Red Storm Sports News

Moving to the next level in any occupation or walk of life is often times a difficult process, and moving to the next level in competitive sport incorporates all of those challenges and then some. An athlete not only has to grow as a person, but also has to adjust to a faster game, bigger, stronger and faster competition and a new lifestyle. Within the St. John's soccer program, head coach Dr. David Masur and his staff have prided themselves on preparing student-athletes for the next level, no matter whether it is on the field or off it.

For Matt Groenwald and other current professional soccer players, the intensity and preparation techniques are what have made for quick transitions to the more challenging pro game.

"I think it is, if not the best, one of the best, programs to go to in college," Groenwald said, "if you want to be really prepared for really everything at the next level. I really feel like the pressure that was put on us to play and think as quickly as possible and to be in excellent shape are really three factors in making a quick transition to the professional game."

Groenwald is an even more extreme case of adjusting to a new environment. After playing four highly acclaimed seasons at St. John's, the Mt. Prospect, Ill., native was selected in the third round of the Major League SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards. A move from the New York City metropolitan area to the plains of the mid-west was also complicated by both the acclimation to the MLS and a change in position, from right midfielder to right back.

For the Wizards' new starting defender, his time at St. John's has made all the difference.

"What I've been doing to prepare so far is identical to what I'd been doing at St. John's," Groenwald said. "I'm thinking ahead, visualizing and relating to my defensive and offensive role. I'll keep a journal and go back through that list, visualizing everything on it as detailed as possible - all things I did at St. John's for four years and all things I'm going to try and continue to do."

On the pitch, his physical adjustments seem to have been made as easily as his mental adjustments. What he learned from head coach Dr. David Masur and associate head coach Marc Reeves about breaking down, defending 1-v-1 and seeing things before they happen have been keys in his budding professional career.

"Any player looking to get the most out of their college experience, as far as playing professionally," Groenwald added, "St. John's can offer any preparation you could possibly need."

Groenwald may be a young, inexperienced rookie in a league full of veterans, but he has come to realize early just how far along he is as a result of his experience at St. John's. His better understanding of his role and how he approaches and prepares for the game - things every player that takes direction from the Red Storm coaching staff come to realize - have been instrumental in his earning a starting job and being able to perform every day.