Architect of a new Pack
program
By Stu McCann, Outpost staff
Soccer is right around the corner for the
University of Nevada.
Photo by
Brad
Horn
Dang Pibulvech is the hardest working coach in the
Nevada athletic department these days.
Nevada handed the reins of its new soccer program to Pibulvech less than a month ago, hoping that he is the right man to architect a team from scratch that will begin play in the Western Athletic Conference this fall.
The introduction of the soccer program is not related to Nevada's conference move. According to Sports Information Director Zen Mocarski, the addition of the program has to do with making the university Title IX compliant.
Based on Pibulvech's soccer resume, the Wolf Pack is in good hands. Pibulvech is credited with starting up three Division I women's programs at the University of Texas, the University of Washington and at the College of Colorado.
Even with his extensive resume, Pibulvech knows that he may not be able to go out and lure the top soccer players to a new program like Nevada without making promises that he cannot keep. And Pibulvech doesn't plan on making false pacts with any player.
"One thing that I am not going to do is bring a player in one year and give them playing time just because we need players on the field," he said. "I am not going to do that to a player and then find out in the second or third year that they are not the type of player that we need. We are going to do our best to recruit a class that's going to be around for four years."
Although Pibulvech plans to spend much of the coming months recruiting soccer players to suit up for the Silver and Blue later this year, he also knows that there are capable athletes already attending Nevada, and Wolf Pack soccer will also have a place for them.
"You have to take care of those at home first. It's called the immediate environment demands or expectations," Pibulvech says. "Just last night I was out at the Total Sports (community sports) arena to watch some of our current students play."
Many of the players in the area practice their skills and
stay in the soccer groove by playing in community soccer
leagues like "Kick It" and "Total Sports" which both can be
found in Sparks, Nev. The team soccer atmosphere in the
community leagues is competitive, and players like Nancy
Smith say that they believe that the team environment helps
the soccer hopefuls improve more than individual
workouts.
University
of Nevada, Official Athletic Page
"You get the whole team environment (on a team). It's more challenging," Smith said. "You are seeing different players every game. You see different skill levels and you get to work on your passing and other stuff that you don't get to do by yourself."
Pibulvech says that the community soccer leagues are one of many places that he will search for Nevada's inaugural soccer class. Players that have the skill and show it on the playing field may find themselves playing for a larger venue this fall, as part of an NCAA squad.
Posted
March 3, 2000
Copyright 2000
Nevada Outpost
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