Coach Sue Moy Chin Looking Forward to Next Season
7/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
July 22, 2008
Pitt women's soccer head coach Sue Moy Chin first arrived at Pitt in 2003. Since her arrival, the program has continued to move in the right direction, earning consecutive postseason berths in 2005 and 2006. This past year the team completed an undefeated spring season and hopes to build upon that success this fall. PittsburghPanthers.com sat down with Coach Chin to talk about her beginnings in soccer and expectations for the coming season.
What have you been working on since the season has ended?
"Right now, we are preparing for the Little Panthers Camp which starts later in the month and focusing on recruiting for the upcoming season."
How often do you see your players during the offseason? When do they have to return to Pitt for the fall season?
"I stay in touch with most of them because there either on campus for summer school, assisting with the camps or living in the area. Our first practice for the fall season is August 6 so all the players will report on August 5."
Does the team usually become very close throughout a season?
"They become as close as a big family. Last season worked out really well because we participated in many team bonding exercises which brought everyone closer. We also have a mental trainer who works with the team and helps the girls work together and have a great attitude about the game."
The team recently completed an undefeated spring season, how can the team build on that coming into this upcoming season?
"We all can use the momentum we created to carry us into this coming season. It's important for the girls to keep reminding themselves of how well they prepared themselves for those games. They need to take the good things from last spring and apply them this fall."
Kirsten Lawrence recently was added as a new assistant coach, what can she bring to the team?
"Kirsten is definitely going to bring energy and enthusiasm to the program. She is just recently out of college so she will be able to relate very well with our players. She has a tremendous passion for the game."
Is it a hard adjustment for the players to get accustomed to working with a new member of a coaching staff?
"It can be difficult because some players gravitate toward different coaches. What's most important to the players is that they are respected and treated fairly, if they are, they can find great qualities in anyone."
What does it mean to you to have one of the best recruiting classes in the country for the upcoming year?
"It's a great step for the program. It shows all the hard work the players and coaches are putting into the program and it hopefully will assist in future recruiting as well."
You have worked with several other stellar programs including Notre Dame, Duke, Colorado and Florida International, what have you been able to take with you from your previous coaching stops?
"I learned so much from every coach that I have worked for and they have helped mold me into the kind of coach I am today. All of the places I have worked had solid foundations in place which helped me grow as a soccer instructor."
When did you first become interested in soccer?
"I became interested in the sport when I was a child, mainly because my older sister played all the time and I loved watching her. I wanted to be just like her. Once I started playing, I fell in love with the competition and challenges of the game."
After you finished playing soccer, did you have a goal to become a head coach?
"I was actually going to school to get my degree in education when I was asked to be a student assistant at Florida International University. That's when I realized how much I would love to be a coach. That's when I discovered I can actually do well in this business."
What is the most important thing you could tell your players on how to be successful on and off the field?
"Most importantly, that what you get out of the game is what you put into it. You must work and prepare hard in both the classroom and the soccer field to achieve success."
What do you want your players to leave with after there careers at Pitt are finished?
"I want them to feel a sense of pride towards the University of Pittsburgh and Pitt soccer. I want them to be able to look back when we achieve great things as a team and feel like they were a part of it."