Getting a collegiate team to the highest level of competition is no small task. Seattle University’s men’s soccer coach Pete Fewing knows that, but he also knows that his team has the talent to make it there.
Pete Fewing, Head Coach of Seattle University’s Men’s Soccer since 1988.
Fewing is in his fifth year as the head coach for Seattle U as a Division 1 team. He had previously coached the team from 1988-2005 leading them to a NAIA National Championship in 1997 and a Division II National Championship in 2004, so he is no stranger to winning.
Fewing is a widely respected coach having won the NSCAA West Regional Coach of the Year in 2015 and the Western Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 2013. His approach to coaching student athletes is part of what makes him such a special coach.
“They’re here to get a degree. That’s the first thing,” Fewing said. “Rule number one is graduate.”
In 2014 the team won its first Division 1 Academic Award for having a cumulative GPA over 3.0. Fewing and his coaches make sure that their players are involved in the classes, stating that they have to sit in the front third of the class and be active participants.
He believes that striving for excellence in the classroom translates to the soccer field. This serves everyone involved with the team. It puts his players in a position to succeed at school and with the team.
He really emphasizes the team aspect, believing that they cannot succeed if they don’t work together. He says that they need to be working hard in all aspects of their lives in order to come together as teammates and win games.
The Redhawks are now on other school’s radars after making the round of 32 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament and the Sweet Sixteen last year. And he knows people are watching them.
“Because of the success we’ve had in the past, we are a known entity now.” This means that they have to stay even closer as a group and work as one, to show to those watching how strong of a team they are.
Along with everything that goes into building a great team, Fewing knows that you still need to win games.
“We want to win the WAC. We want to be talented and skillful when we play. We don’t want to just kick it. We want to be successful on both offense and defense.”
Fewing is looking to build the best all around team he can both on and off the field. He also stated that he is looking to team captain and senior center back Kyle Bjornethun to lead the team. Bjornethun is coming off a stellar season in which he was named the WAC Defensive player of the year and First Team all Conference. He was also named as someone to watch for the Hermann Trophy which is handed out annually to the top college player of the year.
Along with Bjornethun he sang the praises of his back four and their importance to the team. Another key player is David Olsen who led the country in scoring last season.
“We have a lot of veteran guys returning so we have high hopes and expectations for this team,” Fewing said. “Winning the WAC is our initial goal. Getting into the NCAA Tournament and then just taking it one game at a time.”
This just goes to show that Fewing has fashioned quite the team. Under his guidance the Redhawks should flourish this year.
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