George Washington University Athletics
Q & A with Head Coach Tanya Vogel
8/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Being back at GW is like moving back home. The familiarity of everything is comforting and still extremely exciting. I love it here. I really can't explain in words what a thrill it is to be the head coach here at GW. When I was a freshman in college I used to joke with my teammate Amy Sellers that one day we'd be back here as coaches... but I was always the assistant.
You finished your masters at GW while coaching in Pennsylvania. What is it about the school, the program, and the city that brings you back?
Are you kidding? It's GW, the city, the atmosphere. There is never a dull moment, and yet it's not intimidating. Even when I was driving 200+ miles from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, I lived for the moment when I would drive down the GW Parkway and get my first glimpse of the city. There's something special about this place. As for the academics, the Exercise Science program here is unique. The professors are challenging, yet class sizes remain small. I feel that this keeps the learning atmosphere comfortable. Evidently I just didn't want to spend too much time away from GW!
How did you and your teammates balance academics and soccer in your time as student-athletes at GW?
I believe that athletes, in general, do better when they have many things on their plate. When we had busy schedules loaded with practices, traveling, team meetings, and, of course, class...we had to manage our time to get everything done. If you get distracted and head to the Mall or just ?veg? in front of the TV, you may struggle a bit. Luckily GW Athletics has a terrific Academic Support staff which works work hard to help student-athletes with the balancing act.
Having played at GW, and most recently coached at Cornell, you are accustomed to working with extremely talented student-athletes. It seems important to you to be able to work in an environment where young women are aspiring to do great things.
I have been extremely fortunate to work with student-athletes at all academic and athletic levels. I think what I enjoy most about working with talented individuals who value academics and athletics is their ability to challenge me as a person. If I'm not on my toes here at GW, my kids will find a way to remind me...with either actions or words...they'll let me know. It's great for me because I can't ever get lazy with these guys. They push me...and who's the coach?
Are you eager for your first season to begin?
You can't even imagine. I'm back at GW...I've been dreaming of this since the day I left.
Where do you see your program three years from now?
Winning. Winning our conference and winning in the NCAA Tournament. We are getting a new home field (at GW's Mount Vernon campus) and the way I see it, there are no more excuses!
What effect do you think the women's professional league (WUSA) will have on girls' and women's soccer in America? It is difficult to predict because we have never really had anything like this in the United States. However, if the 1999 World Cup is any indication? we will be in for a fun ride! I believe the environment surrounding the WUSA can be awesome if parents, coaches, and current soccer players take hold of their responsibility to share the game. We need to take young soccer players to the stadiums, just as my dad took me to the baseball park to watch our Triple A team in Rochester, NY. We cannot simply rely on the league if we want it to have an effect on girls' and women's soccer in our country. We have to help it out; we must all do our part. Thank you Tanya and good luck to you in your first season back at GW.
Thank you for your questions and GO COLONIALS!!!!!!!!!
