Assistant coach, alexis mendoza speaks about the upcoming season at nmsu

Assistant Coach for UDA at NMSU, Alexis Mendoza, was recently asked about the upcoming start of the program.

Mendoza said, “recruitment has gone really well, students are coming from all over the country, from Florida on the East Coast to Colorado in the West. There is not one specific state that is better represented than others, although we have a good number of students from Texas.”
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Mendoza spoke about the development model that he and Head Coach Tahlon Drake will implement, “our goal is the total development of students on and off the field. While we want to win, the first goal is the development and experience the players will have that come into the academy. We can guarantee that all players will play across our game schedule and not just sit on a bench as they might at collegiate programs. Players are not coming into a program to merely train and not get significant playing time until their senior year. Our ultimate goal is to develop players to reach their potential and take them to a level up to and beyond the UPSL.”

Mendoza added, “I played in the traditional collegiate system and while I was lucky enough to play early and often in my college career it was a very limited experience. This program will change the way development can occur for the American player at the collegiate level. We need to understand that players everywhere in the world play year round - we will do that at NMSU."

Mendoza indicated that he is excited about the facilities, “NMSU is a division one athletic school and our students will have access to excellent facilities, including a pool, recreational areas, as well as what is being built, an outstanding soccer facility.”

Mendoza concluded, “we are committed to the total development of the students we work with- not just on the field, but we want to create a family here at UDA as we help students develop into better people. Both Coach Drake and myself are very excited to get started next month."