When it comes to a positive attitude, NIU soccer coach Willy Roy provides it.

Roy was hired in August 1987 after former coach Jerry Collins resigned. Although his squad finished the season with a 6-10-2 record, the former Chicago Sting boss is ready for upcoming years.

“NIU has a great future,” Roy said. “I wish I would have had more time to prepare with the kids last year. This will be the first year it is possible for me to redshirt.”

After one year as a collegiate coach, Roy spoke with enthusiasm of his position at NIU. He compared college athletes to the professional level and said there were some similarities.

“Kids are kids and they want to play, so they play hard,” Roy said. “On the other side of the coin, the (professional) players play for money. They know the better they play the more money they make.”

Roy admitted there was some adjusting to make. For him, many more variables had to be considered when coaching his college crew compared to that of the pros.

“The school system was new to me last year,” Roy said. “It took a while to get to know the kids. Now I know what to expect.

“The kids are here for an education, and we have to work with that. With the pros, there is only one thing to look forward to and that is the game.”

The one important aspect of being soccer boss at NIU is the spirit. He called it “refreshing and rewarding” to be able to work with the Huskies.

“One thing I’ve noticed here by talking in the community is that people are receptive, and working here is fun,” Roy said. “We (the Sting) were successful, and we won one or two championships, but the last two years were not fun.

“I have rejuvenated. There’s nothing I can say bad. I am extremely lucky with the way things have worked out.”

For Roy, soccer is the next-best thing to his “wife, kids, dog and parakeet.” It is this love for the sport which makes him a firm believer in work. “It is the quality – not quantity” on which he bases his belief. “Work needs to be intense, but it depends a lot on the personnel,” Roy said. He continued to say he would prefer a one-hour workout compared to two hours if the players perform better.

Roy also strives for discipline. He said there is a time to work and a time to play, and he is teaching his athletes how to recognize the difference.

“I want their discipline to improve,” Roy said of his 1988 squad. “(Last year’s team) started to improve by the end of the year and showed it when it won the SportsVision Indoor Tournament.”

He stresses the word enthusiasm when he talks soccer. He said enthusiasm is needed for the sport, and when it is not there, teams go on hiatus like the Sting did in the summer.

“We have a good beginning this year, and we have an opportunity to do well if we work,” Roy said. “If we stay healthy, everything will work out great.”