Before the match against the Colorado Rapids, Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis walked into the player’s tunnel with a can of white spray paint.
The tunnel that the home team walks through before every match is filled with motivation phrases and words all written by Orlando City supporters. It sends the players to the pitch with confidence and support. On Saturday, Kreis added his word to the bunch.
Together.
If you have followed the start to the Lions’ season, the word can hardly come as a surprise. ‘Togetherness’ is something that Kreis has talked about since the start of the preseason. Kreis has spoken about his strong belief that a team that is successful is ultimately a team that is willing to do anything for each other. It’s been part of his mentality in building this team, and it is something that the men have absorbed.
“The whole thing is really, really cool,” Scott Sutter said. “We really enjoyed walking out there today.”
“I think it’s absolutely fantastic. I really love the idea and I love a lot of the messages that were there. I’d love to see even more, and those messages to be brighter and bolder,” Kreis said. “And, for me, to see all those messages and think about how we lead this group and how we talk about words, and sort of our mindset as a team, the word ‘together’ is the most important word that I can ever come with. I think it’s a word that the players hear several times a day and I think it should be engrained in their minds and I wanted it to be the last word that they saw.”
Whether the players joined the team this season, or have been around for awhile, they all seem to have come to the agreement that something feels different this year. The players are welcoming and supportive, their chemistry is continuing to grow, and that is all translating onto the field. It’s contributed undoubtedly to their early season success.
‘Together.’ This is more than just a word-- it has become this team’s identity. And it’s something that they will hope to carry on through this season and beyond.
