Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins checks in weekly updating fans on the women's soccer team, what's going on in Madison and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular updates.
It has been a very productive week in the office for me. It has been very quiet with both my assistants out of town, but my staff assistants, Sue and Lori, have kept me entertained all week (along with the World Cup).
The World Cup has been fantastic, and you have to assume the second round games will be more entertaining as teams have to get results. I was shocked, as everyone was, to see Spain lose to Switzerland but that truly is the nature of our sport.
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins checks in weekly updating fans on the women's soccer team, what's going on in Madison and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular updates.
Sometimes I get to do the coolest things as a coach, and Tuesday was one of those times. Yesterday the Wisconsin coaching staff went to Milwaukee for Badger Days, and we had the opportunity to be on the field at Miller Park before the Brewers game against the Cubs. If you are not from the Midwest, you have to understand that it's a big game when the Brewers play the Cubs, as there is no love lost between the two teams. It was a great game, but more importantly, it was a great athletic atmosphere.
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins checks in weekly updating fans on the women's soccer team, what's going on in Madison and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular
updates.
Wow! What a weekend! It was very nice to have two days off, and I truly enjoyed my vacation. I was speaking with a friend, and I mentioned how I enjoyed the time off and I felt refreshed after a vacation. She immediately said, well what you experienced was what most people call a weekend. Free weekends are so rare that they generally feel like vacations. I am off this weekend to a very big tournament in New Jersey, so I won't have the opportunity to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend. I will get the chance, however, to see my family for a very short amount of time (which in their eyes is probably just enough time). I am excited to experience one of my favorite places back east, Wegman's. If you aren't from the Northeast you might not know what Wegman's is, but it is an awesome grocery store that I love to shop at. I know what you are thinking, how exciting can a grocery store be? Well, for me it's about getting new ideas for cooking and buying fresh food. I love it!
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins will keep a
consistent blog throughout the spring season to track the team's
progress and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular
updates.
It's been awhile, and I know I have been slacking. I have been all over the country over the past two weeks, and I have not found time to catch up on my blog. First and foremost, I have to wish all the mothers out there a very happy and belated Mother's Day. Even though I was on the soccer field all day in Temecula, Calif., I found the time to call my mother and wish her a very happy Mother's Day.
My mother has always been my biggest supporter, and I don't remember her ever missing a game when I was palying in high school and club soccer. Her and my father would leave at 3 a.m. in the morning to drive to Amherst, Mass., to watch me play in college, and sometimes drive home the same day (a total of 14 hours of driving). I have been blessed with great and supportive parents, and I know I would not be where I am today without their love, support, and sometimes honest evaluation of my playing and coaching!
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins will keep a
consistent blog throughout the spring season to track the team's
progress and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular
updates.
I am really late this week with my blog because my week has been full of meetings and recruiting, but as my mother would say... don't make excuses. I have a little time in between my seven meetings today to catch everyone up on the happenings of Wisconsin Soccer. I use these meetings to talk about the players' school, summer plans, health, and my expectations for them next year. After these meetings, I always think I need more and more communication with players because I believe that is the foundation of a successful program.
Our spring didn't go as well as I would have liked, mostly because of the number of injuries we sustained this spring. My objective for the spring was to try players in different positions to see if different combinations worked better with one another. We never had the opportunity to move people around as injuries slowly took our team over. On the bright side, it did give some players a great opportunity to show me what they can do because we basically had just enough players to field a complete side. With no substitutions, it was their time to shine.
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins will keep a
consistent blog throughout the spring season to track the team's
progress and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular
updates.
I have a little time between meetings and phone calls to give everyone an update on the workings of Wisconsin women's soccer. We returned from Dekalb, Ill., very late last night after playing NIU. First of all, thanks to all the parents and fans that made it out to the game despite the wind, drop in temperature, and little bit of rain. It seems like the weather is fantastic every day other than the day we are playing.
I was more pleased with our performance last night than I was with our performance in Milwaukee. After the weekend in Milwaukee, I felt the players needed to make a change with how we were playing and do a better job of controlling the things we can control in a soccer match. I have always felt 'earning the right to play' is the foundation of any good program, and I think we have been lacking some of that in our spring training and games.
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins will keep a
consistent blog throughout the spring season to track the team's
progress and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular
updates.
This will be a short blog today as I am really busy getting ready for the games this weekend and preparing for the recruits visiting on Sunday. This weekend we are headed to Marquette to play UWM and Marquette. As a coach I love these games in the spring. The games against the in-state rivals are always intense and fast paced, and it's great to see our players compete in that arena. I am just hoping the games are great and the weather is warm. This could be a good weekend.
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins will keep a consistent blog throughout the spring season to track the team's progress and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular updates.
It has been a crazy/ busy week upon returning from spring break. It was a great time in our training for the break to come because I believe it gave time for the players to take a physical and mental break. It's hard to believe we only have 16 days of training this spring. The time has flown by so fast, and as a coach, I keep thinking of the things I want to work on this semester to prepare us for next fall. It never seems like enough time to accomplish everything I want to do on and off the field with the team.
Wisconsin women's soccer head coach Paula Wilkins will keep a
consistent blog throughout the spring season to track the team's
progress and other tidbits. Check back to UWBadgers.com for regular
updates.
One more blog before spring break!!
I love a sunny day, and I love my drive into work along the Lake as my radio is playing the hits from the 80s and 90s. How can you not be happy to start your day listening to the Safety Dance or Maniac Monday?
It is the Friday before spring break, and I feel like we are the only coaches working today. I have finished my last individual meetings for the week with the team. I make it a point in the spring to meet with each player to review their performance in the most recent games. I feel this feedback along with video and individual sessions really improves our player development in the spring. The spring is where we really have time to develop the team, so I view this as a very important time of the year.
