Author: Joshua Biers
The Occidental men’s soccer team finished 4-12-1 last season, and was in desperate need for a change. In late May, former L.A. Galaxy player Radames “Rod” Lafaurie was introduced as the Tigers’ new coach. This excellent piece of news has given hope to a team that struggled with many difficulties last season.
An Orange County native, Lafaurie has led an illustrious playing career that began at Mater Dei High School, where he played a critical role on two California Interscholastic Federation championship teams. Moreover, Lafaurie received the 2003 Male Athlete of the Year at Cal-State Northridge (CSUN), where he also earned Big West Conference All-Academic first team honors from 2002-2004. After a standout career at CSUN, Lafaurie went on to play for the Galaxy in 2005.
Not only has Lafaurie proven to be a talented player, he has also shown himself to be an outstanding coach. He has coached a variety of winning teams, leading the Brentwood High School varsity team to an undefeated season and the Liberty League Championship in 2006. Before coming to Oxy, Lafaurie also coached the Westside Breakers, the dominant all-girls soccer club in West L.A.
Lafaurie’s ample experience gives him a large reservoir of strategies and plays that he plans on using as the Tigers’ new coach. “Our focus levels for 90 minutes must increase tremendously to avoid defeats,” said Lafaurie in an e-mail interview. “We play well and move the ball, we just tend to lose focus periodically which causes our misfortune from time to time.”
Lafaurie has also set achievable goals for this year’s team. “[My] goals for the season are to make the conference tournament and make soccer a sport at Oxy that is highly thought of and one that generates interest,” Lafaurie said. “The entire culture of the group must also change to become not just a soccer program, but a winning soccer program.”
With his optimism and goal-oriented strategies, Lafaurie has already earned the respect of his players. “I think his major strength over our previous coach is that he is well-respected and liked by all members of the team,” forward Ben Murray (sophomore) said in an e-mail interview. “He is much better organized, and has a clear and concise system that lets every member of the team know what their role is and what is expected of them.”
The team is also pleased with Lafaurie’s coaching techniques. “I personally like the style because it gives us more opportunities to exploit the space behind the defense,” said midfielder Ian Silverness (first-year) in an e-mail interview.
Although the Tigers have had a rough start to this season (0-3), the enthusiasm and experienced coaching that Lafaurie brings the team keep the players optimistic. “We just need time to better understand our roles and we will improve as the season wears on,” Lafaurie said.
Tonight, the team will face off against Caltech in hopes of bringing in their first win of the season.
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