Soccer Opens Preseason Camp
August 01, 2018 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Another season is officially here as the Mississippi State soccer team opened its preseason camp on Tuesday. The Bulldogs held two training sessions to open camp, beginning at 7 a.m. CT and 5:30 p.m.
Ahead of the evening session, head coach Tom Anagnost along with seniors Carly Mauldin and Courtney Robicheaux met with the media for their first interviews of the year.
The training sessions opened with individual skill work, including the team's juggling challenge that plays into Anagnost's competitive chart. Each athlete is rated on certain skills daily, including their personal juggling records, and earns points to climb the team's chart.
"What the competitive chart really measures is character traits," Anagnost said. "They're kind of training themselves to win every day. For me, every time they get their score, they're not just more proficient in whatever it is, but they're hardening themselves. They're becoming a stronger version of themselves."
Anagnost's chart not only challenges the team to focus on specific areas of improvement but shows them clear feedback of their progression.
"He expects so much out of us every single day," Robicheaux said. "Our motto for this team is to get better every single day, so I think that's made us the team we've become."
The Bulldogs then worked on technical passing drills that included an emphasis on communication before shifting into small area games in teams of four.
"As a team we met, and we talked about leadership," Anagnost said. "I've never had a team that didn't have strong leadership that did well. If you don't have strong senior leadership, you won't do well."
With 54 games of experience and nearly 5,000 minutes in the field, Mauldin leads a young team that features 20 underclassmen.
"Having three seasons under my belt, I have that experience coming that I'm hoping I can help the newer ones understand the game better," Mauldin said.
The Bulldogs are coming off one of the best years in program history. The 2017 campaign saw MSU post its best winning percentage since 2001 and reach No. 37 in the RPI, the best mark in program history. MSU never lost by more than one goal in 18 matches and took half of their conference opponents to overtime.
"Every year is different. Last year, we had the two best players on the field almost every game. Twenty percent of the matchups, we won. That's a big deal. Here, we definitely have far more kids that are more competitive. We're a deeper team. There's just more kids that can do it."
State will open the 2018 season at home on Aug. 16 when the Bulldogs host Southern Miss at 7 p.m.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Ahead of the evening session, head coach Tom Anagnost along with seniors Carly Mauldin and Courtney Robicheaux met with the media for their first interviews of the year.
The training sessions opened with individual skill work, including the team's juggling challenge that plays into Anagnost's competitive chart. Each athlete is rated on certain skills daily, including their personal juggling records, and earns points to climb the team's chart.
"What the competitive chart really measures is character traits," Anagnost said. "They're kind of training themselves to win every day. For me, every time they get their score, they're not just more proficient in whatever it is, but they're hardening themselves. They're becoming a stronger version of themselves."
Anagnost's chart not only challenges the team to focus on specific areas of improvement but shows them clear feedback of their progression.
"He expects so much out of us every single day," Robicheaux said. "Our motto for this team is to get better every single day, so I think that's made us the team we've become."
The Bulldogs then worked on technical passing drills that included an emphasis on communication before shifting into small area games in teams of four.
"As a team we met, and we talked about leadership," Anagnost said. "I've never had a team that didn't have strong leadership that did well. If you don't have strong senior leadership, you won't do well."
With 54 games of experience and nearly 5,000 minutes in the field, Mauldin leads a young team that features 20 underclassmen.
"Having three seasons under my belt, I have that experience coming that I'm hoping I can help the newer ones understand the game better," Mauldin said.
The Bulldogs are coming off one of the best years in program history. The 2017 campaign saw MSU post its best winning percentage since 2001 and reach No. 37 in the RPI, the best mark in program history. MSU never lost by more than one goal in 18 matches and took half of their conference opponents to overtime.
"Every year is different. Last year, we had the two best players on the field almost every game. Twenty percent of the matchups, we won. That's a big deal. Here, we definitely have far more kids that are more competitive. We're a deeper team. There's just more kids that can do it."
State will open the 2018 season at home on Aug. 16 when the Bulldogs host Southern Miss at 7 p.m.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
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