Looking Back on Year One
12/19/2019 9:42:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Written with contributions from Victoria Hill
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Year one of the Nicky Adams era is in the books. Syracuse women's soccer's veterans are sure the program is in good hands.
For the first time in a decade, Syracuse started the season with a new head coach. Adams took over in February 2019 with the intention of building a championship culture where players learn to win both on and off the field. Throughout the fall she repeatedly said how the team had embraced her coaching style and how passionate they were to succeed. The goal at the start of the season was to see every player grow as a person and as a player by the end of the year.
"There has to be a maturity that changes," Adams said. "You're a Division I soccer player at one of the most academically awesome schools in the nation. We're not just going to show up wearing an 'S' and say, 'We made it.' It's making sure that we are mature enough in every aspect of our lives. We want to put everything into it as individuals to help grow the program."
Four months after those words were delivered, it's safe to say her efforts have taken root.
Season one was about laying the foundation. Most of what Adams and assistant coaches Kelly Madsen and Harold Warren worked on throughout the year wasn't obvious to the public. There was a daily effort to create an open-door culture where players could speak about life both on and off the field with the staff. Adams worked to build a family atmosphere by regularly hosting team dinners, and reconnecting with the program's alumni was a top priority. There's a special amount of attention put into making every aspect of the program perfect, and family and unity are everything.
"Not many teams can say all of their players genuinely enjoy each other's company, but ours can," Hill said. "We trust each other and love being around each other. The change in leadership has given us the opportunity to forget about the past and work on building a future."
"The relationships with the staff are amazing," Brackett said. "We honestly feel that we can go to them with anything and have that relationship be professional. At the end of the day we are a family."
There's nothing but excitement moving forward for the Orange, who are a few weeks away from the start of spring training. Now is a great time to be connected with the Syracuse women's soccer team. Adams' arrival gave a sense of new hope for the Orange, and there was an immediate feeling that things were moving in the right direction. Numerous players are looking forward to returning for training and preparing for the 2020 fall season.
"I'm looking forward to working hard as a team and becoming stronger in the spring," junior Mackenzie Vlachos said. "I'm excited to take what we learn in the spring and apply it to next season."
"I'm super excited for spring to be something I've never experienced," sophomore Jenna Tivnan said. "It will be uncomfortable because we are going to get pushed to our limits and that will help us get better results for next year."
"Resilience is in the DNA of Syracuse women's soccer," Allen said "It has always been there, but this last season in particular showed us what we can do with belief."
For complete coverage of Syracuse women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Soccer), Twitter (@CuseWSOC) and Instagram (@CuseWSOC).
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Year one of the Nicky Adams era is in the books. Syracuse women's soccer's veterans are sure the program is in good hands.
For the first time in a decade, Syracuse started the season with a new head coach. Adams took over in February 2019 with the intention of building a championship culture where players learn to win both on and off the field. Throughout the fall she repeatedly said how the team had embraced her coaching style and how passionate they were to succeed. The goal at the start of the season was to see every player grow as a person and as a player by the end of the year.
"There has to be a maturity that changes," Adams said. "You're a Division I soccer player at one of the most academically awesome schools in the nation. We're not just going to show up wearing an 'S' and say, 'We made it.' It's making sure that we are mature enough in every aspect of our lives. We want to put everything into it as individuals to help grow the program."
Four months after those words were delivered, it's safe to say her efforts have taken root.
- "I know, without a doubt, there are fantastic things in store for this program." - Senior Georgia Allen.
- "She's all about welcoming everyone with open arms and making sure that we're bettering ourselves every day." - Senior Taylor Bennett.
- "I wish I had more time with her, I wish I had another year. To have one year was such a blessing. She's an amazing coach and it meant the world to me in what she gave me in such a few short months. Next year is going to be absolutely fantastic." - Senior Sydney Brackett.
- "Successful programs have a specific culture. The culture demands hard work, trust, and dedication. The girls feel comfortable with Nicky, they trust her, and they trust each other. The girls are dedicated to making this program better and I believe they will continue to grind and take the steps necessary to change it, no matter how hard." - Senior Victoria Hill.
Season one was about laying the foundation. Most of what Adams and assistant coaches Kelly Madsen and Harold Warren worked on throughout the year wasn't obvious to the public. There was a daily effort to create an open-door culture where players could speak about life both on and off the field with the staff. Adams worked to build a family atmosphere by regularly hosting team dinners, and reconnecting with the program's alumni was a top priority. There's a special amount of attention put into making every aspect of the program perfect, and family and unity are everything.
"Not many teams can say all of their players genuinely enjoy each other's company, but ours can," Hill said. "We trust each other and love being around each other. The change in leadership has given us the opportunity to forget about the past and work on building a future."
"The relationships with the staff are amazing," Brackett said. "We honestly feel that we can go to them with anything and have that relationship be professional. At the end of the day we are a family."
There's nothing but excitement moving forward for the Orange, who are a few weeks away from the start of spring training. Now is a great time to be connected with the Syracuse women's soccer team. Adams' arrival gave a sense of new hope for the Orange, and there was an immediate feeling that things were moving in the right direction. Numerous players are looking forward to returning for training and preparing for the 2020 fall season.
"I'm looking forward to working hard as a team and becoming stronger in the spring," junior Mackenzie Vlachos said. "I'm excited to take what we learn in the spring and apply it to next season."
"I'm super excited for spring to be something I've never experienced," sophomore Jenna Tivnan said. "It will be uncomfortable because we are going to get pushed to our limits and that will help us get better results for next year."
"Resilience is in the DNA of Syracuse women's soccer," Allen said "It has always been there, but this last season in particular showed us what we can do with belief."
For complete coverage of Syracuse women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Soccer), Twitter (@CuseWSOC) and Instagram (@CuseWSOC).
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