Soccer, volleyball, and golf – these topics are currently exciting the Johnson community. Especially Women’s Soccer. After having a successful start to the season, everyone is wondering what the Johnson sports teams have in store for us this semester.
It seems that each game draws in a larger crowd, eager to see who will score the first goal. But behind every goal is a player, behind every player, a team, and behind every team, a coach – waiting on the sidelines. In this case, it’s Coach Norm Peterson (He/Him). With all this soccer success, Norm is ready to talk!
“Our success from last season was three years in the making,” said Coach Norm. “In 2022, there must have been some bad luck going around affecting us to a 1-9-6 record. Last year we ended up going 10-3-3.”
It wasn’t until last season when Peterson and the women’s soccer team started a more intense level of training, now consistent at every practice.
According to Peterson, you can’t just “turn it on” during games; preparation must be at a high level as well. Coach Norm pointed out that last season’s success doesn’t affect the way they play this year. The top spot in the conference is earned, not given from last year’s results. This time around, he is focusing on intense practice, and for that same intensity to come out in games.
“We are still a work in progress, but I like the way we are trending.” said Peterson.
Peterson said that when it comes to his players, providing them with meaningful feedback is important to ensure that all players are meeting both his and their own expectations.
“We want to have student athletes come in, stay four years, and graduate. During that time, we want them to improve technically, physically and mentally as soccer players,” Peterson said.
Peterson also mentioned that, more importantly, he wants everyone to leave Johnson with the right tools to be successful in any pathway presented. They focus on teamwork, resiliency, leadership and maturity, all of which are included in the feedback athletes receive.
Coach Peterson has also said that Johnson Athletics has added to its women’s soccer coaching staff, and this should allow more individual development with players.
What does a championship run mean to VTSU Johnson in 2024?
When expressing his thoughts on what this latest success means to Johnson, Coach Norm had one thing to say, “Pride!”
Peterson also mentioned that last season gave them the most wins in 29 years of women’s soccer at Johnson, officially making it our best season ever as a NCAA school.
“I started hearing from proud alumni; I’d get feedback from faculty and staff who were checking in on us.” Peterson said. More people, but most importantly Johnson fans, started to appear at more and more home games. He explained that, with a conference title on the line, there were hundreds of people watching them play in a “torrential rainstorm.”
Coach Norm concluded, “Soccer and Athletics have a proud history at Johnson. We want to be one of the teams that brings that back! Things are turning at Johnson, and I hope we can help.”
After a long drought of sport success at Johnson, the people are intrigued. Will this winning atmosphere translate over to the winter and spring sports? What team will be next at VTSU-J to show off all their hard work?
The only way to find out is for you, yes YOU, to keep in the loop with the next issue of Basement Medicine. Or, show up to a game, of course.
