Indiana University Athletics
IUMS Zoom Press Conference Transcript & Video
1/26/2021 10:30:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Below is a partial transcript of Zoom press conference with Indiana head men's soccer coach Todd Yeagley and forward Thomas Warr on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
Head Coach Todd Yeagley
YEAGLEY: First of all, it is good to see everyone. It is good to have a schedule out in front of us and a little bit more clarity after a long time. Obviously, we are not the only ones dealing with that uncertainty. But it is great to have the schedule. The guys have come back ready to go. We had a really productive fall that wrapped up on Dec. 4. They were back on Jan. 4 to report and a week later we started the training. We are a few weeks in with three weeks remaining heading into our first match. We are in as good of a place as we can be, all things considered. The guys have done a great job of putting one foot in front of the other and saying tomorrow is the day. We are not overthinking what could happen by looking at other sports and the challenges that we have all seen. I could not be any happier with how the team has handled everything, particularly the seniors. They have been the hardest hit with the season pulled out from underneath them at the 12th hour. That was the hardest.
Q. On the importance of the senior leadership…
YEAGLEY: It is always important, but certainly this season in particular. I do not know that each team we have had in the last five, seven years would have handled this situation as well as this team, honestly. So many factors come into that. A lot of it is how the last season ended, the dynamic of your team, what is the balance of old and young, and this older group of four seniors leads in different ways with three being captains. They have all done a really good job. They have connected well with the younger players. Our team is much heavier on the freshman and sophomore eligibility, so we do not have a lot of experience. These seniors have been in big games, in big moments, and seen what successful teams look like. It is great for us to say and give perspective, but when it comes from your teammates and players they respect, it carries more weight.
Q. On competing in a Big Ten only schedule…
YEAGLEY: It is different. We have known for so long about the schedule being Big Ten only, I think that would have been tougher had we found that out in September when the new first broke. We have had more time to prepare. Our team really enjoys our non-conference slate. Every sport in unique in that way. Our Big Ten schedule is difficult and they know that and are excited to play games. The reality of playing a conference only season, they have seen that with football and some of the other sports starting up, so it is easier for them to comprehend. At first, they thought it was pretty weird. Now, that is the new norm, temporarily we hope. The NCAA Tournament would obviously allow you to go play other teams, if we are lucky enough to be in that position.
Forward Thomas Warr
Q. On the last five months…
WARR: It has felt like five years, honestly. It has been a lot of waiting. I know that I can speak for myself and a lot of the guys when I say that we are all itching to play. We hit a point where it gets pretty stale, we train every day and without competition, it sucks. That is what everyone is going through, but we are itching. We are ready to go. We are super excited to finally get the season underway.
Q. On heading right into Big Ten action…
WARR: It will definitely be different that years before. That is exactly what these last five or six months have been. We have been getting ready because we knew that is most likely what we were going to have to do. I think that this entire season is going to be about us being able to adapt to whatever is thrown in front of us. All we are focused on right now is that we have Wisconsin on the calendar for Feb. 19. We are doing everything that we can to prepare for that. The season will be about adapting and solving things on the fly because it is different for everybody this year. We will be ready.
Head Coach Todd Yeagley
YEAGLEY: First of all, it is good to see everyone. It is good to have a schedule out in front of us and a little bit more clarity after a long time. Obviously, we are not the only ones dealing with that uncertainty. But it is great to have the schedule. The guys have come back ready to go. We had a really productive fall that wrapped up on Dec. 4. They were back on Jan. 4 to report and a week later we started the training. We are a few weeks in with three weeks remaining heading into our first match. We are in as good of a place as we can be, all things considered. The guys have done a great job of putting one foot in front of the other and saying tomorrow is the day. We are not overthinking what could happen by looking at other sports and the challenges that we have all seen. I could not be any happier with how the team has handled everything, particularly the seniors. They have been the hardest hit with the season pulled out from underneath them at the 12th hour. That was the hardest.
Q. On the importance of the senior leadership…
YEAGLEY: It is always important, but certainly this season in particular. I do not know that each team we have had in the last five, seven years would have handled this situation as well as this team, honestly. So many factors come into that. A lot of it is how the last season ended, the dynamic of your team, what is the balance of old and young, and this older group of four seniors leads in different ways with three being captains. They have all done a really good job. They have connected well with the younger players. Our team is much heavier on the freshman and sophomore eligibility, so we do not have a lot of experience. These seniors have been in big games, in big moments, and seen what successful teams look like. It is great for us to say and give perspective, but when it comes from your teammates and players they respect, it carries more weight.
Q. On competing in a Big Ten only schedule…
YEAGLEY: It is different. We have known for so long about the schedule being Big Ten only, I think that would have been tougher had we found that out in September when the new first broke. We have had more time to prepare. Our team really enjoys our non-conference slate. Every sport in unique in that way. Our Big Ten schedule is difficult and they know that and are excited to play games. The reality of playing a conference only season, they have seen that with football and some of the other sports starting up, so it is easier for them to comprehend. At first, they thought it was pretty weird. Now, that is the new norm, temporarily we hope. The NCAA Tournament would obviously allow you to go play other teams, if we are lucky enough to be in that position.
Forward Thomas Warr
Q. On the last five months…
WARR: It has felt like five years, honestly. It has been a lot of waiting. I know that I can speak for myself and a lot of the guys when I say that we are all itching to play. We hit a point where it gets pretty stale, we train every day and without competition, it sucks. That is what everyone is going through, but we are itching. We are ready to go. We are super excited to finally get the season underway.
Q. On heading right into Big Ten action…
WARR: It will definitely be different that years before. That is exactly what these last five or six months have been. We have been getting ready because we knew that is most likely what we were going to have to do. I think that this entire season is going to be about us being able to adapt to whatever is thrown in front of us. All we are focused on right now is that we have Wisconsin on the calendar for Feb. 19. We are doing everything that we can to prepare for that. The season will be about adapting and solving things on the fly because it is different for everybody this year. We will be ready.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's SoccerFB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16