CYPRESS --- In her 16th season coaching the Lady Chargers, Coach Mohr sits down to talk about her coaching style and what to look forward to in the upcoming season.
Q: What's been your philosophy or coaching style here at Cypress College?
Mohr: "It's on the back of our t-shirts, "Hard work pays off." "We put in the time and the work ethic to whatever were doing, whether it be the physical or mental aspect of the game."
Q: Is there a certain way you go about your coaching every season or do you change your coaching style depending on the players or group that you get?
Mohr: "It's easier to adapt to them and play to their strengths. We don't abandon our philosophy of hard work, but we focus on the strengths that we have. Wherever our strengths lie is where we try to evolve our system around."
Q: Last year your team made it to the first round of the regional's/playoffs but fell short, do you feel like this team can make it farther into the post season?
Mohr: "Yes, last season we lost a key player towards the end of the year. She was our second leading scorer at the time so that didn't help us going into the playoffs. This year we are relatively young and we need to learn quickly and mature as a team but I believe we can go far."
Q: Are there any players this year that you believe will be the leaders of this team?
Mohr: "Well,
Jeana Magana is a first team All-Conference player and I think she has a chance to contend for player of the year in the conference. We also have a red shirt freshman named
Haley Gorman. She is 6'2 and will be a great presence in the post."
"Overall, the key to our team is the complimentary players. The best players will usually balance each other out on both sides but it comes down to the bench players to put you over the top. I believe we have the role players and the bench players to do that this season."
Q: It's still early, but who do you believe will be your toughest competition in the OEC conference?
Mohr: "Honestly, right now it's ourselves. We have to learn to play smarter and more consistent. Looking at our conference I believe everybody will improve. I see IVC doing well and both Riverside and OCC being very competitive this season. We have been blessed to be two time champions, but anyone can beat anybody on any given night in the OEC Conference."
Q: You probably look at each game as equal importance, but is there a team you circle on your calendar or enjoy playing the most?
Mohr: "I look forward to playing every team, but I know some of our players enjoy playing our rival, Fullerton. We also seem to always have great games against Riverside and IVC. Both of those schools have done a great job against us as of late."
Q: It looks like you will be competing for your third straight conference championship, how does this team compare to last seasons?
Mohr: "I believe we will have more weapons offensively this season. But, losing Sloan Turner is a tough loss. She was a force in the middle and she had an act of knowing how to clog up the paint and block shots without fouling. Last years team might have been a little better defensively in the half court, but this years team has a little bit more of an offensive punch. It will be interesting to see how it plays out."
The Chargers begin their 2013-14 season on November 7th against Glendale. Their first home game will be on December 6th, when Cypress hosts the Lady Charger Classic.
