Editor's note: As the summer comes to a close we caught up with Coach Sung to talk about coaching a professional team, recruiting, getting the Hokies back together and what's the next step for the program.
Q: How would you sum up how the summer went in the lacrosse office?
SUNG: Summer was extremely busy. Immediately after our season we looked at every facet of our program, what we did well and what we need to improve on this upcoming year. Then we all hit the road recruiting. Lots of windshield time as we call it. We hit ten different states and lots of different tournaments. I wanted to make sure that there was a strong presence for Virginia Tech on the recruiting trail.
Q: You had a busy summer coaching professionally, recruiting, hosting camps etc., what did you learn from your time with the Baltimore Ride that you want to apply to your program here?
SUNG: Coaching the Ride was an awesome experience. We were in a bit of a rebuilding process. So I felt pretty comfortable in that aspect. The pro game is so different from college. Not having them for an extended amount of time and practicing was tough. But since they are pros it was easier to implement things. Using your time outs to completely change the offense or defense was great. I had to be really sharp since our competition was unbelievable. Getting to coach a few former Hokies was a highlight too.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about getting your student-athletes back together on campus and starting your fall training regimen?
SUNG: I'm really looking forward to taking the next step with our program and trying to advance further in the NCAA tournament. We have hired a new strength and condition coach which is going to be a game changer. Coach Dickson has a passion for training athletes. We have also been able to bring in some technology help us train more efficiently. Bringing in my second recruiting class will be very exciting. Our first class helped us get to the NCAA tournament, so the standard is already pretty high but I am looking forward to raising the bar again.
Q: What are some of your goals for the team's development during the fall semester?
SUNG: There are a couple of big things for us this year. I have always talked about the process and this is something our team has really embraced. But we now need to bring in commitment. If we can really commit to what we are about to do this year, I really feel like we can push the needle and take this program to the next level. We really want to teach our newcomers our system and style of play. The quicker we can identify the players who will give us the best chance to win, the better for us.
Q: After the great 2018 season, what are the Hokies poised to do as an encore in 2019?
SUNG: We need to take the next step. 2018 was a great year and we need to validate what we did. But this next step will be one of the hardest since the margin for error has shrunk. I'm excited to see who will step in fill the shoes of the seniors we lost to graduation. We also have a very talented recruiting class coming in so hopefully they will be able to make an impact immediately for us.
