Post by HCTigerMan on May 14, 2005 21:19:52 GMT -6
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Even before last year's disappointing season came to a close, Kenny Farrell had seen enough.
Wholesale changes were needed.
Heading into tonight's season opener for the New Orleans Shell Shockers, Farrell, the team's third-year coach, has rid the squad of every player who didn't fit his system. Only six players return from last season's 5-12-1 team.
"We didn't win enough games last year," Farrell said. "It wasn't good enough. They failed. So we needed to bring in better players, with a better mental approach.
"We slipped into a ready-to-lose state of mind last year."
Farrell began his quest to improve the team by scouring local high school, college and club teams. When he ran out of players in the area, he went abroad, looking for athletes with fast legs and accurate feet, and more importantly, players who wouldn't wilt under adversity.
"I had to do a lot of looking and evaluating," Farrell said. "I had to find players with a ready-to-win attitude."
After six weeks of training, Farrell, whose team won the Southern Conference in 2003, says he has found the right mix of players capable of defeating playoff contenders Memphis, Dallas and El Paso.
He brought in 18-year-old Pablo Araya, a talented striker expected to add offense to a squad that struggled at times to score last season.
Araya, a native of Chile, has floored the Shell Shockers' staff with his ability to beat goalies.
He's expected to jell well with holdovers such as Stephen McAnespie and P.J. Kee.
McAnespie, who also is an assistant coach, is a veteran of the European professional leagues. Kee, a former Jesuit standout, scored three goals for the Shell Shockers last season.
Most of the returning Shell Shockers said they agreed with Farrell's drastic moves. They've already noticed differences.
"This year the players are a lot younger," said Mauricio Ruiz, another holdover from last season. "There is not as much experience. . . . But everyone has a winning attitude.
"There is no doubt winning a championship is a definite goal. I've played on other (Premiere League) teams before, and I've seen other PL teams play, and there is no doubt we have just as much ability."
But last season's team had ability, too, Farrell said.
It just didn't have the intangibles to make it a championship-caliber squad.
So, when Farrell began forming his roster a month and a half ago, he decided to pick the mentally toughest players.
From the first day of practice, he placed his players in adverse conditions, searching for the athletes who had the inner strength to work their way out.
He put players into scrimmages with blowout margins to see if they would battle to the end. He was testing their will and commitment, trying to ensure that this year's group wouldn't give up.
"We put them in situations where they thought they were going to fail," Farrell said. "And for six weeks, I evaluated how they dealt with that. I wanted to see how they responded, if they just put their heads down and bury themselves or if they tried to change the situation. Everyone here responded well."
Even before last year's disappointing season came to a close, Kenny Farrell had seen enough.
Wholesale changes were needed.
Heading into tonight's season opener for the New Orleans Shell Shockers, Farrell, the team's third-year coach, has rid the squad of every player who didn't fit his system. Only six players return from last season's 5-12-1 team.
"We didn't win enough games last year," Farrell said. "It wasn't good enough. They failed. So we needed to bring in better players, with a better mental approach.
"We slipped into a ready-to-lose state of mind last year."
Farrell began his quest to improve the team by scouring local high school, college and club teams. When he ran out of players in the area, he went abroad, looking for athletes with fast legs and accurate feet, and more importantly, players who wouldn't wilt under adversity.
"I had to do a lot of looking and evaluating," Farrell said. "I had to find players with a ready-to-win attitude."
After six weeks of training, Farrell, whose team won the Southern Conference in 2003, says he has found the right mix of players capable of defeating playoff contenders Memphis, Dallas and El Paso.
He brought in 18-year-old Pablo Araya, a talented striker expected to add offense to a squad that struggled at times to score last season.
Araya, a native of Chile, has floored the Shell Shockers' staff with his ability to beat goalies.
He's expected to jell well with holdovers such as Stephen McAnespie and P.J. Kee.
McAnespie, who also is an assistant coach, is a veteran of the European professional leagues. Kee, a former Jesuit standout, scored three goals for the Shell Shockers last season.
Most of the returning Shell Shockers said they agreed with Farrell's drastic moves. They've already noticed differences.
"This year the players are a lot younger," said Mauricio Ruiz, another holdover from last season. "There is not as much experience. . . . But everyone has a winning attitude.
"There is no doubt winning a championship is a definite goal. I've played on other (Premiere League) teams before, and I've seen other PL teams play, and there is no doubt we have just as much ability."
But last season's team had ability, too, Farrell said.
It just didn't have the intangibles to make it a championship-caliber squad.
So, when Farrell began forming his roster a month and a half ago, he decided to pick the mentally toughest players.
From the first day of practice, he placed his players in adverse conditions, searching for the athletes who had the inner strength to work their way out.
He put players into scrimmages with blowout margins to see if they would battle to the end. He was testing their will and commitment, trying to ensure that this year's group wouldn't give up.
"We put them in situations where they thought they were going to fail," Farrell said. "And for six weeks, I evaluated how they dealt with that. I wanted to see how they responded, if they just put their heads down and bury themselves or if they tried to change the situation. Everyone here responded well."