You might not think that a team returning a bevy of
starters from last year's squad that made it all the way
to the College Cup (the national semifinals of the NCAA
Tournament) would need to push themselves harder. But
the 2014 version of the UVa men's soccer team, which was
No. 2 in the preseason rankings, is doing just that in the
form of The Cooper Test.
"I look around the locker room and see everyone's head
sink down," fourth-year Eric Bird said. "Everyone gets quiet
and nervous, and they start thinking about it."
The Cooper Test uses different forms of drills to measure
a player's stamina and fitness, and it is employed by many
soccer programs around the country. Virginia head coach
George Gelnovatch has used The Cooper Test in the past
and has now made it a team tradition over the past 10
years or so while the Cavaliers prepare for each season.
"I would prefer that guys could run it by themselves,
CAVALIERSPORTS
behind the scenes
THE COOPER TEST
Men's soccer head coach George Gelnovatch has utilized The Cooper Test — which uses different
forms of drills to measure a player's stamina and fitness — to prepare his teams for more than a
decade now.
PHOTO BY JIM DAVES/COURTESY UVA
