This year the women’s soccer team is not only making anadjustment to a new coach, but to an entirely new coachingstyle.

Starting this fall, head coach John Cossaboon began implementinghis new coaching techniques to build a successful women’ssoccer team on the Hilltop.

“We want to get closer to a national championship,”Cossaboon said, “and get the best recruits in Texas to playat SMU.”

In order to reach such a goal, Cossaboon and assistant coachStuart Brown have arranged for a group of males to join the LadyMustangs once a week on Westcott Field to help them train andprepare for upcoming games.

“The guys are there to help us improve on our physicalspeed and the time it takes us to make decisions. They force us todeal with players that are bigger, stronger and faster, which makesus rely on our team shape and system to play together moreeffectively,” Cossaboon said.

“They push women to higher performance,” hesaid.

Since the early ‘90s, Cossaboon has incorporated malesinto his female practices and has seen wonderful benefits.

“I have seen an inordinate number of top national teamplayers who have trained with males at some point in their career,and it has only improved their game,” Cossaboon said.

So far at SMU, the guys have only participated in five trainingsessions.

“The greatest improvements are still ahead of us,”Cossaboon said.

However, he also reported that the women’s physical gameand speed of play are improving every day, and that he is veryhappy with the results so far.

As soon as Cossaboon assumed his coaching responsibilities lastspring, he contacted Guy Bellaver and Larry Ray Causey II, twoseniors at SMU. They helped to get a group of guys together who hadthe right frame of mind.

“We are looking for guys who are here to help, not showoff for the girls,” Cossaboon said.

The only hassles that the males propose are those ofadministration.

“It was a lot of work getting the guys cleared to play. Wehad to treat them as if they were actual members of a collegiatesport,” Cossaboon said.

Other than that, Cossaboon is happy with the SMU male practicesquad and its performance.

“Of course it is always a problem when Guy Bellaver getscaught up in the moment and tries to coach the girls. I don’tallow that,” Cossaboon said.

All joking aside, when it comes down to business, Bellaver takeshis job seriously. He says he gets a sense of accomplishment fromhelping to improve the girl’s level of play.

“It’s great to come to games and see the vastimprovements on the field and feel somewhat responsible forthem,” Bellaver said.

This year the Lady Mustangs are led by senior captains KimHarvey, who was recently named WAC Player of the Week, and LaurenMussalem. So far the girls are 13-2-0 overall, and 6-0-0 in theWAC.

This Wednesday the Lady Mustangs take on North Texas at home inhope that these new coaching methods will continue to pay off andkeep the winning streak going.

Even if the winning streak does not continue, Cossaboon thinksthe team should still feel lucky.

Cossaboon’s credentials extend far across both thecalendar and the map.

He has been coaching for more than 20 years and has traveledaround New York, parts of Texas and up and down the coast ofCalifornia, coaching both male and female collegiate soccerteams.

He went as far as Japan to coach women’s professionalsoccer. And he has also studied soccer techniques in Belgium,Brazil and Holland.

Ever since former coach George Van Linder resigned last winter,SMU seems to have accepted Cossaboon and his qualifications withopen arms.

“It is a great day for our women’s soccer program.John has an impeccable background at many levels. He built the SanDiego program into a consistent winner, and he also has ties to theTexas soccer community,” SMU Director of Athletics JimCopeland said.