Thursday, February 24, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 11
Coach develops new game plan
Soccer players to work on individual improvement
Forward Melanie Schroeder blocks a shot from forward Meghan Haven during practice. The women's soccer team is preparing to go to Iowa for a nine-vs.-nine indoor tournament. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
By Chris Wristen sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Soccer coach Mark Francis crumped up the "there's no 'I in team' club" and threw it in the trash when he drew up the blueprints for his team's spring goals.
"This spring, more than the team goals, it's going to be more about individuals," Francis said. "The spring season really, for us, is mostly about individual development and helping each person get better."
Quite the contrast from his fall-season format where team improvement was the main goal. But games during the spring are exhibition and do not count on the team's record, so it's a good time to focus on individual players' needs. Francis said.
Individual meetings were held last fall to identify areas each player needed to improve, and those areas are being emphasized this spring.
"We've got some team-oriented stuff, but we're working on individual skills so we can progress individually and as an all-around team," said Emma Díes Cresame, junior defender, who, along with junior midfielder Katie Lents, was voted team captain.
While individual improvement is the focus, Francis's squad still will focus on some team aspects. Most notable is a change in the defense, which the team worked on in practice yesterday.
"We're going to play a little bit different system next year," Francis said. "Hopefully, when we come back in August everybody will understand the system we're playing, and the new players will be able to fit into that."
The team has been practicing three days a week and lifting three days a week. In addition, two extra skills sessions have been offered each week. Even more encouraging is that while attendance has been voluntary, Francis said everyone had been showing up.
"They have been working extremely hard," Francis said. "It's been hard because you're training without games, so I think they're really anxious for our first competition."
That opportunity to play someone different will come March 4, when the team travels to Iowa for a nine-vs-nine indoor tournament. The team will play Big 10 conference power Indiana as well as Iowa. While facing another team is on the minds of the players, Di Cesare said they mainly were
"We're going to be able to work on a lot of different things we've been working on in practice," Di Cesare said. "Rather than always working on stuff in practice, we can actually do it at game pace."
looking forward to practicing at a higher intensity level.
SOCCER CALENDAR
Date Oponent
March 4 at Iowa
April 1-2 at Illinois
April 8 Central Missouri
April 15-16 at Saint Louis
Location
iowa City, Iowa
Champaign, III.
State Lawrence.
St. Louis.
Strong offense key to baseball blowout
Continued from page 12A
The second game was more of the same. The 'Hawks jumped out to a five-run lead after the first inning and added 11 more in the fourth. The game was stopped after the sixth inning because of time constraints.
mining, and in the fourth, he hit a grand-slam. Three Corpus Christi players homered, but that wasn't enough to top the Jayhaws.
Senior Ryan Schmidt, 2-0,
earned his second win in his
second start of the year.
Senior Shane Wedd smashed a three-run home run in the first
The 'Hawks improved their record to 8-1, the best since 1956. But Smart said he wasn't surprised by the statistic.
"We have expected to do this well," he said. "We've kept it on a pretty even keel."
Kansas will try to keep its footing tomorrow when it plays host to Creighton for a three-game series. Randall said this weekend would be a true test for the team.
"We're glad to be home for a while," he said. "We'll find out more about where we are in this
series."
Kansas Baseball Notes
Along with improving their record, the 'Ihawks also helped Randall, 101-125 overall, win his 100th and 101st games in his fifth year at Kansas.
■ With seven road wins this season, the team now has more wins on the road than the five it had all last season.
815 New Hampshire
841-7286
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