A Snippet of our Program Philosophy

  We tell every single one of our recruits that this is not a one-sided recruiting process.  Just as we need to make sure we are recruiting and bringing in players who are going to make our program better on and off the field, it's equally important that our recruits make sure Gustavus is a great fit for them as individuals.  In order to do that we strive to build a strong two-way relationship with our recruits and provide you with as much information as possible about Gustavus and our Women's Soccer Program.  This is why we created the #WhyGustavus Blog Series (if you haven't checked it out, make sure you scroll down to see the first few posts and check back for new ones every third Thursday).  This is also why we want to give you a small taste of our Program Philosophy.  We hope you believe in the same ideas and concepts and would love to get you to campus to delve into our philosophy even further!

Gustavus Women's Soccer Program Philosophy (a snippet)

The mission of NCAA Division III athletics is to provide student-athletes with an opportunity to excel on the field, in the classroom, and within the greater community.  Our program philosophy emanates from this mission and is grounded in encouraging and supporting our student-athletes to be the best individuals they can be in all aspects of their lives.  Our success as a program is not measured solely by a win-loss record, but by all the accomplishments of our women’s soccer players.  This is achieved by building a team culture that develops the individual assets of each player and prepares the team to succeed at the next level, with a simultaneous understanding that the game, program and athletes are constantly evolving. 

            First and foremost, we believe in developing students of the game.  For our program to succeed at the highest level, each individual within the program should have a strong understanding of the game as a whole: know how to develop rhythms and movement, possess the ability to think and adjust on her feet, and appreciate each position’s and student-athlete’s role and responsibilities on and off the field.  The best way to accomplish this is to develop the all-around soccer player.  To be a great forward an athlete needs to recognize the perspective of a goalkeeper, the vision of a defender and the movement of a midfielder, as everyone connecting and working together on the field is key to accomplishing our program goals.  It is through the asking of questions that engage players in the analyzing and dissecting of the game and the exposure to situations that force them to read their surroundings and make quick decisions that this understanding is reached.

            For our approach to prove successful, it is important to develop a relationship and rapport with the players where they respect and listen to their coaches and fellow teammates, while feeling comfortable voicing new ideas and concerns.  We believe in having a two-way dialogue allowing players to share ownership of the objectives and goals of the program, emphasizing leadership development, and improving mental toughness.  By providing athletes with ownership of plans, decisions and goals, their motivation and effort increases. We strive to think about our athletes and find time in our days to talk to every player as we feel this is vital to the program’s success both on and off the field.  It is critical to not confine one’s relationship with players to soccer alone as it is our responsibility as their coaches to help them achieve excellence in all aspects of their lives. 

            Ultimately, soccer is an expression of creativity, intelligence, teamwork, communication, leadership skills, competitiveness, and athletic skills.  To achieve greatness on the field, each player needs to be comfortable expressing their abilities and passion for the game. The more comfortable players feel with one another and their skills, the more ownership they take of the program, and the more they will hold themselves and their teammates accountable.  By empowering student-athletes, inspiring them to strive for excellence, engaging them in their collegiate athletic experience, developing them as leaders and encouraging them to learn and work hard in all aspects of their lives, we strongly believe the Gustavus Women’s Soccer program will be able to compete on a conference, regional and national level.

Want to know more? Contact us: 

Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie, lburnett@gustavus.edu 

Asst. Coach Benton Frayne, bfrayne@gustavus.edu