Reaction: Q&A with U.S. Head Coach Mike Pressler
by Matt DaSilva | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Following a rigorous three-day tryout at Bryant University, 40 players have qualified for the 2010 U.S. men's training team. Among them, just 23 can join Team USA in its quest to regain the gold medal next year in the 2010 FIL World Championship.
The training team will compete in three exhibitions this fall before getting pared down to the final roster.
With the field down to 40, Team USA head coach Mike Pressler briefs us on the road to Manchester.
What do you think of the makeup of this U.S. training
team?
I want to commend our selection committee on the professionalism
and the insight. It was a very difficult task to get from 84 to 40,
and I thought the professionalism led by Larry Quinn, I couldn't be
more pleased speaking on behalf of the coaching staff with the 40
selected.
We've got a heck of a group in the 40 now, and that's our team
going into the fall of '09.
You have all these stars, these pros. You say you've
talked to Coach K (Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, a friend)
about making them mesh. How would you like to approach that
challenge?
Any good coach is a great listener. And I've listened to a lot of
coaches who have been successful at the international level,
including Coach Emmer (former Army and 2002 U.S. coach Jack Emmer)
in 2002, and I was on that staff. We're going to make mistakes, but
we don't want to make ones we've made in the past. We're thrilled
to move forward into the fall of '09. We've got three exciting
events for lacrosse fans.
Look at this. You had 84 battling for 40 spots. Now you've got 40
battling for 23 and making the team. If the intensity level and
competitive spirit could be any higher, I think we'll see that in
the fall of '09.
You talked with a lot of players on the side this week.
Some made the team; some didn't. What's the gauge you're getting
from them?
Quality. The quality of gentlemen -- the handshakes and the thank
yous and the goodbyes, thanking our support staff -- that was our
mission from day one. We were going to handle this in a
professional way and a selfless way. Our 84 guys did that to a T, I
thought.
This is my third USA tryout, and the level of play exceeded the
other two. I think that had a lot to do with that we lost in '06. A
lot of guys that played on the '06 team are highly motivated.
They'd like to get back and avenge that disappointment from '06. A
lot of good karma going on with the USA team right now.
What kinds of intangible elements about players came into
consideration with selecting this training team?
I think it's tough to see that just in two and a half days, either
way. But I think over three weekends in the fall of '09, those
factors will come into play more than ever when we select 23 from
40. We'll be in planes, trains, automobiles, busses -- living with
these guys over those three weekends. So we'll get a really good
feel personally for what makes them tick, the character issues,
work ethic, the leadership issues. Who are our leaders out here?
We're going to find out all those qualities that make great players
and great teams.
There are several former and current Duke players who
advanced. Given all the history good and bad there, they talked
about being extra motivated for the chance to play for you again.
What would it be like to coach them again?
Let me first say about the Blue Devils that made it: they made it
on their own merit. This was a selection process by 14
professionals here. Congratulations to them for being selected to
the 40. But we're human. To have those six former and current Blue
Devils on there, that's just an added carrot.
But if six made it, or one made it, or none made it, that was not
my motivation going into it. We were going to select the best 40,
and that's just an added sidebar.
Did you pick Zack Greer's brain a little bit about the
Canadians during Bryant's season this year?
Zack and I over the last year have talked about a lot of things on
those bus trips, all those away games this year. I think we got a
good feel for the Canadians. Certainly you've got to count that
Zack Greer is going to be in the mix there. He's a hellacious
player.
It's funny. People say to me all the time, "Is Zack going to make
your team?" I say, "Well, first of all, you've got to understand
the citizenship. He's playing for the enemy." I get that question
all the time. "Coach, is he playing for you again?" Not unless he
gets a green card.
We're going to see Zack over in Manchester. We'll take care of
business, as I know he will as well.
What do you think about the emphasis of roles here?
Faceoffs were pinned for much of the blame in 2006. How much more
specified were role players in making this 40?
I don't know who they're going to be -- we'll find out in the fall
-- but we're going to have some role guys out there. [Team USA
faceoff consultant] Paul Cantabene is regarded as one of the top
faceoff guys ever, as a player and one of the top coaches. By
bringing Paul on board to handle just that area is making a
statement to the team and to the lacrosse community how serious we
feel that one position is in particular.
There's no secret. In '06, we lost for a lot of reasons. But
you've got to have the ball to win. By selecting Alex Smith and
Chris Eck to that position, along with other complementary faceoff
guys, under Paul's tutelage we will have taken care of that.
