SE: Like Its Stadium, K-State Soccer Better Constructed for Success in 2019
Aug 29, 2019 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
K-State's soccer team feels a lot like its new stadium looks: Stronger, better structured and more together.
Like how the aluminum bleachers at Buser Family Park were swapped for steel, concrete and limestone, the Wildcats worked this offseason to reconstruct team chemistry, culture and leadership.
"I think the building is just a huge representation of what our team is," senior midfielder Ashley Zane said, as K-State (0-1-1) plays its first match in the newly-renovated stadium against Arkansas State on Thursday at 7 p.m.
The building, part of a $15 million Baseball-Soccer facility campaign, will offer fans 1,400 larger, more comfortable bench seats, along with restrooms closer to the field than in years past. When the interior's finished, both teams will have locker rooms on site. A team lounge, staff offices and space for sports medicine, as well as plenty of storage will also be available upon completion.
This offseason, the Wildcats looked to mirror their stadium's construction within their roster. Senior defender Laramie Hall developed a few different metaphors to describe the changes.
"Everyone has a role, they know their role and it's very clear. We're all on the same page, rather than being one big book," she said. "It's like we're running on solid ground. I feel like we have a footing and we have the means to run and to cover ground. In the past, I think it was just sporadic and maybe you didn't know where your footing was, but now it's very distinct. We can grip it and we know what we're headed after. I think that's winning games, making the Big 12 Tournament."
The team's stronger foothold, Hall added, started with "nipping bad habits in the butt." Complaints about anything outside of the players' control became a focal point to eliminate.
"We've really gotten on board with, 'We're on the same team, so whatever goes, goes. We can't control who (head coach Mike) Dibbini puts on the field. We can't control what run we get from (strength and conditioning coach Danny Cavender), but we're going to hear what we have and we're going to turn it into the best light possible and do the most we can with what we're given,'" she said. "Now, we are very, very consistent with how we act on the field, how we act off the field and our effort. Anything we can control, we're doing in a positive way now."
Take the team's preseason fitness test, for instance. In years past, Zane said at least three or four players would fail it on the first day. The general mood during the test was: Is this over yet? This year, every player passed on day one.
"It was cool to see each other be so upbeat. We were so positive, whereas in the past some people didn't pass, and the team excitement wasn't there. But everyone passed and we were really excited," she said. "We're pumping each other up, building one another up. We're just a sisterhood."
Full team gatherings also became more enjoyable and organically organized. While some were planned by the coaches, more popped up spontaneously without them.
"We all just hang out outside of soccer in groups," Zane said. "It's not like we feel we have to plan things; we just want to. We want to watch a movie together, bake cookies. It shows how our team has really come a long way."
"We really focused this last spring on off-the-pitch chemistry, which has gone on to our on-the-pitch chemistry," senior forward Katie Cramer added. "It has shown a lot and done a lot of team building, in regard to being good teammates and good people to each other. It has changed the atmosphere a lot, and it is showing in a good way."
A scene at the team's media day in early August portrayed this perfectly.
Held in Bramlage Coliseum because of rain, the Wildcats used some down time to shoot hoops with a soccer ball. A tip drill broke out, followed by a game of knockout and, consequently, lots of yelling and screaming. When Hall, listed at 5-foot-3, decided she wanted to dunk, her taller teammates hoisted her up for it. Everyone gathered around and celebrated her slam.
"Our leadership has been exceptional," Dibbini said. "It goes back to the fact that our senior class has learned so much in the last three years, with what they believe would work with this team, with this program and what we're trying to do."
Now, the Wildcats are trying put the culture they constructed in front of their fans in a stadium that feels and looks like home.
"It feels way more structured," Hall said, as K-State also hosts South Dakota State on Sunday at 1 p.m. "There's a plan. There's a purpose. And we have an execution planned. That goes for everything. The building, the uniforms, all of it is all together now."
K-State's soccer team feels a lot like its new stadium looks: Stronger, better structured and more together.
Like how the aluminum bleachers at Buser Family Park were swapped for steel, concrete and limestone, the Wildcats worked this offseason to reconstruct team chemistry, culture and leadership.
"I think the building is just a huge representation of what our team is," senior midfielder Ashley Zane said, as K-State (0-1-1) plays its first match in the newly-renovated stadium against Arkansas State on Thursday at 7 p.m.
The building, part of a $15 million Baseball-Soccer facility campaign, will offer fans 1,400 larger, more comfortable bench seats, along with restrooms closer to the field than in years past. When the interior's finished, both teams will have locker rooms on site. A team lounge, staff offices and space for sports medicine, as well as plenty of storage will also be available upon completion.
This offseason, the Wildcats looked to mirror their stadium's construction within their roster. Senior defender Laramie Hall developed a few different metaphors to describe the changes.
"Everyone has a role, they know their role and it's very clear. We're all on the same page, rather than being one big book," she said. "It's like we're running on solid ground. I feel like we have a footing and we have the means to run and to cover ground. In the past, I think it was just sporadic and maybe you didn't know where your footing was, but now it's very distinct. We can grip it and we know what we're headed after. I think that's winning games, making the Big 12 Tournament."
The team's stronger foothold, Hall added, started with "nipping bad habits in the butt." Complaints about anything outside of the players' control became a focal point to eliminate.
"We've really gotten on board with, 'We're on the same team, so whatever goes, goes. We can't control who (head coach Mike) Dibbini puts on the field. We can't control what run we get from (strength and conditioning coach Danny Cavender), but we're going to hear what we have and we're going to turn it into the best light possible and do the most we can with what we're given,'" she said. "Now, we are very, very consistent with how we act on the field, how we act off the field and our effort. Anything we can control, we're doing in a positive way now."
Take the team's preseason fitness test, for instance. In years past, Zane said at least three or four players would fail it on the first day. The general mood during the test was: Is this over yet? This year, every player passed on day one.
"It was cool to see each other be so upbeat. We were so positive, whereas in the past some people didn't pass, and the team excitement wasn't there. But everyone passed and we were really excited," she said. "We're pumping each other up, building one another up. We're just a sisterhood."
Full team gatherings also became more enjoyable and organically organized. While some were planned by the coaches, more popped up spontaneously without them.
"We all just hang out outside of soccer in groups," Zane said. "It's not like we feel we have to plan things; we just want to. We want to watch a movie together, bake cookies. It shows how our team has really come a long way."
"We really focused this last spring on off-the-pitch chemistry, which has gone on to our on-the-pitch chemistry," senior forward Katie Cramer added. "It has shown a lot and done a lot of team building, in regard to being good teammates and good people to each other. It has changed the atmosphere a lot, and it is showing in a good way."
A scene at the team's media day in early August portrayed this perfectly.
Held in Bramlage Coliseum because of rain, the Wildcats used some down time to shoot hoops with a soccer ball. A tip drill broke out, followed by a game of knockout and, consequently, lots of yelling and screaming. When Hall, listed at 5-foot-3, decided she wanted to dunk, her taller teammates hoisted her up for it. Everyone gathered around and celebrated her slam.
"Our leadership has been exceptional," Dibbini said. "It goes back to the fact that our senior class has learned so much in the last three years, with what they believe would work with this team, with this program and what we're trying to do."
Now, the Wildcats are trying put the culture they constructed in front of their fans in a stadium that feels and looks like home.
"It feels way more structured," Hall said, as K-State also hosts South Dakota State on Sunday at 1 p.m. "There's a plan. There's a purpose. And we have an execution planned. That goes for everything. The building, the uniforms, all of it is all together now."
Players Mentioned
K-State Soccer | End of Season Recap
Thursday, November 20
K-State Soccer | Reece Walrod Every Minute Played
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Soccer | You Make The Face, I Make The Sound
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Soccer | Postgame Highlights vs Iowa State
Friday, October 31
