Catching Up with Marci Jobson
Greetings and Happy New Year from Orlando, Florida and the Disney Soccer Showcase. There are 197 of the best girls teams in the country competing here in front of a slew of college coaches. Lehigh University’s center back and Fair Game friend Courtney Jackson and I are here promoting the magazine, watching some great soccer and kanoodling with players, parents, coaches and lots of friends.
Former National Teamer Marci Jobson stopped by to say hello and talk to us about her retirement from the National Team and her new job as head coach at Baylor University.
Tell me about your World Cup experience.
It was definitely an awesome experience being at the World Cup. I think even not playing; it was tremendous just being there.
I was going to ask you about that. Greg had you warming up for a really long time in the Norway match. I thought he was going to get you in. What was it like to go and not get to play?
It’s always hard as a player, not playing, but being there representing your country and being a part of that team of unbelievable people and just being part of the experience, I think is something I will never forget. I tried to savor every moment of it and if I was going to get into a game, I knew I was going to do my best. I wanted to be a great support to my teammates and that’s how I played my part.
Your teammates speak very highly of your contribution to the team in that regard.
The thing that I tell the kids that I coach is that at the end of the day, you always have your character and people are going to remember how you were as a teammate. Ten years from now they might not remember if you were the best player in the world (maybe if you were Mia Hamm they will) but they’ll remember how you handled yourself. I’ve learned a lot from some great coaches I’ve had. The one thing they always told me was to just be a good teammate, whatever that may mean, just be a great teammate. That’s what I tried to do. I failed at it sometimes and I accomplished it sometimes.
Tell me about your decision to retire.
I don’t know if it was a decision as much as I’m a pretty spiritual person and I was praying a lot about what my next move was going to be. I didn’t know if I was going to go back with the National Team. I didn’t know if I was going to keep coaching at Northern (Illinois) or what, and the opportunity at Baylor came open and it seemed like a great fit. I knew for me to do a good job at Baylor, a Big 12 team, I would have to dedicate all my time to it. I wanted to go our on my own terms. I didn’t want to go out being cut or being too old or whatever. I wanted to go out on my own terms and it just felt right.
Will you husband Paul join you on the Baylor staff?
Paul is on the staff. Chuck Codd who is Charmaine Hooper’s husband and Bret Hall who was the assistant National Team coach will be a volunteer coach for me. I’m psyched about my staff.
Do you know if Bret is in the mix to be considered for part of Pia’s staff?
I think Bret looked at that opportunity as that was what he wanted to do for that time and I don’t think he was looking past that. I don’t think he’s necessarily trying to be in the mix. I think he’s happy with where he’s at in his life. He’s got a lot of great things going on, so I don’t think he’s really trying to be in the mix.
Let’s talk a little bit about Greg (Ryan). Do you think he’s gotten a fair shake in the World Cup aftermath?
I don’t know what a fair shake is. Crap happens. I don’t know how you want to word that. That’s life. You know, Greg did a great job and I loved playing for Greg. Circumstances played themselves out and U.S. Soccer thought they needed to make a change. Whether they’re right or wrong is not for me to say. That’s why I’m not hired to do that job, thank god. All I can comment on is that I’m very appreciative of what Greg has done for me as a player since I was a young college player and I’m very appreciative of my teammates that I got to play with. They are amazing people. Whether or not he got a fair shake, I don’t know, but I know that I took in the experience and got a lot out of Greg, got a lot out of the girls I played with and I’ll never forget those times.
What will you miss about being on the National Team?
I’ll miss just the girls, the times together. I developed some incredible friendships. Life just gets going crazy and it’s hard to keep up with everybody and I’ll miss just those friendships. The times off the field as well as on the field, we just had a great time together and they are incredible people.
They are going to do great. Pia’s a great coach. Greg was a great coach, but I think Pia has maybe a different approach. Every coach brings something new to a team and I think she’ll do great. Greg did great as well. So, we didn’t’ win the World Cup, but he still did a good job when he was coaching us
What are you looking forward to with the Baylor job?
I’m looking forward to building a program in the Big 12. I think it’s at a place where we can continue to grow the program. We’ve got a lot of room to go up. Baylor’s got a lot to offer young women. It’s an incredible school. Spiritually it’s got a great dimension. The facilities are great. I’m looking forward to getting in there are starting to coach.
Have you met your team yet?
I met them for about an hour and it was great.
We just want to get to work. I’m leaving the Disney Showcase and heading straight to Waco. We bought a house that I looked at for like 20 minutes and said “I gottta buy that one” and that’s that.
Comments
m-express
deinse roberts
Thursday November 06 2008 12:04:36 am