While this man’s teaching might be harsher than others’, it gets the point across. Having talked to multiple students, I've heard that he pushes people to work harder and achieve what he thinks is possible of them. Not only does he teach young minds physical education, but he is also a soccer coach. He's been at Rowland Hall for 19 years and taught numerous teams, both school and club.

Q: How have you seen work ethic and effort change over the years that you've worked here?

A: When I first started here, we had a phrase; it was called “First Time Listener.” You could tell a team or a student something once, and they were able to do it. I feel that now—and this is mostly middle school, where I am right now—when you tell a student something, you have to tell them again and again and again, because either they're not understanding it or they need to see it or whatever it is. So that's the biggest change I've seen. 

Q: Have you coached any club teams?

A: A lot of club teams. I've coached club teams in Georgia, club teams here in Utah.
I didn't coach any in Ohio because I just did strictly college then. I coached club in the state of Connecticut.
So, yeah, I've been around. 

Q: How long have you coached at Roland Hall? Or taught?

A: This is my 19th year.

Q: What do you prioritize during the season as in, like, do you prioritize playing, developing new skills, or winning, or what?

A: Well, winning should come with developing new skills and being present and being on time and being focused with the task at hand. So I don't necessarily prioritize winning, but that would be the outcome if you do everything that's asked of you. And in the time that I've been here, I've had some really good players walk through the door. And I've had some players that weren't necessarily really good players when they walked through the door, but they became good players by the time they left and made huge contributions to the program, the team, and the program. 

Q: Okay, how do you handle tough losses during the season? Or playoffs?

A: I'm on to the next game, regardless of its a win or a loss. My philosophy is you don't dwell too long on the victory.
You don't dwell too long on the loss and just go get the next one because it is a long season. And if you're focused too much on the loss or too much on a win, you forget about your next opponent. 

Q: How do you handle different skill sets? Because, obviously, there are gonna be higher level players and lower level players coming in at a high-school level. 

A: Yeah, and that's the beauty of it, where, you know, we've had kids that didn't understand the ball was round, and we've had kids that were, you know, ODP soccer players.
And, you know, how do you get a team to share the ball? How do you get a team to compete? And I find that part to be fascinating, and I can't really give you an answer because every year is different, and every year the kids are different. Whether because they’re another year older or because of new kids coming in as freshmen or kids leaving as seniors, no two years have ever, ever been the same.

 

Q: What do you find typically makes a better player?

A:  Someone that shows they want to be there.
You need to have the want before you can turn them into a better player. I've had plenty of players that, whether it be here, Georgia, Ohio, Massachusetts, California, California,
Connecticut, where they've come in and they think that they know it all. And when you think you know it all, you don't want to grow as a player. And therefore you don't develop.
You just stay whoever you are, where if you want to become better, you want to become a good technical or a tactical player, wou'll become one, because you're gonna have that want, and you're gonna listen, and you're gonna do what's asked of you, and you're gonna get the job done. 


Q: Finally, what are you trying to incorporate or look for in a typical practice?

A: Some practices can be very technical.
Some practices can be functional, such as trying to get the ball wide or looking to combine in the midfield. Others can be very team-oriented, where you're playing 11 v 0 and seeing how you can move the ball. So every practice is totally, totally different. There might be practices that are fitness-based. There might be practices that are technical or tactical or functional, or just, you know, just fun, and sometimes you need that too, where you're spending the day playing “soccer golf” and “soccer tennis.” So every day is different. 

 

After doing this interview, I’ve learned a lot. Looking back, I didn't always understand why Langone was strict. But now, having talked to him, I've realized it's really just his way of getting students to come in and show they want to learn. The learning can't happen until the student wants it, and that's how Langone teaches effectively.