Head Coach Gary Gait Media Day Transcript
SU Head Coach Gary Gait
February 19, 2008
Women’s Lacrosse Media Day
February 19, 2008
Women’s Lacrosse Media Day
On getting ready to play the season opener on Wednesday:
"It’s been a long preseason, no question. It was nice to get out Sunday and get some scrimmages in, but tomorrow night is game time, so we’re excited. It’s been a long wait and we’ll go out there ready to give it our all tomorrow night."
"It’s been a long preseason, no question. It was nice to get out Sunday and get some scrimmages in, but tomorrow night is game time, so we’re excited. It’s been a long wait and we’ll go out there ready to give it our all tomorrow night."
On seeing improvement over the course of the preseason:
"I think it’s certainly easy for us to have the confidence and see that improvement in practice. Now we just need to see if we can translate that to games and game opportunities. That’s what we’ll be watching for tomorrow, to see how players react when they get some real pressure put on them."
"I think it’s certainly easy for us to have the confidence and see that improvement in practice. Now we just need to see if we can translate that to games and game opportunities. That’s what we’ll be watching for tomorrow, to see how players react when they get some real pressure put on them."
On coaching his first game for the Orange:
"I feel good. I’m really looking forward to it. This is what the job is all about, everything that leads up to this is just prep. What counts is showing up at game time."
"I feel good. I’m really looking forward to it. This is what the job is all about, everything that leads up to this is just prep. What counts is showing up at game time."
On if preparing for the season was more challenging than he expected:
"I expected to prepare the team and do the best we can. We have a lot to learn and a lot to do. I think we got off to a good start. We had five weeks of practice and I think we’re ready."
"I expected to prepare the team and do the best we can. We have a lot to learn and a lot to do. I think we got off to a good start. We had five weeks of practice and I think we’re ready."
On what he’s looking forward to seeing from the team:
"onestly, I’m looking forward to seeing them take risk and opportunity, take advantage of new things and just making the game a lot of fun. I still have concerns that they’re worried about making too many mistakes. My goal is to get them over that to a point where they become just incredibly confident where they’re willing to do and try anything. When you do that with confidence you’ll have success, and that’s the level that I’m trying to get them to play at."
"onestly, I’m looking forward to seeing them take risk and opportunity, take advantage of new things and just making the game a lot of fun. I still have concerns that they’re worried about making too many mistakes. My goal is to get them over that to a point where they become just incredibly confident where they’re willing to do and try anything. When you do that with confidence you’ll have success, and that’s the level that I’m trying to get them to play at."
On the readiness of freshman goalkeeper Liz Hogan:
"s far as I’ve seen, Liz is ready. She’s confident. Her defense believes in her. I believe in her, and everything we’ve seen up until now just shows that she’s ready to play Division I lacrosse."
"s far as I’ve seen, Liz is ready. She’s confident. Her defense believes in her. I believe in her, and everything we’ve seen up until now just shows that she’s ready to play Division I lacrosse."
On first-year coach Maggie Koch working with Liz Hogan:
"Tat’s why I brought Maggie on, to make sure that Liz was ready. She’s been working with her, helping her, and I think that only helps build Liz’s confidence when she knows she has a former great goaltender that knows what she’s doing and gives the instruction and the praise and everything you need to build confidence. As most people know, playing sports is about confidence, especially being a goalie - believing you’re going to be able to stop the ball every time - and that just comes from developing skills and practicing over and over again."
"Tat’s why I brought Maggie on, to make sure that Liz was ready. She’s been working with her, helping her, and I think that only helps build Liz’s confidence when she knows she has a former great goaltender that knows what she’s doing and gives the instruction and the praise and everything you need to build confidence. As most people know, playing sports is about confidence, especially being a goalie - believing you’re going to be able to stop the ball every time - and that just comes from developing skills and practicing over and over again."
On Hogan’s performance in last weekend’s scrimmages:
"Lz was outstanding. She’s got the potential to be one of the best goalies around, and I think you saw that again on Sunday. That was scrimmages, now it’s time to play."
"Lz was outstanding. She’s got the potential to be one of the best goalies around, and I think you saw that again on Sunday. That was scrimmages, now it’s time to play."
On his impressions of junior attack Katie Rowan:
"Katie Rowan is a dynamic offensive player. She has great skills and a keen sense of having the ability to put the ball in the net and where to be and when to be there to have those opportunities. We’re just looking to create balance so that we can be more effective and she can have more opportunities and easier opportunities. That means utilizing everybody on the offense at times so there isn’t a focus on one or two players."
"Katie Rowan is a dynamic offensive player. She has great skills and a keen sense of having the ability to put the ball in the net and where to be and when to be there to have those opportunities. We’re just looking to create balance so that we can be more effective and she can have more opportunities and easier opportunities. That means utilizing everybody on the offense at times so there isn’t a focus on one or two players."
On if being back at Syracuse makes this season different than his other coaching experiences:
"I think it’s a little different in the fact that it’s Syracuse and it’s where I played and started my lacrosse career in the U.S. I think it just makes it that much more exciting to be able to lead this team into the ’08 season."
"I think it’s a little different in the fact that it’s Syracuse and it’s where I played and started my lacrosse career in the U.S. I think it just makes it that much more exciting to be able to lead this team into the ’08 season."
On the team developing a championship-caliber attitude:
"That’s our mental focus and our mental preparation is how to be a champion and how to act like a champion. You need to portray what you want to be, so we’ve been practicing that way, we prepare that way and hopefully you’ll see that demonstrated tomorrow night."
"That’s our mental focus and our mental preparation is how to be a champion and how to act like a champion. You need to portray what you want to be, so we’ve been practicing that way, we prepare that way and hopefully you’ll see that demonstrated tomorrow night."
On draw controls:
"In the fall we did a decent job on the draw control, but this past weekend in our scrimmages I think we dominated the draw control because we’ve been practicing and preparing for that. That was an area we knew we needed to work on, so we’ve been working on everything from signals, to preparation, to loose balls, to outlets, to all sorts of different keys to being successful on the draw."
"In the fall we did a decent job on the draw control, but this past weekend in our scrimmages I think we dominated the draw control because we’ve been practicing and preparing for that. That was an area we knew we needed to work on, so we’ve been working on everything from signals, to preparation, to loose balls, to outlets, to all sorts of different keys to being successful on the draw."
On what he learned from last weekend’s scrimmages:
"I learned that we have a long way to go. I think we had some great scrimmages, but there was still hesitation in taking risks and challenging themselves to do even what they do in practice. They’re very comfortable in practice and willing to try and do everything you ask of them. You get to a game, and the pressure builds a little and it becomes more difficult for them to execute and take risks, so I did learn that. We’re going to continue to develop that and work on it and hopefully become more confident on the field."
"I learned that we have a long way to go. I think we had some great scrimmages, but there was still hesitation in taking risks and challenging themselves to do even what they do in practice. They’re very comfortable in practice and willing to try and do everything you ask of them. You get to a game, and the pressure builds a little and it becomes more difficult for them to execute and take risks, so I did learn that. We’re going to continue to develop that and work on it and hopefully become more confident on the field."
