NORMAN — There have been plenty of indicators and loads of discuss all through the autumn of 2021 that the Oklahoma soccer workforce lacked good, robust, forceful management from the gamers.

And people Sooners went 11-2.

So what of the 2022 squad, with its new teaching workers and its SOUL mission and its weekly appointed captains? What to make of the management on a workforce that has already amassed three straight losses for the primary time in a era, traditionally doubtful back-to-back weekends within the DFW metroplex, and an unprecedented defeat to rival Texas?

“Management is the most important factor,” mentioned sixth-year senior security Justin Broiles. “As a frontrunner, you’ve bought to step out in entrance. You’ve bought to be the spearhead. You’ve bought to sort of look again and assess: the place, as a frontrunner, did we go incorrect? As a management council, the place did we go incorrect when it comes to getting the fellows able to play, when it comes to how we maintain guys to the usual?”

OU (3-3) performs No. 19-ranked Kansas (5-1) on Saturday at Owen Area, hoping to get again within the win column and possibly salvage its season. Accidents have been an issue, however not practically as massive an issue as drastically inconsistent play on either side of the soccer.

This workforce’s mettle is being examined like by no means earlier than.

A dearth of management isn’t all that straightforward to identify when a workforce begins 9-0. However then dropping two of their final three video games final season — to 2 good groups, to groups that performed for the Massive 12 Championship — maybe shined a lightweight on what had been talked about in darkish corners for a lot of the 2021 season: there wasn’t good management on the roster final 12 months.

However at 3-3, and on a three-game skid, and with seemingly nothing going proper for the Sooners, player-led management could also be at a premium.

“Management is unquestionably important proper now,” mentioned junior broad receiver Drake Stoops. “We have to present the youthful guys that this isn’t the top of the world. We’re going to maintain working exhausting and going again to work. We’ve got to place that behind us and give attention to Kansas now.”

“It sort of feels like possibly when you’re successful, I would not say it will get swept underneath the rug,” mentioned senior linebacker DaShaun White, “however you do not possibly want a lot of it in such an pressing type of method. However proper now, greater than ever, we want our leaders to step up.”

In Brent Venables’ first season, he’s met weekly with a bunch of workforce leaders to debate the workforce’s most urgent points.

“We come collectively each week,” White mentioned. “It is one thing that we wish to keep sharp on, maintain our management workforce collectively and simply deal with totally different issues and stuff like that. Proper now, it is extra necessary than ever.

“It is not likely players-only. Simply a number of issues. Particularly, how we wish to deal with the locker room, particularly being in uncharted waters of 3-3. Over the previous couple of years, we have not actually had a begin like this. The leaders wished to band collectively and be sure that we’re as robust now as once we began, if not stronger.”

Stoops mentioned it’s truly not exhausting to be a frontrunner when the chips are down.

“Not when the entire world is counting you out and everyone seems to be sort of crucifying you within the media,” he mentioned. “It’s sort of straightforward to stay collectively. We’re all we’ve bought and we’re all we want proper now. It’s straightforward for us to all stick collectively and have one another’s again as a result of nobody else does.”

“It sounds a little bit cliché,” mentioned White, “however he hit it on the nostril. It is a type of issues the place you sort of all the time put together to be the very best type of chief for the worst conditions. And that is a type of conditions the place we’re down within the mud and the leaders have to actually step up.”

There are countless self-help books and seminars and YouTube movies on be a greater chief. However for a soccer workforce, it just about has to only occur organically. The older gamers observe the lead of the coaches, after which the youthful gamers observe the lead of the older gamers. On a workforce populated with nearly completely new faces within the workers room and a bunch of transfers and a bunch of freshmen, it’s incumbent on the older gamers to step into that void — typically on their very own.

“Simply being the very best chief that I can,” mentioned senior tight finish Brayden Willis. “Being an older man who has been in a number of conditions — I’ve by no means been on this scenario, however that doesn’t imply I haven’t been via an entire lot of soccer conditions. Being an older man who has been via a number of stuff, with the ability to inform the younger guys it’s OK, the sky isn’t falling down, the solar remains to be gonna shine within the morning. If we will get it rotated, we will nonetheless have a very good season.”

Stated Stoops, “It’s going to be massive for leaders like myself and Brayden Willis, guys like Justin Broiles on protection, David Ugwoegbu, simply older guys who’ve been there earlier than and misplaced robust video games earlier than. Simply prepared the ground and present this isn’t the top of the world.”

Generally robust leaders come from being round different robust leaders — seeing it for themselves — after which making use of it to their very own lives.

“My mother and father used to say on a regular basis that ‘I’m gonna discuss to you till I’m blue within the face,’ ” Willis mentioned. “I don’t have an excessive amount of longer right here, so I’m going to speak till I’m blue within the face and ensure I get the job executed.”

And typically, in soccer, robust management will be handed down immediately. In Stoops’ case, being a frontrunner on the soccer workforce is one thing he’s destined for. Stoops mentioned he’s gotten loads of recommendation on lead from his dad — corridor of fame coach Bob Stoops.

“Positively simply step up, be a frontrunner and the fellows want you proper now,” Drake Stoops mentioned. “He’s been there. He’s been via robust losses earlier than. He is aware of how that may go and the way youthful guys have to be led. Perceive that this isn’t the top of the world. He tells me to step up and be a frontrunner. On the finish of the day, he’s there for me and all the time helps us. I recognize that.”

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