After a return to championship status for the soccer program, Richard Moodie is entering his fourth year as head coach at South Alabama. The Jaguars won the regular season title and tournament championship with nine players named to the all-conference team in 2019, five to the first team, and sweeping the regular season individual awards.

USA returns eight from the starting 11 including Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Gracie Wilson and Newcomer of the Year Athanasia Moraitou along with six all-conference performers.

Moodie spoke on numerous subjects like how he hopes to maintain top form and adjusting to the new challenges presented by Covid-19.

What is your biggest takeaway from last season?
The resilience of the players to return after a dismal 2018 season to put everything into moving forward and focusing immediately to reestablish themselves to championship form speaks absolute volumes. We have developed a really strong culture here with a good group of returners for a strong core. We lost a few important pieces, but we have a fresh group of quality incoming players. We are absolutely proud of the rebound from 2018 to 2019.

What are your team goals?
Like last year, we did not set any and we are doing that again. We want to wait until we see the first game, whether that is an intrasquad scrimmage, an exhibition or even our first non-conference competitive game. The idea is to maximize the potential of this group. The obvious answer a lot of coaches give is that we want to win conference. The concept here is to judge what the team is capable of playing and evaluate from that point. The number one goal at this moment is to stay healthy and keep practicing.

What is the biggest concern this season, on and off the field?
Off the field is fairly obvious with COVID. We have smart student-athletes that make good decisions off the field and in the classroom. The biggest concern for us on the field is can we improve where we were last year. Defensively, we wanted to tighten up so we signed two center backs this year. Offensively, can we create like we did in 2019; we have pieces in place to continue that production but it will come down to execution on the field.

How are you dealing with COVID?
I am thankful for the administration and response team. We have had a lot of information given to us from various sources but we have been given guidelines and the team has fulfilled them on a daily basis. Practices look good, but different due to procedures to prevent the spread of the disease. We are going through adjustments like not using the building or the weight room. We also only meet in small groups or in areas where we can be a full group but socially distance. We hope by some point we can all train together and use the locker room, but only when it adheres to medical advice. The most important thing is keeping the players safe and a safe environment to play in.

How are the players adjusting to the new COVID guidelines?
The team is adjusting extremely well. They have firmly accepted the new guidelines without question. We would get policy handed down to the coaching staff and relaying the information to the players, we would generally want to hear their perspective and concerns and try to come to an understanding. Ultimately, everyone wants to play soccer in September, so we will take all necessary steps to accomplish that.

How is this affecting player development?
Early on we were in two groups, and only coming together for meals. That gives an effect on morale and building a culture, but that seems to be the only real effect. Kailey Littleford and Morgan White have really excelled since arriving.

How will the shortened schedule affect players?
The biggest question we got this off season from the players was "Is the season going to happen?". It appears now that yes it is, albeit with no NCAA tournament until the spring at the earliest. I think the Sun Belt did an exceptional job with delaying until the information became available rather than just cancelling straight away. We can always reevaluate later and if it is unfeasible, then we won't.

What impact will the loss of Justice Stanford and Briana Morris have?
They offer so much not just on the field, but in the locker room and off the field too. [Briana] Morris was not a 16-goal scorer her junior or sophomore years, and you could make the argument that [Justice] Stanford was in a position to be a close equivalent to what she was her senior year in previous seasons, but we have a solid group of student-athletes ready to jump into those roles. I could say some names right now, but at this moment I am not even certain who will do it.

Losing three starters, who steps into those spots?
We swept the Sun Belt awards last season, and some of the players on our team feel like they could have won those awards themselves. There was still team comradery and the players were still proud of the teammates that won those awards, but we have a solid talented group of returners. We also recruited in areas we needed to improve and strengthened the team there. We lost [Briana] Morris who plays as a winger and scored a lot of goals, but we return Kory Dixon. On top of that we signed Matilda Ovenberger from Keiser University who is an All-American two years in a row and scored 55 goals in NAIA.

What newcomer do you expect to make an impact this year?
Izzy Ford is coming in as an England international. She started for Sheffield United at 16 years old and scored in her debut. Ford could easily come in and score or create goals. Anita Gudmundsdottir offers very good attributes coming in at the goal keeping position. We have signed Leonie Salzgeber and Gabrielle Gayle, new center backs; we have considered going to a back three system to put players further forward, and we needed improved depth at center back to play that style.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90