MANHATTAN, Kansas – K-State soccer head coach Colleen Corbin and the team’s leadership council met with the media on Monday afternoon in the Buser Family Park Team Theater. Below is a transcript of Corbin’s media session. K-State opens its 10th season of action on Thursday, August 14, at 6:30 p.m., against Oral Roberts.

Coach Corbin: “The first week of practice has been awesome. The girls are excited, competitive, energetic. We have a lot of new faces, both in true freshmen as well as some incoming transfers that have added some experience, some talent, some depth, as well as just some personality. And so it’s been pretty fun just to have the group together. We got to go to Italy and compete this summer, which was a good kind of intro for everybody. So we didn’t really feel like we were starting from ground zero when the team got back in the end of July, but it’s been fun to just build on the things that we felt like we were kind of able to establish in Italy, so culture things, soccer things just kind of standards of excellence and behavior and how we’re going to show up and compete every day. And we got to test those things against Missouri State the other day, which is awesome. Missouri State’s a competitive program. Consistently goes to the NCAA tournament. So it was a good trial run for us to just get out there and kind of get our feet wet and let the freshmen, especially, kind of get those first jitters out of just competing against another Division I opponent. So it’s been really fun. There’s been a lot of teaching, again, a lot of excitement, a lot of energy, and just, I know our group is anxious to continue to grow and build and play more games, because that’s what the fall is about, is trying to win matches and put our best foot forward and be competitive every day. So excited for what the future holds for the group.”

Q: One of your players recently indicated to me that your intense and that you could build a consistent winner here at Kansas State. What do you see from the early signs of this team that let you know that this is a team capable of winning at a consistent level?

Coach Corbin: “I think just the openness to be receptive to new things, to demand more of each other. I think that’s something that this group has gotten way more comfortable with in the last six months. The last six months, is just expecting excellence from one another and being able to hold each other accountable to those standards. Everybody wants to win, right? And one of the things we said in the locker room the other day was, everybody loves to eat, not everybody loves to hunt, right? And so we want to hunt. We want to hunt every day. And I think just the consistency that the group has been able to show in the approach to what we’re doing, the day in, the day out, the little things, the mundane, because it is. It’s about the process, right? If we’re going to be a championship program, then it’s about doing the things, the little things consistently. Sorry, doing the little things consistently well all the time. And I think that there is a real hunger from the group to want to do those things.”

Q: Going back to the word intensity, for a moment, a player described you as, what are some other words that describe you and where does that intensity come from? And maybe, what are some other character attributes that you possess that make you the coach you are?

Coach Corbin: “I’m a winner. I like to win. Again, everybody likes to win. But I think in my experiences, both as a player and as a coach, I’ve been privileged to train under competitive coaches, to work with competitive coaches, to be in environments that operate at a really high level, you know? And we’re all a culmination of our experiences, right? And I think for me, again, I’ve had the benefit of having been mentored by some really incredible people, and also being fortunate to have coached some really competitive athletes. And so I think for me, I think that everything I do comes with a little bit of intensity, for good or for bad, but I also think I put a lot of value in the process and in the journey and making sure that there’s joy in that. And so, for me, I tell the girls all the time, I don’t believe that it has to be one or the other. It doesn’t have to be hypercompetitive or only fun like I really believe that you can mesh both at a high level. And so I think for me, that’s what we’re seeking every day, is to really enjoy the grind. I think the girls have been receptive of that.”

Q: What are your takeaways from the first exhibition match?

Coach Corbin: “I think we understand, collectively as a group, like our overarching playing model, I think there is a pretty high understanding of what we’re trying to do. I think for us, when we went back and watched film this morning with the group, a lot of it is about little details, right? Whether that’s small individual micro movements or being able to see past a certain line, understanding your role outside of just your role. How you respond to someone else’s movement, what does that mean for you? And really just trying to continue to build the cohesiveness and the collectiveness. Because I think that’s ultimately what makes the best teams, right, is that it feels like they’re in flow. It feels like they understand each other again at a microlevel. And that’s the hardest part about this very condensed preseason is we don’t have a lot of time to get to that point and so we know what we look like in mid-August, hopefully isn’t what we look like in mid-November. And so just continuing to build those relationships, I think, is going to be really crucial as we head into Mizzou. And today we did a pretty functional training session with a lot of teaching with some main heavy hitters we took out of that Missouri State game, and I think that helped just being able to have conversations around those things and really dive into the nitty gritty.”

Q: Coach, being with your team now for a few months, what do you feel like your team’s identity or strength?

Coach Corbin: “We’re going to press. We’re going to run at people. We’re going to make it uncomfortable. We have some very elite athletes in our front line that we expect to make the back line of opposing teams uncomfortable. We want there to be a relentless mindset and winning the ball back, because we surely are going to turn it over at some point. And so just this heightened work rate, this heightened energy, this heightened competitiveness that I think people will enjoy seeing. I think there’s also, you know, when we are in possession, when we do have the ball, there being a structure and a space that’s set up to help us keep the ball, while also allowing players individual talent and they’re special to shine like we want to emphasize creativity, we want to emphasize decision making, and that’s not going to look the same player to player. And so even in our training environment, we try really hard to make things in context like we don’t want them to ever just be going through the motions without there being pressure, without there being decisions to be made. And so I think that’s something that we’re hopeful that everyone sees when they come out to watch our team play, is the relentlessness out of possession, trying to win the ball back, and then the confidence and the composure and the creativity in possession with the ball.”

Q: You said you brought in a lot of youth. What kind of challenges does that bring, but what excitement does that also bring?

Coach Corbin: “The transition to college soccer from club soccer is challenging, no matter how you slice it, right? And I think again, the way that we are demanding our players competing is exhausting, quite frankly. And so, you know, these are girls that are used to rolling out of school, you know, at 3:00, 3:30 and driving to a club practice and dinking the ball around for an hour and a half and going home. And that’s just not what it looks or feels like at this level, right? Like you have film and you have team meetings and you have team meals, and you have rehab and you have prehab, and you have individual meetings, and we have book club and, like all these things that are really mentally exhausting. And so I think that’s, at least in my experience, the hardest transition, usually, from being a senior in high school to being a freshman in college, especially at this level, is just the demand that’s put on you, yes, physically, but also more so mentally and emotionally. It takes a pretty big toll. So I think those are very normal struggles that our kids are going through. But also, I think there is this class of freshmen went through a coaching change, and that’s tough, right? No one asked for that, but they’re still here, and they still want to compete and help us win. And so it’s been fun, really, for me to get to know them, because I didn’t recruit them initially. So that’s been an enjoyable process for us and our staff, just really kind of getting to know their personalities more on a human level.”

Q: You guys brought in two new goalkeepers and have one returning from last year’s team. What’s that competition just been like?

Coach Corbin: “Awesome! It’s been great. They compete with each other every day. There’s also a really great culture within our goalkeeper group. Ali (Hanif), our goalkeeper coach, does a really phenomenal job, honestly, of creating their own identity within themselves. All three of them are great kids, you know. Maddie (Sibbing) our transfer from UMKC was formerly at SLU when I was there for a couple months, and so I had more of an understanding about kind of what she brings to the table, and she’s been a great addition for us. And then Grace, kind of got sidelined in the spring. We ran into a couple injuries that, you know, slowed her down a little bit, but she’s gotten back into the fold and is competing at a high level. And then Reese (Potts), has been here and has kind of seen what it was like before, and sees what it’s like now, and knows that expectations are higher, and is able to kind of add some perspective, right? I think across the board, all three of them, I’m partial because I’m a goalkeeper, but like, they’re all good kids, and they all want to win, but they all also bring joy and laughter, like none of them take themselves too seriously, which is important in our position, because things are hard most of the time, right? And so being able to find joy in that process, I think, is important. And like I said, Ali, our goalkeeper coach, does a really good job of making sure that that environment stays in the right headspace.”

Q: What specific changes have you seen within the group that has made you most proud of a culture’s development so far?

Coach Corbin: “Yeah, great question. I think the accountability is a huge one, both to themselves and to their teammates. This is the first time that I put a standard or an expectation on, just like the fitness level coming in, they had to hit a certain standard in order to be able to step on the field and play. And that had never been the case before, and every single player passed the fitness test, so every single field player is eligible for competition, which you know, as a coach, you don’t know, like we’re set those expectations, because we know that’s what it needs to be, but it’s up to the players to put in the work and show up and and care about it. And I think that example, in and of itself, to me, I know how much work it took for them all to get to a place where they could pass that fitness test, especially when they’re out working on their own right. And so just the time, the dedication, the belief, the buy in. 

“You know, we have a leadership council group that I think you guys are going to talk to here in a little bit, who have really leaned in and helped kind of set the standard for what it looks like within the team. You know, I think the best cultures, the best championship programs, are player-led, right? The coach sets standards and sets expectations, but we’re not around 24/7, right? We don’t know what’s going on outside of the locker room. We don’t know what’s going on on the field, quite frankly. And so it’s important that they understand the standards and expectations and implement them within the group. And I think within the group. And I think our leadership group has done a phenomenal job so far of continuing to hold people accountable and also set standards for the rest of the group. And then I think just the human experience, which, like sounds so silly, but just the trust that they’ve had in each other to really show up as their most authentic self, which, like I’ve preached since the day I got here that none of them are like the other. And it would be really silly for us to just expect that people are going to show up in one way or another and fit into some kind of box. And so I really challenge them to be confident and comfortable being themselves, no matter how weird or quirky or awkward it feels like that’s what brings us together, right? That is the human experience, and so I’ve been really proud of how they’ve just, like, grown and flourished and become confident in who they are, and saying off the wall things and busting a dance move at practice, or whatever it is that, like, makes people laugh and brings people joy. And that’s been really fun for me to watch as well.”

Q: You mentioned you mixed lineups in Italy to encourage chemistry experimentation a little bit. How do you plan to translate and have adaptability into your regular season training and game strategy or philosophy?

Coach Corbin: “We definitely want to find a rhythm. We want to find a First 11 that feels, you know, cohesive within the group. I think we mixed up lineups against Missouri State as well, just to continue to try to build those relationships and those connections, and it did feel a little disjointed, we didn’t really establish possession. There wasn’t a real rhythm that we were able to gain from that. But that’s okay, you know, we have again, another game against Mizzou, and as the non-conference unfolds that will continue to build. But, you know, the adaptability is huge. We have to be able to make subs and make changes and have it work, right? You don’t want to make changes, and all of a sudden you feel like everything falls apart, and everyone has to have the same understanding of what the expectations are. And so once we do get into a First 11 that we feel confident in, every player also understands that they play a role regardless of how many minutes they actually spend on the field, both in their body language and their voice and their communication. And when they do get an opportunity that they better step in and elevate what’s going on on the field, right? You don’t ever want the level to drop. And so we don’t call them subs, we don’t call them bench players. They’re game changers, and that’s their job to come in and change the game. And so lineups might change from game to game depending on who’s healthy or who’s flying or whatever that looks like, but the expectation is everybody’s ready to compete and play on any given day.”

Q: Regarding Paige (Dickson) and Andra Mohler, can you describe what they bring to the table and just what it means to you that they’re seeing this thing through and continuing on and buying into this program?

Coach Corbin: “We don’t have a lot of seniors on our team. It’s a pretty young group and I think I appreciate Paige and Andra and Kay (Khaliana Garrett). Kay’s our other senior that those three have believed, that they’ve bought in, that they’ve wanted to be a part of the change they recognize. Like success might not be immediate. Success might not just fall into our lap, you know, this fall. They might not get to be a part of holding a trophy, but they want to be a part of building a legacy. And that takes a special person to put in the amount of work that they’re putting in and know that results are not guaranteed, right? They could. They could have gone somewhere where there’s an established culture of winning and ride out their last season into the sunset and have a way higher likelihood of getting a ring or a trophy, and they didn’t, because they care about K-State, they care about these girls. They care about what this program means, and so I appreciate as a coach, like their belief in us and their belief in our vision. And it’s also been really cool for me to just see both of them become real leaders, because those are conversations that they had with me early on in the spring. You know, I want to do this, and I want to be this person, and I want people to look up to me. Okay, well, that’s great, but you have to do something about that. And they both have, you know, the group respects them a lot. They communicate with me on a really high level. They’re a very active voice for the rest of the group, which is important in leadership. Then even on the field, like just the accountability that they’ve taken in their journey and their process, and not making excuses, and, you know, not saying, ‘Well, I’ve never been that player, or I can’t do this.’ Like, well, have you tried? Right? Like, have you actually tried? And if both of them look at me and say, ‘No,’ which they have to then turn around and make some changes and be different humans now than they were six months ago. Like that’s been a really impactful experience for me as a coach, and I’m excited for their leadership this fall.”

Q: What are you going to be thinking about before that first game?

Coach Corbin: “Just gratitude. Gratitude for the experience. Gratitude for the opportunity. Gratitude to the players, my staff. I mean, my staff has worked tirelessly, you know, for us to try to get this as close to being right as we can when that first whistle blows. We’re all a culmination of our experiences, and my journey has been a wild one, for sure, with a lot of pit stops and just being able to reflect and be appreciative of every experience I’ve had, good or bad that’s led me to that moment. I think the thing I’ve been very intentional about communicating to our group is that we’re going to win games. I know we’re going to win games. We’re also going to lose games. I know that to be true as well. And what I’m conscious of is that this group cannot be defined by either one. We can’t be defined by our success. We can’t be defined by our losses, our failures. We are going to be defined by how we respond. How do we show up the next day? We’re not going to get too high. We’re not going to get too low. And that is, to me, one of the most challenging things in sports, especially with a group that has so much they want to prove, there’s so much they want to leave out on the table. And again, there’s going to be disappointment, there’s going to be let down, and there’s also going to be pure joy and elation and excitement, and those are heavy emotions in both directions. And the second we start to teeter off course, it’s going to be really hard to rein it back in and get back on track, and so just being conscious of those things, you know, as we head into that first game, and like I said, expressing gratitude and enjoying the experience.”