SE: K-State Soccer Building Offensive Identity in Spring
Apr 25, 2018 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
At this point, K-State women's soccer head coach Mike Dibbini has seen the film several times. His excitement in showing it again and again has not diminished one bit, however.
A few days after K-State's first spring match, a 3-0 win over Colorado College on April 15, Dibbini asks assistant coach Gabe Romo to pull up the film on his computer screen.
The difference, as Romo skips ahead to many different points, is easy to see. (Some of the examples will be embedded throughout this story.)
In offensive situations where the Wildcats may have previously panicked and either forced something or simply sent the ball forward with no intent, there were more instances of poise and purpose.
"It was just like we were in training, and it feels good as a coach because you're doing it in a game," Dibbini said, adding: "We've been doing a lot of offense this spring…a lot of it."
Last spring, K-State focused on developing a blue-collar, high-spirited, hard-working culture, with most of it translating to defense. This spring, the Wildcats have turned their attention establishing an offensive identity.
"The players understand that defense wins championships. We understand that, but we're in a situation where we need to win games to even have a close opportunity to try and win championships," Dibbini said. "What wins games? Scoring goals."
K-State averaged exactly one goal per game during last year's 6-11-1 campaign, the program's second season and first in the Big 12. They went 1-8-0 in conference play, beating Kansas, 1-0, but losing seven others by one goal. Four of those losses were 1-0 final scores.
Defense, the foundation set the previous spring, kept the Wildcats in those games. Offense, the next step in Dibbini's plan, should give them a chance to win more.
"They understand that if they can bring both, our mentality and our bread-and-butter of defending hard and staying blue collared, spirited, and adding the offensive creativity and management of the game and creating better chances, we're going to put ourselves in a better situation to win more games," he said. "That's the ultimate goal."
Like anything else, the process to create more successful offense started with mass repetitions, "so many to the point it becomes natural," Dibbini said.
A few key and constant reminders have helped as well.
Some examples include: "If you're just going to send the ball forward, you're not going to be playing for me." "If they score four goals on us, we're going to score five." "When do we have to keep worrying about the other team scoring on us? When we don't have the ball."
Dibbini said with those little comments, "it's starting to click."
Scoring more goals is the bottom line, he added, but it's a process. It's part experience, developing the trust and knowledge of when and where to send the ball. It's part confidence, believing in those developed instincts to, for instance, send a ball back to the goalkeeper in order to set up a better offensive opportunity.
Ultimately, Dibbini wants to see his team control the possession, methodically move the ball from the back third to the final third and counterattack when the opportunity calls for it.
"It's just trying to get them to believe a little bit more. Once it happens once and twice, confidence lifts up and it starts consistently happening," he said. "We're a new program, we have young players and once they feel a little bit of pressure, they get into that panic mode. We're trying to get them out of panic mode and saying, 'Look, this is what you have to do to give yourself an opportunity to win games.'"
K-State's panicked play has dwindled during the spring, which is why Dibbini has Romo pull up the tape on his computer. He wants to do more than talk about it. He wants to show it.
"We're not playing desperate. We're playing with a purpose," Dibbini said. "That's what we wanted to work on. It's not controllable when it's desperate and now we're controlling the pace of the game and the tempo of the game and making it seem easy."
Along with its 3-0 win over Colorado College, K-State also notched a 3-1 victory over Tulsa last weekend. The Wildcats will close their spring schedule this weekend in Kansas City with matches against UMKC and Butler County Community College.
"It's been very promising," Dibbini said. "I understand the pressures of actually playing real games and playing against Big 12 (opponents) but if we can start with this, that's a good step toward the right direction. We just have to build on it."
At this point, K-State women's soccer head coach Mike Dibbini has seen the film several times. His excitement in showing it again and again has not diminished one bit, however.
A few days after K-State's first spring match, a 3-0 win over Colorado College on April 15, Dibbini asks assistant coach Gabe Romo to pull up the film on his computer screen.
The difference, as Romo skips ahead to many different points, is easy to see. (Some of the examples will be embedded throughout this story.)
In offensive situations where the Wildcats may have previously panicked and either forced something or simply sent the ball forward with no intent, there were more instances of poise and purpose.
"It was just like we were in training, and it feels good as a coach because you're doing it in a game," Dibbini said, adding: "We've been doing a lot of offense this spring…a lot of it."
Last spring, K-State focused on developing a blue-collar, high-spirited, hard-working culture, with most of it translating to defense. This spring, the Wildcats have turned their attention establishing an offensive identity.
"The players understand that defense wins championships. We understand that, but we're in a situation where we need to win games to even have a close opportunity to try and win championships," Dibbini said. "What wins games? Scoring goals."
K-State averaged exactly one goal per game during last year's 6-11-1 campaign, the program's second season and first in the Big 12. They went 1-8-0 in conference play, beating Kansas, 1-0, but losing seven others by one goal. Four of those losses were 1-0 final scores.
Defense, the foundation set the previous spring, kept the Wildcats in those games. Offense, the next step in Dibbini's plan, should give them a chance to win more.
"They understand that if they can bring both, our mentality and our bread-and-butter of defending hard and staying blue collared, spirited, and adding the offensive creativity and management of the game and creating better chances, we're going to put ourselves in a better situation to win more games," he said. "That's the ultimate goal."
Like anything else, the process to create more successful offense started with mass repetitions, "so many to the point it becomes natural," Dibbini said.
A few key and constant reminders have helped as well.
Some examples include: "If you're just going to send the ball forward, you're not going to be playing for me." "If they score four goals on us, we're going to score five." "When do we have to keep worrying about the other team scoring on us? When we don't have the ball."
Dibbini said with those little comments, "it's starting to click."
Scoring more goals is the bottom line, he added, but it's a process. It's part experience, developing the trust and knowledge of when and where to send the ball. It's part confidence, believing in those developed instincts to, for instance, send a ball back to the goalkeeper in order to set up a better offensive opportunity.
Ultimately, Dibbini wants to see his team control the possession, methodically move the ball from the back third to the final third and counterattack when the opportunity calls for it.
"It's just trying to get them to believe a little bit more. Once it happens once and twice, confidence lifts up and it starts consistently happening," he said. "We're a new program, we have young players and once they feel a little bit of pressure, they get into that panic mode. We're trying to get them out of panic mode and saying, 'Look, this is what you have to do to give yourself an opportunity to win games.'"
K-State's panicked play has dwindled during the spring, which is why Dibbini has Romo pull up the tape on his computer. He wants to do more than talk about it. He wants to show it.
"We're not playing desperate. We're playing with a purpose," Dibbini said. "That's what we wanted to work on. It's not controllable when it's desperate and now we're controlling the pace of the game and the tempo of the game and making it seem easy."
Along with its 3-0 win over Colorado College, K-State also notched a 3-1 victory over Tulsa last weekend. The Wildcats will close their spring schedule this weekend in Kansas City with matches against UMKC and Butler County Community College.
"It's been very promising," Dibbini said. "I understand the pressures of actually playing real games and playing against Big 12 (opponents) but if we can start with this, that's a good step toward the right direction. We just have to build on it."
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