Posted by Katie Peverada
KP: You were a successful player -- All-American and you played professionally -- how did you become so dedicated and involved?
RM: It was just something that I got involved in. I had some good coaches, had some good luck, worked hard, and just got there. I love the game.
KP: Did you know while you were a player that you wanted to be a coach? How did that come about?
RM: It was kind of a natural evolvement. I went to grad-school for Physical Education and took classes in Psychology in a Masters Program, which was kind of the advent for sports psychology and coaching. I'd already worked for a few years and been in the army, so it was cool to do something else.
KP: Do you have any other passions besides soccer?
RM: Yes, I have a lot of passions. I've been writing about 40 years - poetry, prose, thoughts, children's stories and a couple books. I also have an organic garden in Vermont with an orchard, blueberry plants and raspberries. I built a post-and-beam barn last summer with the help of a former player. I like to be out in the woods and outside.
KP: You've coached at Middlebury, UVM, with the New England Revolution - how does Skidmore compare to all of those places?
RM: At Skidmore you get a different kind of young guy. They're more rounded in many ways and have a lot more interests. We have musicians, guys that build sets for productions and artists. At the other schools guys were pretty focused on just soccer. We have to be able to be flexible with everything they have going on.
KP: You graduated 10 seniors from last year's team and lost two Liberty League Honorable mentions. Yet you're 9-4-1 this year. Why?
RM: Last year we had some injuries, but this year we have a healthy freshman goalkeeper with ten shutouts. And the freshman class is the best class we've ever had.
KP: What makes the vibe of this team different from years past?
RM: We had good leadership last year and we do again this year. The guys are really together and there are no cliques - nothing going on.
KP: As a coach, how do you make sure your athletes are on top of their schoolwork?
RM: We ask anybody below a 3.0 to set up a meeting with SAS, and if they don't, then they're not going to train or play. Our overall team grade point average is above a 3.3. They're smart guys and they're good students. They find a great resource in SAS.
KP: How do you utilize your two assistant coaches?
RM: Greg Lloyd, a former captain, who takes care of all the everyday pieces that need to get done -- folders for games, does the fitness, a lot of recruiting pieces. Steve Freeman volunteers his services and works with our defense. We also have Jeff Gold, who works with our goalkeepers, and Peter McDonald who has done some scouting for us.
KP: What is your favorite part about coaching?
RM: I love the interaction with the players. I love to go out every day and smile and shake hands with them and find out how they're feeling. I just think the interaction with the players is the best thing and I love going out there.