REDHAWK CHAT: Head Soccer Coach Bobby Kramig

 Head coach Bobby Kramig

Miami soccer head coach Bobby Kramig and co-captain Eva Candia stopped by Wednesday morning to answer your questions about the upcoming alumni weekend, this weekend's games and the team as a whole. Below is the transcript from today's chat.

MURedHawks.com: Welcome to RedHawk Chat! Coach Kramig is here and has brought along co-captain Eva Candia, who will also be here to answer your questions. Please feel free to fire away.

Bill (Cincinnati): What events do you have planned for the alumni this weekend?

Bobby Kramig: Well we have a very busy weekend planned. Not only is it alumni weekend, but Sunday is also Senior Day. Obviously, we have the match Friday at 5 against Dayton and we're having an informal alumni gather after the game at a local Oxford establishment. Saturday morning, we have an alumni game scheduled for 11 a.m. and Saturday evening we're having an alumni reception at a different restaurant in Oxford. Sunday, we host Cleveland State and we'll be presenting our seniors prior to the match and the alumni at halftime.

Christie (Richmond, IN): Hi Coach! How would you rate your team's play so far? Seems like you're off to a good start. Go RedHawks!

Bobby Kramig: I think by and large I'm pleased with our start. I think we've made good progress but I think we have a lot of work ahead of us. I think the foundation for a good team is in place and now the job is for us to continue to improve upon the things that we're doing.

Will (Millville, Ohio): What was your initial connection in recruiting players from Sweden? Obviously, you've been able to build upon that? Are you recruiting other Swedes, too?

Bobby Kramig: My initial connection in Sweden came from a former teammate from college who was from Sweden. We made two trips to Sweden, saw a number of players and we're very fortunate to bring back the talented kids that we did. We are not currently recruiting in Sweden due to a change in NCAA eligibility requirements.

Matt (Milford): How important has it been having Allison Berkey back this season?

Eva Candia: I would say it's extremely important, both on and off the field. She's someone that everyone listens to and looks for. She also brings a lot of experience.

Bobby Kramig: I think we're very fortunate to have Alli and Eva in leadership positions this year. Between the two of them they're great role models, they bring a lot of knowledge and experience to our team. I see leadership as one of the great strengths of this year's team.

Ruby from Darrtown ... again: A question for Eve ... did you play any other sports in high school?

Eva Candia: No, we don't play other sports in Sweden. People commit to one sport and play that at the club level starting at a younger age. We don't really play high school sports in Sweden.

Alex (Mason, Ohio): Toledo's had a hold on the MAC the last few years. How do you see the league playing out in 2009?

Bobby Kramig: One of the things that makes the MAC so interesting is the parity. It really is an any-given-day type of league. There's not a weekend that goes by where we don't look at the results from the league and just wonder how in the world did that happen. Toledo has certainly been the class of the MAC the last couple of years, but I think they're very beatable and they're one of probably half a dozen teams that could win the league this year.

Jessica (Eaton): What is your favorite memory coaching the women's team?

Bobby Kramig: My favorite memory has to be beating West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2001. They were ranked No. 11 in the nation and we won the match 1-0 in what was probably the biggest upset of the entire tournament.

Ruby from Darrtown: After the U.S. women's World Cup victory a few years ago, I thought that would really propel the popularity in the United States. Did it?

Bobby Kramig: I wouldn't say it propelled it. I think it's more of a situation where every little bit helps. I think it's going to take a number of years for women's professional soccer to take route in this country. Like anything else, it's not going to happen overnight.

Kayla (Fairfield): What do you look for in potential recruits?

Bobby Kramig: We evaluate players in four different areas. Obviously, they have to be athletic enough to compete at this level -- strength, size, speed -- qualities such as those. Second thing is their technical ability. Are they skillful enough? Can they play with both feet? Are they fundamentally sound? Third, we look at them tactically. What's their playing style like? Does their style fit in with our style? And the last and arguably most important thing is what's going on in their head. Are they mentally tough? Are they good competitors? What are their training habits like? It's very unusual to find a player that possesses all of these qualities, but that's essentially how we look at prospects.

Lacy (College Corner): What are the keys to victory over this weekend's opponents?

Eva Candia: Stay focused, first of all. I think our biggest challenge is to just play our game. Playing our game is going to be the hardest part. If we can do that, we can beat both teams.

Carolyn (Oxford): You hired several of your former players to be assistant coaches this year, what has that been like?

Bobby Kramig: It's been great. When hiring an assistant coach, character is the most important thing. Both Nate and Gary are guys that I've known for many years. I trust their judgment. They've got a great knowledge of the game, but most importantly they possess great character.

Chris (Oxford): You have a lot of senior leadership on your team. How does all that experience help the team heading forward this season?

Eva Candia: It helps a lot because there's a bigger group of leaders, so it's easier when there's a lot of people because we have leadership at every position on the field and off the field. People don't have to come to just me or Alli because we're captains. The seniors want to win badly their last year and they will go 100 percent and they expect that from all the other players. We can sub however much we want and there will always be leaders on the field.

Jess (Hamilton): Coach, what is your favorite part about having alumni return to Oxford? what kind of turnout are you expecting?

Bobby Kramig: We're expecting a very good turnout. For me, it's a great weekend. It is so much fun for me to see these folks and to get caught up with them and see how well they're doing. The fact that so many are willing to make the journey back to Oxford makes me feel like their experience with Miami Soccer was meaningful and I'm always moved by their desire to stay in touch with the program.

Katie, Chicago: The freshmen don't seem to be playing much so far. Which of them do you think can contribute the most this season?

Eva Candia: Jess Kodiak has already been getting a lot of playing time this season, so I think she will definitely play more. A lot of our senior leaders did not play their freshman year but they realized you can still make a big difference on the team even without getting a lot of minutes as freshmen. I think it's a good class but we need to give them the time to make the adjustment to college.

Jessica (Easton): My second question would be what is your favorite memory from coaching the men's team?

Bobby Kramig: That's a really hard question to answer. There's just so many memories. Certainly, the 1986 conference championship win over Bowling Green comes to mind. Everything about the 1994 team that also won the MAC. Probably the best result we ever had was defeating that year's eventual national champion Wisconsin in 1995. Really though, on both sides (men and women) it's the personalities that stick with you, rather than the events. When you ask me a question like that, faces come to mind before jewelry and trophies.

MURedHawks.com: Alright RedHawk fans, we have time for one more question.

Mike Hickory,NC: When you quit dying your hair red and let it be its natural grey?

Bobby Kramig: At my age, I'm happy to have the hair I've got, regardless of color. Maybe if we win the league this year I'll shave it. MAYBE!

MURedHawks.com: That concludes our chat. Thank you for your questions. A representative from the football team will be here to answer your questions next Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

REDHAWK CHAT: Head Soccer Coach Bobby Kramig

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