Patience Needed For Shadow, Says Ex-Coach
When Sean Bushey took over as coach of the Spokane Shadow in 1997, the main core of players from the previous season returned.
That hasn’t been the case for first-year coach Stuart Saunders this summer. He’s having a rough time, and so are his players.
“Obviously there’s not external pressure to do well, there’s just the tradition of the Shadow to do well with the vast amount of changes we’ve had to make,” Saunders said. “The standard has been set very high and we want to achieve that standard each and every time.”
Spokane has 15 new players this season. The Shadow have performed well at times but have not developed consistency. They have struggled to finish their shots. On June 9, for example, Spokane outshot the Cascade Surge 19-3 but settled for a 1-1 tie.
Bushey, who says Saunders is a good friend, has watched three of the Shadow’s home matches from the stands. He said Saunders and the team just need to be patient.
“He’s got to continue to plug away on things they’re working on in training,” said Bushey, who coached the team for three summers and also directs the men’s and women’s programs at Whitworth College. “With a lot of changeover, it takes time. It doesn’t happen right away.”
The Shadow take to the road for two matches this weekend in the Premier Development League Northwest Division. Spokane (2-2-3 NW Division) is in Corvallis, Ore., tonight against the Willamette Valley Firebirds, then plays the Cascade Surge in Salem, Ore., on Sunday.
Garth Cummings led the team to an important win Saturday when he scored in the 87th minute as the Shadow defeated the Yakima Reds 1-0.
“They have the talent and they need to get on the same page pretty quick,” observed Bushey. “He (Saunders) isn’t satisfied yet. I remember it just took time to get used to managing the guys and getting them to perform. You have to perform each week.”
What the Shadow don’t have is a strong leader, Bushey said. Saunders was that person in past seasons when he served split duties as a player-coach.
“Stu was instrumental in that,” said Bushey, who misses his role with the team and the excitement of the crowd but doesn’t miss the pressure.
Saunders said he isn’t antsy to get back on the field, he just wants someone on his team to step up as a leader.
“The way I played, I was very vocal and very driven to succeed,” Saunders said. “We haven’t had anybody to step into that role. We’re trying to find that. We need someone to step up each and every time out to carry us through the valleys as well as the peaks.”
In the wake of recent injuries, the Shadow signed midfielder Mike Thompson. Thompson played 18 matches with the Shadow in 1998.
The Coeur d’Alene native and Gonzaga University graduate began the season with the PDL Dayton Gems. He asked for his release after being disappointed with organizational policies, the Shadow reported. He should see action this weekend.