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ESPNsoccernet: MLS |
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Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Nowak: Tough but fun
Joseph White
WASHINGTON -- Freddy Adu and his coach jokingly debated the
pros and cons of rap music and the Bee Gees during their long walk
to RFK Stadium after a particularly grueling practice. The light moment wasn't what you'd expect from Peter Nowak, the
supposedly strict, no-frills D.C. United coach who insists on
bringing Adu along slowly, despite all the hype and sellout crowds
for the phenom. "He's my coach, but he's also a great guy that I just like to
talk to and have fun with,'' the 14-year-old forward said. "That
just makes me feel very comfortable.'' Up close the 39-year-old Poland native is tough but fun, strict
but full of personality, a constant stream of energy as he tackles
his first coaching job under scrutiny unparalleled for a league
soccer team in the United States. "When it comes down to business ... you've got to do whatever
he wants you to do,'' Adu said. "When you're off the field and
over and done with, he's a very open guy. You can joke around with
him. ... That's how I am, too.'' Nowak has already rubbed some of the veterans the wrong way with
his set of rules. Wake-up time is 8 a.m. on the road, where the
team eats all its meals together. Players must arrive by 9:45 for
the 10:30 practices at home, and they are no longer allowed to
drive the several hundred yards from RFK to the practice field - as
they did in years past. "We have to do everything together,'' midfielder Bobby Convey
said. "There's not one thing that you do by yourself. If you try
to do something by yourself, he thinks you're trying to be an
individual, so he's all about the team. Sometimes it's too much,
but I guess too much is better than not enough.'' Midfielder Earnie Stewart said a dose of discipline was badly
needed after two less stringent seasons under coach Ray Hudson. But
Stewart also grew up playing for tough coaches in Europe, and he
sees why an America-reared athlete might bristle at Nowak's
egalitarian philosophy. "The way they grow up over here is a little bit different,''
Stewart said. "The way it's being done is the way it's always been
done for me, but you can see there are people that need adjusting
to it.'' But Nowak's approach just might be the perfect fit for someone like Adu. Instead of favoritism, the star kid with the $500,000 salary
and the $1 million Nike deal is getting daily lessons in the values
of discipline, teamwork and camaraderie at an impressionable age. "It helps us bond together a lot more,'' Adu said. "We get to
spend a lot of time off the field with our teammates, and it helps
the team. You get to know each other, and it translates on the
field.'' Nowak's style can frustrate anyone unfamiliar with soccer. Not a
day goes by in which he isn't asked when Adu is going to start, yet
Nowak keeps his poker face and sticks by an unwritten rule that
says the starting lineup isn't announced until just before kickoff. Nowak resisted the calls to start Adu in the first two games and
has instead followed a standard plan for a promising rookie. Adu
got his feet wet by playing a nervous 29 minutes as a second-half
substitute in the opening victory against San Jose, then showed
more confidence when he played the entire second half in last
week's tie with Los Angeles. Adu's first start is inevitable, although only Nowak knows if it
will happen Saturday against MetroStars. "Media and fans think he's going to come on and perform
miracles,'' Nowak said. "Professional sports don't work this way.
Freddy understands this. He's a very young man, and he has nerves
and his ability. Of course he's going to get more minutes and more
games every single week.'' Nowak retired as a player only two years ago, and there are days
when he looks as if he should still be in the lineup. After one
spirited workout -- in which he scored off an assist from Adu --
Nowak jokingly proclaimed, "I was MVP.'' Being on the field helps him learn more about his players. The
trait he admires most? "Honesty.'' "Honest work,'' Nowak said. "I believe not in publicity,
talking. I believe in work, hard work. And that's what this team is
starting to realize. It's going to be determined in the practices
who's going to start. This is about fair competition. This is not
about who I like and who I don't like.'' For Adu, that means a coveted starting spot won't be his until
it's absolutely earned. "I don't necessarily have to agree with him,'' Adu said. "But
you have to respect him because he's your coach, and he's trying to
look out for the well-being of the team. All I can do is to work
harder, practice and try to earn a starting spot.''