Interview with Coach Anita McLane                                        Brookwood High School Head Soccer Coach Proud Accomplishments: 2 State Championships 2 All Americans 4 All South Region Winners 200+ games won as head coach While coaching High School soccer, what impact has the local club soccer programs had on your success as a coach? Obviously it has been huge for us. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by many quality club programs, and most of our high school players have been members of top level teams. The trainers have done an excellent job from an early age, and every few years I can see a vast improvement. When I started coaching soccer about 20 years ago, very few girls’ teams had trainers or qualified coaches. To play on a truly competitive team, many girls had to travel 20 or more miles to practice, or they had to make a local boys team. Now the opportunity for a female athlete who wishes to train hard is readily available locally. What advantage does a high school program with a great club feeder system have over schools that don’t have a strong foundation of club programs in their area? Not only does the program have kids that know the fundamentals of the game, they also have played together all year (or for many years) and that’s a HUGE advantage. What are some of the local club programs in your schools area that benefit your high school program? Most of my players are currently on teams at GSA, although we have Tophat, AFC, Tucker, GFC and other programs represented. Have you ever coached at the club level, if so, when and where? What positives did you take from that experience?   About 10 years ago, a boys’ team at Bethesda. If a kid gives you all he’s got, that’s all you can ask. From a high school coach’s perspective, what would you like to convey to all the club parents out there who sacrifice their time, money, and energy, for the betterment of their children?   Hang in there. As a soccer parent of 3 (who are now 23, 21, and 18 and at one point in our lives were all three playing for different clubs), I can tell you that there WILL come a day when you won’t spend every waking minute (and some sleeping ones) living, eating, and breathing club soccer. You’ll have time for yourself, money for yourself, and hopefully the energy to enjoy it!! (And you’ ll miss watching your kids play club…) Your kids already know how much you do for them. What would you like to convey to all the hard working club players who are dedicated to improving their skills and vision?   Work as hard when nobody’s watching as you do when everybody’s watching. You’re gonna play like you practice, and at the speed that you practice. You only cheat yourself if you don’t take advantage of every opportunity your parents, coaches, and trainers are giving you, and if you don’t learn to train on your own, you’ll never reach your full potential. What do you love about the game of soccer? I was a high school basketball coach when I first started teaching, and although I love the game of basketball, so much of it is scripted. With soccer, the players have to think on their feet. Watching a team whose players know each other inside and out is so much fun. Soccer players are smart. Great soccer players can be brilliant. What do you love about coaching high school soccer? 1. Having the time with the girls. 2. Watching them focus. 3. Seeing them mature, both as players and young women. 4. Realizing that for some of them, the best friends they’ll ever have are those they meet on the pitch. 5. Going to watch them coach their own college, high school, or club teams. 6. Having been lucky enough to watch many of them grow up to be doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers, wives, mothers, etc….and still having them call me or show up on my doorstep without notice. (A few even have a key to my house!) Who is your favorite soccer team? the US women’s team, especially the “originals”…their dedication to the game has made it acceptable for girls in the US to love to watch AND play soccer; they’ve probably done more for the sport in this country than anyone else ever has or ever will Who is your favorite professional soccer player?   Brianna Scurry for her work ethic Who is your favorite college soccer team? Auburn (actually Auburn is my favorite team for ANY sport…………..WAR EAGLE!!!!!) We salute Anita McLane for her contributions to Georgia High School Soccer and wish            her Brookwood players all best in the their upcoming 2007 season !!!!