RANGELY, Colo. (August 18, 2022) – Sometimes a new start is exactly what a program needs.
 
The Colorado Northwestern Community College Men's-and-Women's Soccer programs are experiencing that new start in the 2022 season, feeling the energy coming from a new head coach in Eldon Brough. 
 
Brough, who is new to CNCC after a long career as a high school and college coach, said he is looking forward to the energy both programs are bringing during their preseason camps.
 
"We have a few objectives to accomplish during preseason camp," he said. "First and foremost, with so many new faces part of the program, we want to get to know each other and become a team both on and off the field.  Secondly, we want to get on the same page with how we want to play tactically.  Lastly, we want to make sure we are in physical shape to be able to handle the demands of the season."
 
Colorado Northwestern plays in one of the nation's strongest conferences – the Scenic West Athletic Conference- and against teams that are annual national contenders. With that challenge in mind, CNCC is spending its training camps focused on the fundamentals of the game.
 
"We want to be a team that is very confident in possession, and so much of that confidence will be built during camp," said Brough.
 
CNCC will encounter many challenges and opportunities throughout the 2022 season, with the challenges centered around the program's arduous travel. Due to the program's days of missed class time, Brough said he is focused on setting a strong academic tone in his program.
 
"We put a huge emphasis on academics as a program," he said. "One nice thing about preseason camp is we have been able to really focus for a few weeks on the initial objectives of our team before school starts. Getting these foundational things accomplished that I discussed initially before having to worry about homework and tests and such will make it so our student athletes can totally handle the demands in the classroom without being overwhelmed when school starts here shortly."
 
On the bright side, Colorado Northwestern's time on the road gives the programs the ability to build strong interpersonal relationships. CNCC is using its training camps to also build a bright future for the program's team.
 
"We've really enjoyed doing things as a team like going to the lake, hikes to see Native American petroglyphs, and going to the pool," noted Brough. "We have a fun group of players." 
 
Looking ahead to seasons that start on August 24 against Central Wyoming College, Brough said his team is ready for a season of growth.
 
"We are really excited for the upcoming season," he stated. "As mentioned, we have a lot of new faces on both teams.  We are confident that we have the talent to really surprise some teams from what they are used to from CNCC Soccer in the past, and we look forward to having a competitive season and exceeding outside expectations."