EXACT works with hundreds of colleges and universities across the country, and plays a key role in various soccer camps. One of these camps is held on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University.
Ohio Wesleyan Soccer Head Coach and Professor of Physical Education Dr. Jay Martin talked about his elite soccer camp.

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EXACT’s role in the camp is to help the players mentally focus on the game of soccer and be prepared to play  their best over a highly competitive weekend.  There are questionnaires to see how coachable a player is and their attitude towards themselves and their abilities or even their  personality traits--intangibles that may not be spotted on the pitch. Dr Martin has been coaching soccer for 34 years and his Battling Bishops are one of the top Division III programs in the country. According to bishops.owu.edu, one of Dr. Martin’s players made the prestigious Academic All-American list, and two were DIII All-Americans (from http://bishops.owu.edu/msoccer.html). We sent Dr. Martin a list of 4 questions and here is how he responded:

EXACT: What are some of the things that happen on a typical day of camp?

Dr. Martin: “There are no thrills in our camp. It is completely focused on soccer technique and fitness. There is an opportunity to get everyone on the ball with various games and arrangements.”

E: What do coaches like yourself look for when recruiting talent? How do you spot that in your camp?

M: “The game of soccer is always changing. It has become more competitive and more athletic, even over the last decade. It’s been very impressive watching their technique. We look for athletes who are competitive and tough.”

E: Talk about the instructors involved with your camp. Where are they from, and how do they support your goals?

M: “Our campers and our coaches come from all over the Mid-Eastern states and the Midwest. Some universities that come include Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, and my son, Ryan, who is the assistant coach at Wake Forest, comes as well.”

E: How does your team mentally prepare during the season?

M: “I’ve been coaching for 34 years. Success is more than just winning and losing. The game is 90% mental. We use mental imaging, and that gives us a good set up for the season. Mental preparation is huge. The difference is often that extra 10% of preparation.”

Additional comments from Dr. Martin: “EXACT has been a huge difference for us. We finished fifth in the country last year with a 19-2-2 record. I knew we had a good team, but I didn’t think we would finish that well. I really think our work with EXACT played a huge, huge role in that success.”

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