“There really is no secret.”
That’s what East Lansing boys soccer coach Nick Archer said when reflecting on the consistent success of his program over the years. The Trojans, who battled to a 0-0 draw with CAAC Blue rival Grand Ledge on Monday, are 10-0-2 and ranked second in the state in Division 2.
Logically speaking, how can there be any secrets from a coach who’s been with the program since its start in 1977?
East Lansing coach Nick Archer accepts the championship trophy following their MHSAA Division 2 championship game against Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood in 2014. This year’s Trojans are unbeaten and ranked second in Division 2.
“We respect that the game should be enjoyable,” Archer said. “But it’s also challenging. All of our guys seem to understand that the team comes first. So sometimes we don’t have the talent we’d like to have, but because the camaraderie and the team concept we try to build on that.”
Archer has built up a system over his years of coaching that players know about when they come to play soccer at East Lansing. It’s centered on constantly pushing one another for the starting spot because of the great roster depth, letting players develop for their first two years, and an emphasis on senior leadership.
“He’s always on us. Even in practice and we’re walking to a water break, it’s gotta be a jog. Every little thing he does gets us ready for the games,” said senior forward Quinton Hay.
“You have to work for everything with Arch,” senior defender Drew Person said. “In games, in practices, if you want that spot you gotta work for it because you have three other guys just as good as you if not better working for the same spot. You have to prove you’re worthy to be on this team.”
The depth comes from Archer’s unique method to not make cuts at the freshman and junior varsity level. He doesn’t believe you can make a proper judgment on a player that early.
“We don’t try to identify the 18 to 20 best players in the program and forget about everyone else because there are a lot of roles on the team,” Archer said. “They’re going to have a few seasons of soccer.
“We do have to make decisions when they’re juniors and seniors. But because of this system we have a good balance of upperclassmen all the time. When the kids buy into that, we have team depth.”
All freshman and sophomores have something to strive for because they’re given a chance, whereas some schools may shutdown an athlete’s hopes early. This gets East Lansing the best players and creates that winning mentality. And coming off a CAAC Gold Cup title last year, along with back to back state championships in 2013 and 2014 and seven state championships overall, each class is aware of the Trojans’ tradition of excellence.
“Growing through the program you watch these great players that come through our historic program that go on to win state championships,” senior midfielder Joe Draheim said. “You see how successful they are and you want it.”
Archer is well aware of his team’s success and where they lie in the rankings and doesn’t try to hide it. He even jokingly asked an East Lansing girls soccer coach if the boys have been ranked before. But then he’s serious when asked whether or not he has a championship-caliber team this year.
“We see past (EL) teams and we’re not there now,” said Archer. “We know we have strengths, but we also have weaknesses that we need to build on.”
“We’re getting used to handling pressure,” said senior Nick Isham. “It helps being in the program for such a long time.”