Last year, Martha Whiting took over a women's soccer team ranked fifth in the nation and first in the region. The Tufts graduate (LA '93) had spent seven years as the assistant coach, but this was to be her first campaign as general instead of lieutenant. Whiting's debut was a success, culminating in a 9-5-1 team record and subsequent postseason berth.
You could say it was beginner's luck. You could say she inherited a talented team. Either way, Whiting's 1999 success will likely translate into further winning seasons, and the young coach claims to be more prepared for the 2000 campaign than she was one year ago.
"The biggest difference is that I'm more confident about my coaching now," she said. "I know what to expect at each step of the way. I am more organized."
Although Whiting brought her team to the postseason last year, she is far from resting on her success. During the off season, Whiting reflected on what worked and what didn't in her coaching, and has already applied those lessons this preseason.
"There were things I would do differently from last year," Whiting said. "I have refined some things, and this year the initial jitters will be gone. There will still be butterflies before each game, but thenewness will be gone."
Whiting spent much of the off season recruiting, another facet of her job title that has changed significantly in the past year. While she had always had a hand in recruiting as the assistant coach, she now finds herself with more responsibility.
"The biggest thing is now I have to make the final decision on players we want to keep and players we don't want to keep," Whiting said. "Plus, I talk a lot more to the high school coaches of recruits than I used to."
However, the increased responsibility also means that Whiting gets a greater say in the players she has on her team.
"We lost seven players last year," Whiting said. "I had to figure out what kind of players we needed to keep on track. We needed help in the front and back, and I think we had a very successful recruiting year."
Filling the shoes of a legend is never easy, but that's exactly what Whiting was asked to do last year. When Bill Gehling took the job as Tufts' Athletic Director, Whiting was in line to replace one of the best soccer players and coaches the school has ever seen.
Having completed a year at the helm of the women's soccer team, Whiting understands that people will now expect her to keep the soccer team amongst the top in the region. In her collegiate days, she had been through a similar situation as the Jumbo goalkeeper.
"I remember being a player and, when I was a freshman, no one expected anything from me," Whiting said. "But when I was a sophomore, I had to do the same or better. That's what happens when you have success, you have to keep building on it."
The coach, however, feels more pressure to succeed from within the team than from any outside force.
"I absolutely have expectations of myself on how to coach and how the team does," she said. "But the players also have expectations of their coach."
Fulfilling the expectations of her players will be one place where Whiting won't struggle at all. She is the classic "player's coach," and recognizes that as one of her strengths.
"My greatest asset is my ability to relate to players," said Whiting, who clearly prefers talking about the team than herself. "They notice the enthusiasm that I have for the team and the sport."
Whiting, who says that she has read books by many famous coaches including John Wooden and Pat Summitt, cannot pinpoint her coaching style, but says that it has a number of distinct influences.
"I try to take bits and pieces from different coaches," Whiting said. "I try to find out where I fit into their coaching style. I have also learned a lot from some of the great coaches in our own athleticdepartment."
All of that should aid Whiting as she attempts to fend off any sophomore jinx. She remains absolutely certain that her team will be able to build on last year's success.
"We need to work hard, have discipline and have a good time," she said. "We have the talent, we just need to make ourselves do it."
