Pride. Belief. Confidence. Motivation. Character.
During her 12 years as head coach, Stacy Strauss has built Ohio’s soccer program on these five “pillars” or characteristics that her players possess.
“It’s been understood as long as I have been here,” Strauss said. “I felt the need to put it in writing a couple years ago.”
The characteristics of pride, belief, confidence, motivation and character are traits the players know and talk about. Strauss put these words and others on the team’s practice shirts.
“It’s just a reminder of that’s who we are trying to be and who we are trying to play like,” goalkeeper Mattie Liston said. “We have always had that saying, but it’s a new thing that it’s on the shirts.”
The shirts have “pride” or “belief” written on the back to remind the players about the team’s foundation when the players step onto the field. Strauss said when the players focus on those qualities, good things will come.
“It’s just a constant reminder why we do what we do, and what’s important and what the pillars are for the program,” Strauss said. “They’re just five qualities that we expect our players to live up to every day, in practice or games or off the field.”
Ohio boasts eight seniors who have taken on veteran roles this season in pursuit of a Mid-American Conference championship. Senior midfielder Sara Seitz, who has been a focal point of the Bobcats’ midfield each of her three previous seasons, has helped to lead the charge in setting the goals high.
“I think it would be awesome to come out on top of the MAC and get that first seed in the tournament and have the semifinals and finals here at Chessa (Field),” Seitz said. “We really want to win the tournament and make it to the NCAA.”
The Bobcats sit atop the MAC East Division with a 3-2-1 conference record.
Of all the seniors, Strauss said forward Toye Famodu embodies the pillars most.
Famodu was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 3 and has 14 starts, three goals and one assist on the season.
While Strauss has made sure the players know the traits the program is built on, the pillars have taken special importance the past few years for the Bobcats.
“I think in the last two years they have grown increasingly accepting of it, and it’s something I hear them talking about off the field occasionally,” Strauss said.
Basing the team’s success on pillars might just create a platform on which to place the 2011 MAC Tournament trophy.
mb832409@ohiou.edu
