Recently Hudl posted a story on the LadyKat Soccer program and the success it has had. Hudl sportswriter Trevor Hellman sat down with head coach Michael Strange in an interview about his coaching philosophy and the techniques he uses. {{more: read more…}}This is part of that interveiw.
The Kennedale Lady Kats Go Back-to-Back
With targets on their backs all season, the Kats used world-class preparation to help them win. Find out how
WRITTEN BY
Trevor Hellman
Just a few months ago, the Kennedale High School Lady Kats won their second consecutive Class 4A state championship with utterly dominant performances in the state semifinal and championship games. Their 12 combined goals over the two game series was a record, but behind the scenes there was so much more that helped the Lady Kats to a state title.
We sat down with head coach Michael Strange – who just finished his 14th year of coaching at the high school level – to learn more about their soccer program and to hear what the has led to their success over the last two seasons.
Coach Strange chuckled as he talked about his coaching philosophy in the beginning of his career as a soccer coach. ?I apologize to the kids who were with me when I first started. I was learning as I went,? said Strange. ?When you?re a really young coach, you want to establish yourself and you want to win. But as you get older, you realize there?s things that are more important than winning. And usually, when you take care of those things, winning follows.?
For Strange and his staff, it?s all about taking care of their kids – making sure they are passing their classes, that they?re being respectful at home and in the classroom. ?As you mentor kids to do those things first, they become more coachable. They become better students of the game. As a young coach, I didn?t see the bigger picture. It?s about growing a complete person as opposed to what?s on the scoreboard.?
As the Lady Kats have grown off the field, their success has blossomed on it. Strange gushed when he spoke about his team. ?We have really awesome kids. You don?t have great coaches without great players, and in our case, our greatest athletes were also our hardest workers.? It truly is a team game at this level, and every player on the Kennedale girl?s team is an integral part of their incredible success. But above all, they love the game. ?You can talk players like Allie Thornton and Abby Olmos and their success on the field, but they?re great kids. They have a passion for soccer and are great teammates. That makes a big difference.?
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Coach Strange goes on to describe the breakdown of each game and how the team works to prepare.Read the full interview at Hudl
