Wes Hart Remembers College Cup Distractions, But Won't Overblow Them
CARY, N.C. — It's new to his players, but participating in the College Cup is not new to Alabama Crimson Tide soccer coach Wes Hart.
Before he arrived at Alabama, Hart spent two years as an assistant at Florida State. Both times the Seminoles made the championship of the NCAA women's soccer tournament, losing to UCLA in 2013 before defeating Virginia in 2014.
Friday, Hart leads the Crimson Tide into its first College Cup match in program history, but his message, as it has been in preparing for any opponent, remains the same.
"I don't want to make this game bigger than it already is," Hart said. "We've done a good job all year long treating every game and every opponent the same. It didn't matter who we were playing."
I don't want nerves. And it's naturally gonna happen. It's gonna be a bigger crowd, and clearly it's a bigger stage. But really, what I want to do is reemphasize that 'Hey, this is another game, another good opponent that we've seen all year long.'"
The message and goal are clear, but Hart is aware of what comes with reaching such a big stage: more distractions.
Outside of practice and preparation for the game, players have to do interviews with the media. Some have to do photoshoots and other promotional activities for when the game is aired on television. Some have to deal with friends and family who want tickets for the game.
Some have to do all three, and more.
"There's just more distractions than I think we're used to," Hart said. "And through my time at Florida State, I've kind of seen that and how it can weigh on the players and affect the players."
The frenzy that surrounds national semifinals and finals can be overwhelming, and none of the Alabama players have reached this point before.
That said, the team has spent the entire season breaking records and accomplishing feats that no predecessor has done, yet no aura of satisfaction has appeared from anyone in the program. Using the words of captain Riley Mattingly Parker, the team maintains the same mentality: "We're not done yet."
See also
How To Watch Alabama Soccer vs UCLA at the College Cup
BamaCentral At The College Cup: Day 2
Get your Crimson Tide tickets from SI Tickets HERE.
