by Diego Ocando Pena–The Collegian Reporter spoke with Carlos Saenz, Morningside’s assistant men’s soccer coach, and a dedicated professional from Peru.
Saenz wears multiple hats, balancing coaching with a vital role in pulmonary and cardiac rehab at Mercy One. He graduated from Mount Marty University in Exercise Wellness and started coaching during his senior year. Over the years, he coached for five years the first team of Mount Marty University and managed various local clubs and high school teams.
Saenz has forged his path as an entrepreneur, founding his own personalized sports training company, URU High–Performance. With an inclusive approach, he imparts training to individuals across all age groups, emphasizing a holistic and personalized approach to sports development.
Saenz’s journey blends academics, sports, and healthcare, showcasing his passion for diverse pursuits beyond traditional coaching.
What is the difference between a head coach and an assistant coach?
Being a head coach involves more than coaching. You spend a lot of time recruiting, fundraising, and administrating, all things required to have a successful program. It takes more than just coaching. Good decisions lead to more success.
An assistant coach is more focused on the game, like tactics, evaluating players, and other tasks given by the head coach, rather than administrative work.
The head coach has the option to recruit players that fit his style of play; they have the final say in everything and to give a culture to your program. The biggest advantage of being an assistant coach is that you can focus on the game, which is the part I like and enjoy the most.
What is the difference between a big soccer program to a small one?
Big and small programs aren’t better or worse, just different. Smaller programs mean working closely with all parts of the organization. Bigger ones have more tools for player development.
I would not compare them. They face their own challenge and coaches adapt to the program they are involved.
How is the recruitment of soccer players at the college level?
Successful coaches already have an idea of what type of players they would like on their team. When you recruit, you have these opportunities, unlike in high school. In college, you know the players’ academic background, their traits, and even their attitude. A college coach has to be able to adapt. Each player is unique. Some need space, while others are driven to talk to them.
How would players describe their experience playing for Coach Carlos Saenz?
Honesty is very important to me. I am a coach who prefers to make things clear from day one, players appreciate honesty more than talking nice to them. They know and understand when something you tell them is true.
My intention with the players is to make them better, see their characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses, and make the best of it. I feel that my players see the commitment that I have with them and with the program.
I feel that I have good communication with my players. Sometimes they may agree or sometimes they may not, but my intention is to make them feel that my intentions are the best.
I have been a soccer player myself. I came like many of them to play college soccer as an international student, so I also have a player’s point of view and a lot of the advice I try to give comes from my personal experiences.
How do you transfer the knowledge of being a graduate in Exercise Wellness and working as a pulmonary and cardiac rehab into soccer?
Exercise science is another passion. Mixing soccer and understanding the human body interests me.
I have the opportunity to work with people who are in a difficult condition or people who have just had surgery. My job is to slowly get a baseline to see where they are and improve them in all modalities with exercises.
That applies to soccer as well, I focus on individual players’ needs, helping them improve through tailored training.
What are your next goals?
I have a business called URU High–Performance that I started a year and a half ago and it’s been getting bigger and is helping more people in the community. One of my goals is to develop that project, make it bigger, and have a facility where I can work with more people and more time. Also getting more knowledge in the areas that I am passionate about.
Leave a Reply