Listen up - coach says Michigan could be a national power

When DeSouza talks, people listen.

And right now DeSouza says that when the Michigan men's soccer team goes varsity in the fall of 2000, it could be one of the top programs in the country in three years.

Granted, that won't be easy, but that's where next year comes in. The 1999-2000 season will be a time of transition.

Everyone associated with the team realizes that things are going to change and change very soon. In less than a year, the roster will be different, the facilities will be different and, as a varsity team, there will be many more obligations to fulfi

Michigan assistant coach Walder DeSouza watches practices with coach Steve Burns. The duo led the Wolverines to two consecutive national championships.

ll and people to please.

For example, if an athlete prefers to practice in a certain pair of lucky shorts, he may not be able to because of the stipulations of the University's contract with Nike. But while there may be a few drawbacks, the overall consensus is that though it was a long time in the coming, this is a good thing.

"Everyone's excited about the opportunity to play varsity," goalie Patrick Murphy said. "People look at it as a great opportunity to take their games to the next level. We're one of the best club teams around, we've proven that already.

"But we're not given the respect nor the opportunity to compete at that level. We miss little things. Given this opportunity, we're really looking forward to it."

Life will definitely get easier for the players when the Athletic Department takes control of the team. They'll no longer be responsible for battling to get a field, transportation, or jerseys.

Although everything may appear grand, there is one issue that's disheartening. Michigan unquestionably has one of the most talented club programs in the country. Two national championships will attest to that.

But the players will readily admit that they are realistically the equivalent to a mid-level Division I team. For the team to be competitive, it will have to recruit the top players in the country.

"The reality is that in Division I men's soccer there's a big gap between the elite teams and everyone else," said former Michigan coach and player Steve Olson. "The top teams are nearly equivalent to professional programs. But Michigan never does anything halfway. They won't do this halfway.

"They will try to create a program that's competitive right from the start."

The University is known for its recruiting capabilities. The school's name as well as its academic reputation has in the past drawn some of the best student-athletes to Ann Arbor. Both the Athletic Department and Michigan alumni are certain that the Wolverines will become competitive soon.

In fact, within the first five years, Michigan will offer 9.9 scholarships. That kind of money will bring with it a lot of recruiting power.

But what does it mean for these Wolverines?

These players have dedicated their hearts and souls to making the club program one of the premier programs in the country.

DeSouza is full of praise for the team he has helped coach for over two years.

"These boys always treat me so nice," DeSouza said. "They're willing to learn. It makes me feel so good inside to help them and watch them."

But though they all love it, they can't all make it to the next level. The prediction is that the first-year varsity team will be founded with 6-10 current players out of the 20.

Regardless of the fact that it will be a very competitive road to the next level and that some aren't going to get there, the players are excited.

"For the most part, most of the people on the team feel that they have a good chance to make the team when it goes varsity," junior midfielder Will Purdy said. "It's not really looked at in a bad sense like 'I'm not going to play soccer anymore' because there will still be a club team.

"I think that a lot of people are looking forward to competing at a high level. We're looking forward to taking the program to a higher level."

Another area of uncertainty surrounds the coaching staff. As yet, no one knows for sure what direction the program will take. But current coach Steve Burns, who played for the Wolverines in the late '80s and who is in contention for the varsity position, said that no matter who takes over the program, that person will be looking for the "Michigan man."

"We're looking for a bright kid who feels they can make a difference," Burns said. "If I could I'd put up fences around the state and no one could come and get players out of Michigan."

Although fences might be a bit of a stretch, many people believe that the Wolverines will be able to keep people in state anyway.

"Michigan will do everything first class. There's no reason it couldn't be one of the top programs," said current player Russell Walker.

Walker played four years of varsity soccer at Cornell before coming to Michigan this year for graduate school. Walker said this current group of Wolverines has all the talent to compete with the varsity programs.

"The only real difference between the teams is in the attitude and in the training," Walker said. "On the varsity level, there's a lot more pressure. Every day you're out there to prove yourself.

"You have to have a professional attitude. Every second you're out there to improve yourself and the team."

Already the team has attracted attention from around the world. In fact, soccer enthusiasts from Argentina, Sweden, Brazil and Guinea, West Africa have contacted the team after news of the team's future was released.

But varsity status is still a year away. In the meantime, the 1998 national club champions still want to be a part of the tradition and the transition and bring home another championship in the coming year.

This team could become an integral part of the recruiting process if potential recruits are brought in to meet them. This fall the team will face off against Wisconsin and Northwestern, two varsity teams.

No one knows what the future will hold, but these players also hope to have some say in one matter - uniforms.

Most of the players were definitely in agreement about a set of yellows, but "I'd like to have white, yellow and blue, three sets," Purdy said.

"I'd like to have a uniform designed just for us. A lot of the big time teams have uniforms that were only for them. If you look at our uniforms, they were all kind of generic. I'd like something with a special design."

Though changes are in the wind, for 50 years, the Michigan men's club soccer team provided the University with something it could be proud of.

"The club is going to provide a good transition to the varsity team," Michigan senior Alan Zakaria said. "We've left a strong legacy here. The main point is that we came here not knowing what to expect. I came not thinking I would play or anything.

"I just came to tryouts, and look at what's happened. I've played four years and in that time we've won two national championships. We've created something here and we have something to be proud of that's going to leave a great legacy towards the varsity program.

"That's going to be the start of something great that's you'll see in the next 20 years. It's going to be something that's going to make this University proud, very proud."

04-19-99