Wilkins talks to the media
September 29, 2008 | Women's Soccer
The Wisconsin women's soccer team is heading on its first road trip in Big Ten play this weekend making stops at Ohio State and Penn State. Head Coach Paula Wilkins addresses the media and talks about what its like going back to Penn State since she has taken over at Wisconsin at Monday's weekly press conference.
Read below for a full transcript of the press conference and mid=2561"> --> click here to watch the archived video.
OPENING STATEMENT: I guess you guys are all excited because this is the Ohio State/Wisconsin game that everyone's focused on this week, the women's soccer match, so I know you guys are all excited about that.
Disappointed with our results this weekend, however, pleased with the idea that considering how we did against both those teams last year, much closer games. And in fact, the exciting part about it is I think we put together two halves again that deserved possibly a tie or a win against both Purdue and Illinois. Unfortunately, those two halves were in separate games and didn't complete one whole one together.
I think we look again at the youth of our team, and I'm trying to figure ways to coach them to make them a little bit more consistent. I think the next step we 're going to have to take is making sure that we open up pretty well in the first half against Ohio State when we travel there. Again, looking for our first road win on the road, and then obviously heading into Happy Valley where I've had a lot of wins on Jeffrey Field. So I'm excited to bring our team on the road and continue and hopefully keep improving in the Big Ten and get our first result, which is an important thing for us.
QUESTION #1: On the positive side, you may not have scored that many goals this weekend, but defensively I think you've only given up six or seven goals all year. Talk about how your back end has been playing this year.
WILKINS: Yeah, I think we've taken a group effort in terms of our defending all over the field and taking some pride on it. I think there's some avenues that we still need to correct. I think our defending needs to be a little bit better in terms of all over the field that when one thing breaks down, seems to break down a lot.
I think they're getting a little bit more confidence, though, in terms of playing better teams that are a little bit more physical than us right now. Athletically, I think other teams have other stuff on us, and we're doing better just being a little bit smarter and a little bit better tactically all over the field.
QUESTION #2: Is that an issue because of your youth, that the other teams will try to be a little bit more physical with your players'
WILKINS: Yeah, they tend to be a lot more physical with us because their athleticism, and we're still a little growing into how to deal with other teams physically and how to be physical ourself. Like I had mentioned, one of problems is our consistency. A term that we always say is winning takes work, and that means that sometimes we tend to take off a play or not react quick enough to what's going on around us. And with them able to physically battle us off the ball, it requires a lot more work and a lot more energy for us, so then we tend to be a little bit less focused. So it's sort of a trickle down effect in that.
We're talking about making simpler decisions. We try to complicate the game too much. So my job as a coach right now is to get them to do the little things right, the simple things right, and simplify the game for them so we have some success. Like I said, we've had all these positive parts of games, but as we get tired or we don 't really have a definitive leader right now that kind pulls them back into a game, and we're looking for someone to step up in the next couple of games to do that.
QUESTION #3: Is there a welcome home party scheduled in State College or what '
WILKINS: Well, hopefully I left on pretty good terms. I'm not really sure about that. But I'm excited to go back and see the people that I worked with for 14 years. I was very sad when I left because a lot of people had done a lot of great things for me, and I'll never look past that. But you know, now that I'm at Wisconsin, it's a little bit different challenge we have. I know the players have been looking forward to this, but I think one of my biggest challenges is to make sure that we're focused on Ohio State. That's an important game for us in terms of getting a result.
And then when we get to Penn State, then hopefully some of the emotional stuff for me, Pat, and Tim will sort of relate to the players and get them excited to get a result there. I think that would be a great accomplishment and a steppingstone for this program. But the first one is definitely going to be Ohio State.
QUESTION #4: Is there something from your experience in coaching at Penn State that you 're going to take into that game'
WILKINS: Yeah. I think whenever you have a program like Penn State that's had a lot of success, I think you'll hear a lot of coaches say that you kind of have to walk the walk, and the walk alone kind of scares people. And what I can sort of say to our players is that, you know, there are very good players at Penn State. I obviously know because I recruited them there. They're very competitive, and they're exciting to watch. However, they put their shorts on one leg at a time just like they do, and they're people. They can't use that intimidation factor to sort of sway them a little bit in their process.
So you know, getting them to have the right mentality and the attitude to get excited to just compete first, and that will be the first thing is their effort in the game and getting them excited to just compete first, and then I'll get all the little detail parts right. That will be the exciting part there.
So that's the one part that I might be able to give them, because when I first came here, they were like, oh, they kind of held Penn State at this big, up on a big pedestal. Obviously, with all the success and the great players they've had there, they can do that. But in any given day in soccer, something can happen, and making them believe that in every game that they play in is important.
And right now, we have the talent and we have the ability to play in every game. In fact, the Purdue and Illinois game, we could have gotten a tie or win in that. And making them believe and being consistent with that is the next step that I need to do for them.
