Rhode Island FC is the newest professional sports team in the Ocean State. It’s part of the United Soccer League. The team is so new, it had to play its home games at a university field until its permanent home in Pawtucket is finished, which is slated for next spring. The team, in its inaugural season, is on its way to the championship game this Saturday against Colorado Switchback FC. It’s only the second time in league history that a team got to the title game in its first season. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with the team’s head coach and general manager, Khano Smith.
TRANSCRIPT:
This transcript has been edited for length and quality.
Luis Hernandez: It’s rare in any sports league for a team in its first year to get this far. Can you put your finger on one or two things as to why you’re so successful right off the bat?
Khano Smith: Well, one, I think we hired good people and good players. You know, when I got hired, I never spoke about wins. I never spoke about trophies. I never spoke about championships. We felt it was our one opportunity that we could build a team, a locker room, an organization that was with good people. We turned away people that probably could have helped us be more successful. They might’ve been better players, but we didn’t feel they were character fits. So I think we have a really good locker room of really good guys. They all get it and are pulling for each other and working together.
Hernandez: What’s it been like playing your home games in a temporary site? Your stadium at the Tidewater Landing is going to be ready for next year. Does it add an extra challenge for you?
Smith: It’s certainly not ours, right? It’s not our home. It belongs to somebody else. And I think the relationship with us here at Bryant has been great. They’ve helped us along. I think for everybody, they’ve provided the best experience possible. It’s been challenging at times, but I think our operations people, our front office have done a great job of working with the people on the Bryant side of things and providing the best experience possible for our players and for fans and supporters of people that come to watch.
Hernandez: You know that this is a community that once had a beloved baseball team, the PawSox, and they left. So now here you come in – different sport, though you know there’s soccer fans up here, but different sport. I’m wondering how the fans have reacted to you, and over the year what can you describe about the way they have been supporting you?
Smith: Yeah. I mean, well, I guess you would obviously start with our supporters groups, and they’ve obviously been amazing. They were at the game in Charleston. They drove down, they drove to Louisville as well. So the support, it’s honestly, it’s been amazing. Our matches, even if, you know, there’s been a couple of games where it hasn’t been a sellout, and I think, ultimately, the people have still been loud. So that tells me that they’re passionate, that they’re into it. What I’ve said to them, and I speak to supporters, is like, I can’t promise you wins and losses. Everybody wants to win. But what you will get is a team that you can relate to. They’re good people in the community, and they will play the game in a manner that you’re proud of. And they don’t give up, they have a team spirit. I think the team needs to mirror the community that it’s a part of sometimes, and I think Rhode Islanders are sometimes cynical. They have a chip on their shoulder. But they’re hard working. And we obviously have some of the best beaches in the United States, so in the summertime, we can play some beautiful soccer and do that. But when it’s time to roll up our sleeves, it’s cold, when it’s time to fight, be aggressive, dig in, I think you see all of those components in our team.
Hernandez: I’m not sure if you’ve had the chance to go see the progress on the new stadium, but I’m just wondering what you think, finally having that home, what the experience will be like having that stadium, being able to play in your own home, and what it’s going to mean for the fans.
Smith: I drive by it quite often and I see the progress every single day. So yeah, for me, just getting in there for that day one, it’s going to be a special day. Hopefully people believe in the project and get in there and they see it. And if they miss it, well, hopefully we can turn people that doubt the whole thing into believers, because obviously we have a good team that people can be proud of. So that day in the stadium is going to be amazing and it’s going to be loud and it’s going to be a really entertaining atmosphere.
Hernandez: All right, let’s talk about the game this weekend, the championship game. How are you preparing for this? I mean, this is a new experience for the players. What is it you do as a coach to get them ready mentally before the game this weekend?
Smith: Yeah, look, we prepare for every opponent just as we would the same. So we have our process that we go through. We look at how they are in possession and look how they are out of possession and look at ways that we can hurt them and ways that they can hurt us. So we continue that same process. We gave all the information to the players, but not overloading them, because ultimately we need to be the best version of ourselves, and I think these last few weeks of the season we’ve obviously seen that in all that work that’s gone on. You know, we spoke to the players about the 150-plus training sessions that they’ve been in, the 150-plus meetings that they’ve had. All of that work led to this moment. So we’re fortunate enough to be here, but we’re certainly going to enjoy the experience and enjoy the ride. Playing in finals in any sport with any team, they don’t come around that often. So we’re just going to enjoy this year and what’s meant to be for us will be.
Hernandez: Coach Smith, it’s been an absolute pleasure, and good luck this weekend.
Smith: Appreciate it. Thank you.
