now. 390 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:45.000 It's not expected that these guys are going to lead 391 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:47.000 the team and these these players are going to be 392 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:49.319 the ones that are going to turn things around or whatnot. 393 00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:51.839 Right They're they're taking a brunch of it, especially being 394 00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:55.480 on the back line where they mistake free of course, 395 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:58.200 not do you expect them to be mistake free. No, 396 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:02.240 you know, and anyone can go to Columbus and get embarrassed. 397 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:05.079 That's a pretty easy place to go in and get embarrassed. 398 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:07.920 And so, you know, I think Brad understood that and 399 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:12.079 knew that. Okay, it's not on these guys. It starts 400 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:14.640 a little higher up the field. Maybe it starts with 401 00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:16.960