Interview with Tracy Ducar - Goalkeeping Coach
Introduction
A potent combination of talent and tenacity carried Tracy Ducar to the top of the women's soccer world. Her list of accomplishments includes a 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup championship with the United States women's national team and three NCAA championships with the powerhouse North Carolina Tar Heels.
She also was a founding member of the Women's United Soccer Association, backstopping a Boston Breakers team that included USA and international stars Kristine Lilly, Kate Sobrero Markgraf, Maren Meinert (Germany) and Dagny Mellgren (Norway).
Since retiring as an active player, Tracy has devoted herself to teaching and coaching, and was head soccer coach at Greensboro College in Greensboro, NC before deciding to devote herself full-time to Dynasty Goalkeeping.
| When you finished playing did you find coaching the natural progression? |
| Yes. I had started coaching at camps while I was still playing in college and coached throughout my professional career to supplement my income, so it was the natural choice when my playing career ended. |
| Have you ever had any serious injuries? |
| Yes. I had a spinal fusion in my lower back in high school when I was 16 from a basketball injury. Then I had a severe eye injury during my professional career. I literally saved a hard shot at point blank range with my eyeball, consequently damaging my retina. Finally, my career ended after my 3rd knee surgery on my right knee from articular cartilage damage. (years of wear and tear) |
| What coaching experiences have you had? |
| I have been an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Division 1 college), head coach at Greensboro College (Division 3 college), and goalkeeper coach for several of the U.S. Youth National Teams (U15, U16, and U20 age groups). Additionally, I have extensive coaching experience at soccer camps for the past 15+ years. (Soccer Plus Goalkeeper Camps, University of North Carolina Girls Soccer Camps, and now founding and directing my own goalkeeper camp, Dynasty Goalkeeping. |
| What coaching qualifications have you? |
| USSF “A” Coaching licence (similar to the UEFA “A”) NSCAA Advanced National coaching license |
| How many hours a week do you spend coaching at Dynasty Goalkeeping? |
| In 2008 I ran 6 weeks of camps at Dynasty Goalkeeping. It is an overnight camp, so I am on call and working from 7a to 1a everyday during camp. There are no off days during the summer. The other months of the year I am working on preparing the camps (website updates, registration, curriculum updates, ordering equipment, managing the business, and keeping track of students and helping them as needed). I would say I average about 8 hours a day managing the business and coaching per day. |
| What was the training schedule like when you where preparing for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup championship with the United States women's national team. |
| The U.S. Women’s National Team was in a residential training camp in Florida for 6 months prior to the World Cup. The goalkeepers would usually go out early for sessions a few times a week to train extra with our gk coach (who was also our head coach), Tony DiCicco. We typically trained 2 times a day for 6 days a week depending on our match schedule. It was an intense and very thorough preparation. In addition to the head coach and 2 assistant coaches we had 2 strength and conditioning coaches, a massage therapist, athletic trainer, team doctor, and sports psychologist. These staff members weren’t there with us in camp everyday, but they were there for large portions of time. |
| Do you train and coach most days? |
| I run sessions 3-4 days a week. |
| What most do you work with on your keepers and why? |
| I ALWAYS train crosses with all my goalkeepers at EVERY session because most of them don’t get enough in their team training sessions. Most gks hardly train crosses, yet it is an area of the game that takes precise timing and decision making. A gk can make a huge impact on the game if they can win crosses yet most rarely train it, so I make it a priority in my sessions. |
| Do you talk with other goal keeping coaches from around the world? |
| Yes. I speak with colleagues within the U.S., Ireland, England and Scotland on a regular basis. |
| How do you prepare your keepers for a game? |
| The day before a match the gk training is usually light on their body – crosses and kicking since they will likely see plenty of shots when stepping in with the team training. If it is a National Team game and I have access to video I like to review previous performances the day before if the gk wants to. The day of a game we discuss tendencies of the opponent. Do they shoot from long range a lot? Personality players? Free kicks? Then during warm-up we cover all the basic skills; catching, collapse diving, shot handling, breakaways, crosses, and kicking. |
| How did you feel in 2001, when you were inducted into the New England Sports Hall of Fame? |
| I was surprised and very honoured to be inducted. I was surprised because I was inducted while still in my playing career and fairly young. |
| What have been the highlights in your football career? |
• Winning the 1994 NCAA National Championship with my college team, the University of North Carolina. |
|
|
| What advice do you give young goal keepers trying to get into the game? |
| First and foremost always play because it is fun. Second write down your goals. Be specific, challenge yourself, yet be realistic. Third believe in yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to. Focus on mastering the technical side of your game when you are young. A solid technical foundation will separate you from your competition as you get older. The physical development should be an ongoing process as the body grows and you get older. Then as you mature the focus should shift more towards the mentality and tactical aspects of the game as you gain more experience. |
| Would do you think of the current American National team goalkeeper Hope Solo? |
| I think Hope is a very talented gk. She is fit, strong, athletic, and has a perfect frame for a gk. I think her mentality is one of her greatest strengths. She is competitive, disciplined, and has high self-belief. She has already been very successful, but I think she still has the ability to improve and become even more dominant, especially on crosses. Given the controversy surrounding her behaviour and interviews after being replaced in the 2007 World Cup semi-finals by Brianna Scurry (immature and unprofessional on her part) I was glad to see that she had the ability to regain her spot on the squad and prove her worth. |
| What is the highlight of your coaching career? |
| I don’t have one particular highlight. I am always proud when a gk I have worked with (be it a senior National Team gk, youth National Team gk, college gk, or youth gk) performs well. However, what I cherish even more than that are the emails, letters, and calls I get from my students and parents thanking me for influencing their development not only as a gk, but as a person. That is why I coach and teach – to have an impact on another person’s life – to be a mentor. So those are truly the moments I treasure as a coach. |
| What influences you and your coaching techniques? |
| I have had 2 exceptional mentors that are strong influences on my coaching style -- my college coach, Anson Dorrance, and my National Team coach,Tony DiCicco. Both are extremely knowledgeable about the game, hard working, and are always on the cutting edge working to develop the women’s game. Anson is very confident and motivational. Tony is very passionate, positive, and relates well with his players. |
| My pet hate when I am coaching is goalkeepers standing with their hands on their hips. Have you any pet hates when your are coaching? |
| GKs that don’t wear proper equipment -- short sleeve t-shirts and shorts instead of long sleeve jerseys, sliders, and pants based on field and weather conditions. In my mind it is impossible to really train the way you should and slide properly without the right gear to protect your body. My other pet peeve is GKs that don’t tuck in their jerseys. I think it looks unprofessional. |
| What gloves and boots do you wear? |
| I was sponsored by adidas when I played for the U.S National Team and professionally for the Boston Breakers. I wore the FingerTIP glove (NOT to be mistaken by the FingerSAVE glove which I don’t like) and Copa Mundials. I am currently sponsored by Nike and wear the Nike First2 women’s cut glove and the First2 women’s boot as well as the Legend women’s boot. Their boots have improved dramatically since they first entered the soccer market in the 90’s. I love their boots. |
| As a young girl who were your heroes both goalkeeping and out field players? |
| My role models were Kim Wyant (one of the first U.S. National Team gks) and U.S. center midfielder Michelle Akers. Kim was incredibly competitive and a very hard worker. Michelle’s pure strength and athletic power was amazing. Her presence and dominance as a forward and midfielder were amazing. She was unstoppable. I have never played with a more complete player than her. |
| What would be a typical coaching day for you when you were Head Soccer Coach at Greensboro College (2004-05)? |
| On a typical day I was in the office from 9a-3p, on the field from 3-5, and back in the office from 5:30-7p. My responsibilities included recruiting, budget, player management and meetings, daily preparation for training and upcoming games, travel arrangements, washing equipment, field maintenance as well as additional athletic department responsibilities. |
| Do you have any goalkeeping coaches that you would look up to? |
| Peter Bonnetti |
| What do you think about goalkeeping coaching? Do you think there is enough being done by the football associations around the world to address the growing demand for specialised goalkeeping coaching???? |
| I think there a lots of gk TRAINERS out there and not enough gk COACHES. Football Associations are getting better and more advanced with the specialized training required to get peak performance out of gks at the highest level, but they still have a long way to go to support the women’s side of goalkeeping. |
| Who would you say is your top premiership goal keeper or you top American goalkeeper and why? |
| Brad Friedal. Consistency. |
| If you were a manager of a top football team and you were given a blank cheque to go and sign any goalkeeper in the world who would you sign for your club? |
| Casillas |
| Describe yourself in 3 words. |
| Passionate Dedicated Independent |
Tracy thanks for taking the time out to do this interview for the NIGOALKEEPING website and I hope you are very successful working with the goalkeepers at Dynasty Goalkeeping.