Keys for a Successful Preseason

Welcome to Druzz News!  As the new academic year is almost upon us and fall sports are beginning their preseason training, for the next two weeks my colleague Marcia McDermott and I will be writing and posting a series of articles on Keys for a Successful Preseason.

The articles will focus on a wide spectrum of topics that we feel would be helpful reminders to coaches as they prepare their teams for the upcoming season.  Some topics will include leadership, core values, team standards, performance goals, training cues, self awareness, teamwork, communication and mental preparation. 

I am excited to have leadership and soccer coach Marcia McDermott join me on this Preseason Journey.  Marcia McDermott has spent 20 years coaching women's soccer, including positions in the college ranks with University of Arkansas, Northwestern University, USMA, and the University of Illinois among others.  She also coached in the WUSA, the first women’s pro league, with the Carolina Courage where she won the regular season and post-season championship.  Following that she worked in the front office of the Courage and was the General Manager of the Chicago Red Stars in the WPS.  In addition, she served as an Assistant Coach with the U. S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) in 2011 (silver medal) and has scouted for the full team in 2008 and 2012, each Gold Medal runs and served as President of the United Soccer Coaches in 2010.  She also was an All American player at the University of North Carolina, where she won multiple National Championships and served as a co-captain.

We hope you find our articles helpful as you navigate your team through preseason training.  We  welcome your comments and questions and wish you the best of luck this season!

You can follow Marcia on on Twitter @SoccerChicago and @TheCoachConvo.  I post on Instagram at coachdruzz and on Twitter @cathyandruzzi.

Namaste,

Coach Druzz