Previous to the beginning of the 2022-23 season, West Virginia College coach Jon Hammond provides an outlook on this 12 months’s workforce and what regular enhancements the workforce must make to seize this system’s nation-best twentieth NCAA title.
On his 2022-23 roster and his evaluation of preseason practices:
We’re excited for this 12 months. Anytime you add among the finest shooters within the nation and an Olympic medalist (Mary Tucker), that is clearly going to alter your workforce. I feel our workforce make-up has modified with bringing Mary in, and to date by preseason, observe has been good. There are nonetheless issues we need to enhance on. I feel typically the professionals and cons of few individuals leaving and few individuals coming in is you might have consistency, you might have a roster that you already know and typically it is more durable to combine issues up a little bit bit, too.
However I feel one other big distinction is having JP (assistant coach Jean-Pierre Lucas) right here. It is all the time unhappy when somebody leaves. Soren (Butler) was superior. We did quite a lot of nice issues in his 5 years right here, and alter is inevitable. It is a part of the enterprise. I used to be tremendous excited to convey JP again, and as each coach is totally different, he is totally different and brings one thing totally different to the workforce. I feel what makes him such a very good coach is his work ethic, his drive and his dedication to all of the small particulars. We have sort of nonetheless been adjusting to all the pieces. He is studying the workforce, they usually’re studying about him.
We’re trying ahead to getting the season began. Preseason is preseason. You by no means actually know what is going on to occur. We’re totally conscious there are some nice groups on the market which have been higher than us for a number of years now, and we sort of nonetheless enjoying catch up. However we’re trying ahead to preventing this 12 months and dealing as exhausting as we are able to to try to shut that hole again up and seeing what we are able to obtain.
On the affect of including senior Mary Tucker and her championship pedigree to the workforce:
We have gone fairly some time now the place we do not have anybody that has skilled successful a nationwide championship, to know what it is like and the issues it is advisable to do for that to occur. Mary does. You possibly can see how she trains and her expectations of herself – her striving for excellent but in addition the arrogance she has in her skills and her capacity to carry out.
But in addition, JP – JP was not solely a five-time Nationwide Championship winner, nevertheless it was proper right here. I feel bringing these two in collectively, they’re sort of coming in saying ‘Yeah, we are able to win a nationwide championship. It is not going to be straightforward, however so as to take action, these are the issues we’ve got to do.’ It is a number of little issues like difficult the remainder of the workforce, pushing the workforce a little bit bit extra.
For Mary, it is simply having somebody who capturing greater scores every day within the vary. Now, everybody on the workforce has somebody to look in the direction of and push to get higher or to chase. For some, it could take some strain off their shoulders in matches to not have that expectation to try to be the highest scorer.
And JP, as effectively, goes to problem them and push them for us to get higher and enhance.
On sophomore Natalie Perrin and the way she will construct off successful GARC Rookie of the Yr:
Natalie had an excellent freshman 12 months. I feel her angle is considered one of her strengths. Together with her work ethic to come back and prepare but in addition her angle in the direction of matches, she’s in a position to convey her finest to competitors. She’s not afraid of competitors. Actually, I feel we’re simply on the lookout for her to get higher.
Smallbore was nonetheless fairly new for her final 12 months, and she or he improved so much, however there are typically quite a lot of straightforward methods to enhance as a freshman since you’re getting teaching every day. You are getting coaching every day, and also you’re round a workforce, which frequently you have not been earlier than. You are usually get new tools, and you’ve got all these additional assets. So, freshman 12 months, whereas it’s difficult and all the pieces is new and also you’re adjusting to varsity; should you’re in a position to try this effectively, there are such a lot of different adjustments that may create faster enchancment.
After that, throughout your sophomore, junior and senior years, you are adjusted extra to varsity life, and I feel that turns into simpler. Your life steadiness turns into simpler, however typically, the quick-and-easy enhancements aren’t there anymore. So, it comes down to simply getting higher, simply placing the hours in and dealing more durable. I feel she’s prepared for that, she’s conscious of that.
We’re excited to see how she will proceed to enhance and construct off that freshman 12 months. As you undergo the years, it’s important to dig deeper and deeper to seek out these methods to enhance. We’re undoubtedly assured that she’s going to have the ability to try this, and I feel she is aware of what she must do and has an excellent angle, like I mentioned, to get to work and do these issues.
On his workforce’s expertise and depth heading into the brand new season:
We had a really deep workforce final 12 months. There are undoubtedly some that had their challenges final 12 months which have proven enchancment already. They’re working exhausting and having a very good angle, and hopefully, we’ll see enhancements from them. When you return and take a look at our averages, a really great amount of them are all very comparable in the place they’re at with scores and averages. So, we’ll need to see how issues progress, and I feel these which might be essentially the most dedicated, work the toughest and have the very best attitudes would be the ones that most likely present essentially the most enchancment and can rise to the highest because the 12 months goes on.
On the rise of competitors in collegiate rifle and his outlook on the workforce’s schedule:
We have now to shoot towards all the very best groups. We’re excited to have our Fall Traditional. We’re bringing within the three finest groups from final 12 months right here to campus to have a tournament-style weekend.
The usual final 12 months went up and up. Each document received damaged final 12 months, and never simply as soon as, however a number of groups broke them a number of instances. And it was by these three groups – TCU, Kentucky and Alaska. All of them broke or tied one of many totally different data at one time. That is going to be an enormous problem.
We had a very good run for some time, and groups had to determine methods to get higher and catch us. We’re sort of in that boat now, however we have continued to enhance. Oftentimes, it is a problem as a coach to look and say, ‘The final two years, we have completed sixth place and fourth place at NCAAs, however our season common has been getting higher.’ And we have been capturing good scores, however different groups have been doing it quicker. There’s a cap, there’s a excellent rating. We’re getting nearer and nearer to that, so to seek out enchancment will get more durable and more durable.
We’ll get challenged on our schedule. We have now these three groups coming in for the Fall Traditional, after which, we will go as much as Alaska and compete towards them up at their place for a pair days. Kentucky shall be there for at some point, as effectively. Our final convention match shall be Kentucky, which frequently decides the common season. After which, convention championships and NCAAs will cap the 12 months.
So, we will see these groups a very good bit. There are a lot of different good groups on the market as effectively, together with Ole Miss. We’ll go to Air Pressure, who is also a workforce that completed forward of us final 12 months.
We have now to problem ourselves and shoot towards the very best groups. We have to see the place we stack up, attempt to make enhancements, go together with confidence and go from there.
On overarching message to his workforce this season:
I feel consistency is vital, for certain. Naturally, you need to peak on the finish of the 12 months. If we will shoot a faculty document, we need to do it in February and March, not in September or October.
We have to be constant, however we even have to point out regular enchancment. That is going to come back from working more durable, elevating our requirements – and never simply within the scores we shoot in matches. I feel simply our requirements for our actions and our behaviors; how we observe, how a lot we observe and simply how we’re as a workforce.
I feel there are undoubtedly issues we are able to enhance there, and if we are able to present regular enchancment in lots of small areas all year long, not solely do I feel consistency will come, however we’ll be capable to peak and be our greatest in the direction of the tip of the season.
