22 National Championships. 1 World Cup winners medal. Countless Conference Championships. The highest winningest coach in all of Women's soccer. How do you get to that point? How do you drive to achieve such success!?
Anson Dorrance, has become a man of legendary status that pure coaching mortals wish to become. I worked my way to the National Soccer Coaching American Association this week in Los Angles. Not only is he a hard man to track down, but in his presence attracts such competition for his attention, that I failed in my pursuit of making a connection with him.
I found myself in a round table session. Everyday coaches wait in groups of 5/6 all able to sit and experience a collegiate coach. We went for it and asked any question to our elite guest at our table. All kinds of questions were asked. Who? What? Where? When makes them so special? From secrets to plans, rituals to team cultures. We had a ball. I got to shake hands with great names like, Coach Becky from Florida Gators. Coach G from Texas A&M. Great names and people. But the session ended just that moment short for me to have the pleasure of meeting and talking to Coach Anson. Surely I'll have my chance to gain inspiration from this man. Right?
My next chance came the day later. He was doing a talk, just him and Chelsea's Women's head coach Emma Hayes. What a character she is. Combined with Anson's brilliant personality, the 30 minutes everybody waited was more than worth it. They bounced backwards and forwards about Anson's life and biggest challenge, the beauty of his daughters growth and the passion and hunger to win was all prevalent. One thing that stood out the most was the clear humbleness of his past and present involvement with the world one way or the other. Anyway, I'm on a mission to tell this man what I think of him. Looking for any inspirational words. He was off like a bullet. I'll have to wait for my next chance.
My chance came. Clear as day, no excuses. We were down in the Kwik Goal Field 2. Watching Raymond Verheijen field session with the UCLA Men's team, he was putting his lecture into practicality. In comes Coach Anson. He sits right upfront, two rows down, just to the right of me. In his hand is a pen and paper. Throughout the entire hour of the session he focuses on the details expelled from the session and he quickly captures them and writes it down on his paper. Now it wasn't a word here and there or just a couple of notes, but he covered the page in ink.
Long story short, I never exchanged a word with Coach Dorrance, but from what I saw, I couldn't imagine any words from the man himself that could of have given me motivation or understanding of what it takes to be the best in your field. The list of accolades that he has collected over the years puts him head and shoulders above a pool of the same profession. How can anyone anywhere suggest anything that this soccer mastermind can use in his field of dominance? But this humbleness and drive to always learn to better himself and all around just shows the true demand of being successful at this level is. Sure the right tactics helps, ability to motivate a team even planning but nothing can replace hunger. This hunger is the true drive of Coach Anson Dorrance successes.
I want to thank him. I want to thank him for not telling me a story or a motivational speech but for showing me exactly what it takes to be the best. Not only in this business but in every field or profession.
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