REEVES’ REVELRY: BRINGING EXCITEMENT TO RU MEN’S SOCCER
8/26/2010 11:39:01 AM | Men's Soccer
Moments before Radford's initial preseason exhibition men's soccer match, first-year head coach Marc Reeves paced in front of the Highlander bench and heard the following question:
“You excited coach?”
“Of course I'm excited!” Reeves said with an unflappable grin. “We only get to do this 20 times a year!”
While those 20 times include more important regular season and conference tournament tilts, “Reevo”, as he's affectionately known, wants his new team to savor every chance to compete.
“We've got to have energy and excitement every time we step on the field, no matter whether we're practicing or playing,” he said after the Highlanders opened the preseason with a 2-2 tie at Cupp Stadium against Appalachian State.
The only significance of the match, essentially a glorified scrimmage, was that it was Reeves' first as the head coach of a collegiate program. He was hired by Radford in March after stalking the sidelines as an assistant and associate head coach for the past 11 seasons at national power St. John's.
“I love the game, I want to be involved in every level of it and bring a lot of energy to the players.”
The energy was on display in the pregame warmup – Reeves, a Gillingham Dorset, England native, was running in the passing drills with his team, constantly moving and constantly chirping in a distinctive accent that resonated throughout Cupp Stadium. The high level of motion and activity is a carry-over from his long stint as an assistant coach, typically a more hands-on position on the staff.
“I don't think much has changed at all for me in going from an assistant to a head job,” Reeves said. “We're always going to be like this as a coaching staff. Whether it's working early, late at night, or being a part of the warmup, we're getting after it every moment of the day.”
It's something that hasn't gone unnoticed by his team.
“He's like one of the kids, he wants to be out here on the field with us,” senior Brendan Shaffer said. “We really respect that and enjoy it, and he gets us pumped up for the games.”
Reeves' high level of involvement has sparked a new level of competitiveness for the Highlanders, said Shaffer, a second-year captain and on-field leader of a group that includes 19 returning players from last year's team.
The levels of excitement and energy are necessities for the Highlanders. With the season opener, a Sept. 4 game at Mount St. Mary's, just around the corner, Reeves says there's still plenty of work to be done.
“There's a lot of coaching and teaching going on right now, and our players are learning and really taking in a lot of information. We need to make sure our roster depth is good, that our bench energy is good, and the competition among our guys has to come on a daily basis.”
By Patrick Reed
Radford Athletic Communications
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