Wednesday, March 29, 2023 /
/ Women’s Month — 3
Before Jen Klein took the reins
as head coach of the Michigan women’s
soccer team in 2018, the Wolverines had
not won a Big Ten Tournament title in
over 20 years. Beyond that, they hadn’t
made it to the NCAA Tournament since
2016. With the introduction of Klein,
however, the team hoped to reach new
heights.
And in the five years since she took
the reins, they’ve done just that.
In 2021, her fourth season at Mich-
igan, the Wolverines achieved the long
sought after Big Ten Tournament title.
While performance and skill were im-
portant in this achievement, a vital com-
ponent went beyond the talent. Klein’s
unique coaching style and desire to
facilitate a positive culture for her team
played a key role.
“In years past, we struggled with
team culture,” junior defender Sarah
Bridenstine told The Daily. “… She re-
ally stresses that in order to have a cham-
pionship team you need to have a good
culture first.”
For Michigan, a good culture looks
like strong leadership that fosters char-
acter and player development, positive
communication and trust.
And Klein’s past experiences have
helped her build that culture into her
coaching philosophy. As head coach at
UNLV — where she was the youngest
head coach in NCAA Division I wom-
en’s soccer — then as assistant coach at
Washington State followed by associate
head coach at University of Southern
California, Klein has developed an ex-
tensive repertoire of coaching experi-
ences to draw from.
But her strong leadership doesn’t
just stem from past coaching experienc-
es — it also comes from playing experi-
ence.
During her time playing soccer
at Arizona, Klein was team captain for
two years. This experience has not only
shaped her knowledge of the game and
ability to make quick in-game changes,
but also the way she leads. She is able to
relate to her players and understand the
difficulties that come with being both
athletes and students.
“(It’s about) knowing what they’re
going through as a student, what they’re
going through as an athlete, what it feels
like to play against a rival, what it feels
like to deal with a tough conversation
with a teammate,” Klein told The Daily.
Klein’s various experiences as
both a player and a coach have benefit-
ed and shaped the Michigan women’s
soccer program in a way it never has
before, creating a culture that is founded
in “character, connection and communi-
cation.”
It’s a culture Klein has utilized at
every level, not just as a head coach.
“She does a really good job of re-
lating with individual players,” Keidane
McAlpine, Klein’s former colleague at
USC, told The Daily. “… in communi-
cating with them, learning their little
stories, meeting them on a very human
level and just being real, being authen-
tic with the players and I think that too
gives them a space where they feel very
comfortable.”
Klein’s ability to be authentically
herself has created a model for her own
players to follow. She cares about her
players as people, not simply athletes.
This essential characteristic takes center
stage in Klein’s unique coaching style.
In a world where players are often seen
as athletes and employees, Klein has
intentionally restructured the culture to
create an environment that is player-cen-
tric. This, in combination with Klein’s
attention to detail, knowledge of the
game and competitive spirit has created
a space for the Wolverines to effectively
reach their highest potential.
And the culture has clearly paid off.
In Klein’s fourth season after tak-
ing over the program as head coach,
Michigan won 18 games in the 2021 sea-
son, tying their previous record.
“I think how she motivates a
group,” assistant coach Tori Christ told
The Daily. “And I think how, when she
says something … she empowers people
to take it upon themselves and like make
it their own, whether it’s their role on the
field, whether it’s our roles as staff, but I
think just how she motivates a group is
incredibly intentional.”
Klein
motivates
her
players
through leading by example and pro-
viding them with the training and sup-
port they need to succeed. While many
athlete’s view lifting and conditioning
as the most challenging part of training,
Klein does the arduous exercises right
alongside her players — highlighting her
personal coaching style and the ability
to motivate her players. She is able to
model her own expectations, creating a
culture that is centered around leading
by example.
That’s important, especially when
things are difficult.
This past season, Michigan faced
a string of conference losses entering
its game against then – No. 14 Rutgers.
Ending the half down 2-0 with a win nec-
essary to keep tournament hopes alive,
the game did not appear to be leaning
in the Wolverines favor. However, they
came back out, scored three unanswered
goals, and ended the game with a victory
against Rutgers.
That turnaround came at the hands
of Klein’s leadership.
“She came into the locker room,
just like full of positivity and energy and
she’s just like, do what you want with
this, this time is yours,” Bridenstine
said. “You have 45 minutes left to put it
on the field. … I just think when she can
stay positive in situations and when she’s
thrown adversity, it really helps the team
out.”
Klein’s ability to remain positive
and composed in the midst of difficult
situations, while also placing responsi-
bility on each player clearly had an im-
pact on the team as they were able to turn
a likely loss into an electrifying victory.
The culture she has built helped pull
them past mediocrity and into victory.
Another important aspect of
Klein’s coaching style is her emphasis
on having the right mindset.
“You can be in a low performance
mindset or a high performance mindset
and we talk a lot about positive self talk
and how that can affect your perfor-
mance,” Bridenstine said when recount-
ing a central aspect of Klein’s coaching
philosophy. “And so even if it’s not your
best day on the field, if you can maintain
a positive mindset you’ll remain within
your high performance.”
Having the right mindset can turn
a good player into a great player, and it
can make or break a game. By putting an
emphasis on mindset, Klein empowers
her players to make positive changes no
matter the situation.
Since arriving at Michigan, Klein
had set out to rebuild culture, and she’s
done just that. As with any good leader,
she listens to her players and is incredi-
bly intentional when it comes to culture
and its impactful role in the team dynam-
ic.
“First and foremost to building
(culture) to where it is was listening to
the current team,” Klein said. “… We
really take into account the players and
allowing for them to be contributing
members to what the culture is going to
look like.”
By fostering an environment where
player’s voices are listened to, Klein has
created a strong foundation built on
collaborative efforts and trust. With this
foundation in place, she has been able to
focus on developing players both on and
off the field.
“Training is such a great time
where we have an opportunity to teach
players not only just skills to help them
within our sport, but skills that are going
to help them in their time once they’re
done playing soccer,” Klein said. ” And
so really developing them as people, stu-
dents and athletes.”
When Klein joined Michigan, she
took over a team with unfamiliar players,
many of which she had not recruited.
However, her ability to develop and con-
nect with players helped her transform
the team into a force to be reckoned with.
“I think my favorite moment is
when a player’s light bulb comes on,”
Klein said. “When all of a sudden like
something that they’ve been working on,
an area that they’ve been focusing on and
it clicks and they get it and that to me is
always such a proud moment as a coach.”
It is clear that Klein genuinely
cares about her players. This, along with
her passion for the game and expertise, is
what ultimately shaped the unique team
culture she has built for the women’s
soccer team.
With the team’s footing now set
firmly on this culture-centered founda-
tion, there is no doubt it will aid them in
their upcoming season.
And that’s possible because Klein
is at the helm.
How Jen Klein rebuilt Michigan women’s
soccer culture
ISABELLA VILLACORTA
Daily Sports Writer
ELLIE VICE/Daily