SE: The Originals — Haddock, Sutter Bring Unique Perspective and Leadership to K-State Soccer
Aug 17, 2018 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Haley Sutter was unaware of the fact, at first. That she and Krista Haddock, seniors for K-State soccer, are the only two players left from the program's first year of existence in 2015.
"Is it just us two left?" Sutter asked at K-State's media day a few weeks ago.
There were 10 Wildcats on campus in 2015. Eight have departed. Two remain, with an unofficial nickname, The Originals.
"There's nothing that's happened to this team that Haley and I haven't seen," Haddock said. "So we have this understanding, not only of each other but also the team and how things run."
"I don't want to say we started from the bottom but we did. We grew the program so it's cool to see," Sutter added. "We've been through the same things and we've experienced it all together."
As K-State prepares to start its third season against Saint Louis at home on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a Sunday home match against Oakland, Haddock and Sutter can remember a time not that long ago when the fall was much different. As in, there were no matches. They barely had teammates.
Practices consisted of about a third of the people. Scrimmages, when they had them, usually required the K-State men's club team. Team-building activities were frequent, as was their time spent with strength and conditioning coach Danny Cavender.
"All we were doing was really just working out and running a lot. It was hard to play. It was hard to practice," Sutter said. "It was exciting once we started to get more players, started to look more like a team. But that first year, it was cool because we were the originals, but it definitely didn't feel like a team."
Haddock best described the first year, in comparison to now, as "casual."
"For the team, because we weren't competing, as much as we all recognized we were in a collegiate program and we eventually were going to have goals to set and reach," she said, "none of it was immediate, so it was all very casual."
Now, not so much. K-State's roster includes 31 players. The Wildcats are coming off their first season with Big 12 play, which included one win — over in-state rival Kansas — and seven one-goal losses. The bar has been raised.
"You can tell that the coaches expect more from us. We have the experience, we have the talent and they're holding us to a higher standard," Haddock said. "I've watched that bar change. None of the coaching styles have changed, that's all stayed consistent. It's just the standard that they hold us to. That's been the biggest difference."
Given their history with the program, the two Wildcat "originals" have naturally taken on significant leadership roles on the team. Sutter and Haddock each bring it in different areas, too.
A transfer from Memphis, Sutter's role takes place mostly on the field. She has been a key piece to the Wildcat backline since the day she arrived, starting K-State's last 23 matches at center back, so younger players look to her often.
"I would definitely say I've definitely become more of a vocal leader. Having more experience and being a center back, I think it's really important to communicate a lot. We see the whole field so I've definitely stepped into that role more," she said. "I didn't use to be like a talker but I think that's something now where I lead with my voice now as well, not just by playing."
A 5-foot-2 forward, Haddock's role as a speedy sparkplug off the bench does not include as much field time but she takes her leadership role just as serious. She understands from experience what it's like to come into the program as a freshman, hungry for minutes but also anxious to impress the rest of the team. The California native said she can recognize it in their faces and tries to keep them in the right mindset when she sees it.
"Especially the first couple of practices in front of the coaches or the first couple times getting out on the field, you can see the wheels turning in their head mentally, the breakdowns and the stress. As soon as I, or anyone, can explain to them there's so much more (to life than soccer), that we've been playing soccer our entire lives and we all know how to play soccer and that should be the least of our worries, the sooner they're going to be able to excel mentally and physically," Haddock said. "We put so much weight on ourselves to be the best soccer players that we can and to get playing time or else we don't have worth, and as soon as we can get that weight off of a freshman's shoulders, the sooner they're going to be more valuable to us."
As the last two "originals" standing, Sutter and Haddock look forward to their last season at K-State. They're confident it will be the program's best, a trend they expect to continue after they are done.
"It's exciting, honestly. It kind of makes me sad because I know once I leave they're only going to get better," Sutter said. "I think we'll be great this year. I think they're only going to get better, though."
Haley Sutter was unaware of the fact, at first. That she and Krista Haddock, seniors for K-State soccer, are the only two players left from the program's first year of existence in 2015.
"Is it just us two left?" Sutter asked at K-State's media day a few weeks ago.
There were 10 Wildcats on campus in 2015. Eight have departed. Two remain, with an unofficial nickname, The Originals.
"There's nothing that's happened to this team that Haley and I haven't seen," Haddock said. "So we have this understanding, not only of each other but also the team and how things run."
"I don't want to say we started from the bottom but we did. We grew the program so it's cool to see," Sutter added. "We've been through the same things and we've experienced it all together."
As K-State prepares to start its third season against Saint Louis at home on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a Sunday home match against Oakland, Haddock and Sutter can remember a time not that long ago when the fall was much different. As in, there were no matches. They barely had teammates.
Practices consisted of about a third of the people. Scrimmages, when they had them, usually required the K-State men's club team. Team-building activities were frequent, as was their time spent with strength and conditioning coach Danny Cavender.
"All we were doing was really just working out and running a lot. It was hard to play. It was hard to practice," Sutter said. "It was exciting once we started to get more players, started to look more like a team. But that first year, it was cool because we were the originals, but it definitely didn't feel like a team."
Haddock best described the first year, in comparison to now, as "casual."
"For the team, because we weren't competing, as much as we all recognized we were in a collegiate program and we eventually were going to have goals to set and reach," she said, "none of it was immediate, so it was all very casual."
Now, not so much. K-State's roster includes 31 players. The Wildcats are coming off their first season with Big 12 play, which included one win — over in-state rival Kansas — and seven one-goal losses. The bar has been raised.
"You can tell that the coaches expect more from us. We have the experience, we have the talent and they're holding us to a higher standard," Haddock said. "I've watched that bar change. None of the coaching styles have changed, that's all stayed consistent. It's just the standard that they hold us to. That's been the biggest difference."
Given their history with the program, the two Wildcat "originals" have naturally taken on significant leadership roles on the team. Sutter and Haddock each bring it in different areas, too.
A transfer from Memphis, Sutter's role takes place mostly on the field. She has been a key piece to the Wildcat backline since the day she arrived, starting K-State's last 23 matches at center back, so younger players look to her often.
"I would definitely say I've definitely become more of a vocal leader. Having more experience and being a center back, I think it's really important to communicate a lot. We see the whole field so I've definitely stepped into that role more," she said. "I didn't use to be like a talker but I think that's something now where I lead with my voice now as well, not just by playing."
A 5-foot-2 forward, Haddock's role as a speedy sparkplug off the bench does not include as much field time but she takes her leadership role just as serious. She understands from experience what it's like to come into the program as a freshman, hungry for minutes but also anxious to impress the rest of the team. The California native said she can recognize it in their faces and tries to keep them in the right mindset when she sees it.
"Especially the first couple of practices in front of the coaches or the first couple times getting out on the field, you can see the wheels turning in their head mentally, the breakdowns and the stress. As soon as I, or anyone, can explain to them there's so much more (to life than soccer), that we've been playing soccer our entire lives and we all know how to play soccer and that should be the least of our worries, the sooner they're going to be able to excel mentally and physically," Haddock said. "We put so much weight on ourselves to be the best soccer players that we can and to get playing time or else we don't have worth, and as soon as we can get that weight off of a freshman's shoulders, the sooner they're going to be more valuable to us."
As the last two "originals" standing, Sutter and Haddock look forward to their last season at K-State. They're confident it will be the program's best, a trend they expect to continue after they are done.
"It's exciting, honestly. It kind of makes me sad because I know once I leave they're only going to get better," Sutter said. "I think we'll be great this year. I think they're only going to get better, though."
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