Casella / Wagner College
One might think that American college soccer coaches devote just a few months of the year to their programs during the brief fall playing season, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you’re Phil Casella, head coach of the Women’s soccer program at Wagner College in New York, the off-season is just as important and almost as intensive as the playing season.
“My job during the spring (season) is more laid back,” Casella said in an interview from his school office on Staten Island, NY. “We don’t play as many games and don’t travel as far. Our weekends are off, but we still train three to four times a week both on the field and in the weight room. We send out our conditioning and weight packets to the players in May. They have to follow the program over the next ten weeks leading up to August 1st. A lot depends on them making sure that they’re doing their job over the summer. I believe the development of the individual and the team is most important, creating a good conditioning and fitness base prior to them going home for summer break so all they have to do is maintain that level.”
Casella expects his players to return to school from the summer break in top shape so they can hit the ground running for pre-season training in August.
“We get about 2 weeks of pre-season,” Casella stated. “There are days we do double sessions. But once we start the season we go on our regular routine where we train once a day. Our only off day is Monday until November. That’s the makeup of their first semester here. With the help of our academic advisers, we schedule our players’ class schedules around that.”
When he’s not coaching, Casella is looking ahead to the future and working on his team’s playing schedules for upcoming seasons.
“I usually work on my schedules about two or three years in advance,” Casella admitted. “The ’24 & ’25 schedules are already complete. We’re just waiting for the conference schedule but I make my non-conference schedule. In a couple of months, I might even start working on my 2026 schedule.”
Recruitment is another vital role in his job and Casella is often seen scouting talent throughout the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania) at various fall and winter showcases and tournaments. That’s how he happened upon his newest recruit, Hailey Knapp from the Toronto Blizzard.
“I was fortunate enough that once the season was over, I got back on the recruiting trail,” Casella said. “I watched Joe’s team at the FC Delco showcase in November and that’s where I came across Hailey. It’s kind of late in the process, but you want to make sure she’s the right fit for not only ourselves, but for the player.”
”The first thing that came to my mind watching Hailey play was her mobility,” Casella said. “I saw a kid who’s able to move and run and recover. Without a doubt, we need a player at the back for 2024 and, beyond that, can help us with our athleticism in the backline. I also know in terms of how Joe and his program operate, that they’re training almost every day. I think that’s the biggest transition for kids coming in from youth clubs or high school, you’re training every day here.”
Hailey was recruited, along with seven other players, for the 2024-25 season. When he first took over the team, Casella looked to bring in athletic players who could scale up the roster. Nowadays, he focuses more on positional needs.
“We’re at the point now where we’re definitely recruiting because one or two defenders are leaving and we need to fill those voids,” Casella admitted. “The same goes for the midfielders and forwards. Obviously the goal for recruiting the ’24 class was to make sure that we’re able to fill those voids. I think we’ve done that.”
While most of his recruits come from within the tri-state area, Casella often looks outside the region for exceptional players who can make an immediate impact.
“I’m definitely looking for a player who’s going to be impactful,” stated Casella. “Part of my recruiting strategy and what I’ve learned from all the coaches I’ve worked for, when you go outside the region, you want to make sure you’re going after players you have a tight connection with. I want to make sure there’s some connection with that coach or director of coaching at that club because then I know what type of athlete and player I’m going to get.
“I have my core values and I want my players to have the same values as I do and, especially when going out of region, academic and scholarship money is at play, so I definitely want a player who’s going to come in and be impactful right away.
Regardless of whether you’re in your first year or fourth year, Casella gives every one of his players a fair opportunity at making the team in pre-season.
“To me it doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior,” Casella stated. “If we feel you can be impactful and you’re prepared and you’re performing over an upper classman, you’re going to get an opportunity.
“One of the goals since I took over this program is that it’s about family and unity and, with the players and parents at tailgates after home games, you can feel that vibe.”
Wagner reached its first ever NEC Championship game this past season and three of Casella’s players were named to the NEC All-Tournament team. He is laser-focused on what his objectives are for Wagner in 2024.
“Since day one I’ve had goals for this program,” Casella admitted. “We achieved a lot of them this past season. The main goal we missed out on – we were one penalty kick away from a NCAA tournament. Everyone knows what this program and what these players are capable of doing. Our goal is nothing short of getting back to that same position and, hopefully, this time winning a conference championship.”
