Naisten joukkueen valmennustiimi saa hetkellisen vahvistuksen Amerikan puolelta. Haastattelussa Eric avaa taustojaan ja ideologiaansa valmennukseen. Eric saapui torstaina ja osallistui ensimmäisiin harjoituksiin jo perjantaina Kuopion päässä. Ensi viikolla päästään kunnolla työn makuun yhdessä kevään ensimmäisen leirityksen parissa!

A little bit about yourself: Who are you and how did you end up coaching the Lady Bouncers?
My name is Eric Slivoskey and I’m an American currently living in North Dakota. I’m originally from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, which is 1 hour from the city of Pittsburgh. The town of Latrobe is known as the birthplace of professional football, so maybe that explains why football is in my blood. I have been married to my best friend Estalita (a Brit) for nearly 27 years, and we have 3 children. Kamryn and Kodie attend University in the UK and both play collegiate sport. My youngest daughter Kaylin is still in high school and she is also an excellent athlete.I came to coach the Lady Bouncers through a friend of mine named Tony Simmons. Tony is a former NFL player and longtime European player and coach who put me into contact with the team. I began talking with the team management over the course of several weeks and now here I am.

What’s your experience on the first few days in Finland and Mikkeli?
I’ve spent a lot of time in Finland before, having lived here two full summers in 2009 and 2010 while coaching the men’s Seinajoki Crocodiles Maple League team, and also coming back to visit on many occasions over the past ten years. Finland is like a home away from home for me…other than the language..  Over my first few days, the staff and team has made me feel very welcome and everyone is very kind and helpful.

What are your strengths and how will you help the players in preparing for the upcoming season?
I believe my strengths lie in being a strong communicator who can break concepts down into very simple and practical terms. It helps that I have traveled extensively and been a classroom teacher for many years of my life. I have a solid grasp of the game from coaching at many different levels, and I’ve coached all the positions at one time or another, so I feel prepared to help players on both sides of the ball. I feel like I’ve down well as a coordinator with play calling and making effective adjustments during games, so this has been a big part of my skillset. I focus a lot on the mental approach to the game. Many players seem to like that I’m coaching to invest in both their physical skill development and improvement, as well as their mental preparedness and strengths. Finally, and probably most importantly is the passion and energy I bring to listening to and caring about the players I coach. In my experience, players don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

What are your expectations for your time in Finland?
My expectations are to help the team improve their individual position fundamentals, focus a lot on the details of the techniques, and also help them to perform at a higher level within the defensive scheme. I want to challenge them to raise the bar on the energy, focus, intensity, and discipline they play with. I’m also hopeful that I can contribute some ideas and concepts on offense and help the team develop some new mental training techniques.

Free word. Do you want to tell our followers something?
I will close with sharing an idea about possibilities for each team member. . Decide today what is possible. What are you going to do to become an even greater player this season?  Verbally say it out loud. Ask yourself why you want it and write those reasons down on paper. Once you have stated this desire and you believe it, now it is time to commit to this idea. This is where action comes in. Your small daily actions will turn your fears or your procrastination into future confidence. Every day you will do something. Put one brick in the wall each day and you will build someone and something new.

Kiitos,
Eric