Following last week’s introduction of the orange oar, symbolizing that the team needs to "row" together to move forward, Florida soccer coach Becky Burleigh introduced another motivational prop this week.
This time, she presented a wilted flower.
After an upset victory at home over then-No. 1 Florida State on Aug. 30, Burleigh gave each player a yellow rose.
After a short amount of time, the flowers will wilt.
Burleigh used this process to teach the No. 10 Gators a lesson about the fleeting nature of a win.
"When that rose starts to wilt, it’s time for us to really get back to work and get focused." Burleigh said.
The UF head coach said she got the idea of using the flower as a symbol from Anson Dorrance, who, like Burleigh — Florida’s coach for 21 years — has been coaching his program for the entirety of its existence, as he enters his 37th year as the coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Burleigh said when she asked the team if they work harder after a win or a loss, they said the latter because the players understood there was something that needed to be fixed.
That has been the case for the Gators the past three years.
Since the start of the 2012 season, Florida has lost two games in a row just twice, and both times the Gators bounced back with winning streaks of nine and three games, respectively.
But big wins, like the one against the Seminoles, can have consequences.
"Having a win in a big game can be detrimental to your progress." Burleigh said.
The Gators lost focus early on against Oklahoma State, giving up a goal to the Cowgirls just two minutes into the contest.
But Florida was resilient.
UF eventually won the game 3-2 in overtime on the heels of a brace by Brooke Sharp.
Her second goal served as the game-winner, coming with less than 20 seconds left in the first overtime period.
While winning the game is an incentive in itself, Gators assistant coach Alan Kirkup has a system in place to reward players who contribute to the game.
Kirkup calls it his "gold star list."
Players earn gold stars by playing a role in the build-up of goals.
Although junior forward Savannah Jordan, arguably the team’s best goal scorer, did not get a goal or an assist last game, Burleigh said Jordan received gold stars for her role in the creation of goal-scoring opportunities.
Even redshirt junior goalkeeper Valerie Tysinger earned a spot on the list, doing so with key saves throughout the match.
Burleigh sees the gold stars as a form of thanks to everyone involved in an impact play, even if some of those players don’t end up making it into the box score.
"It’s kind of a unique way to recognize the contribution of people," Burleigh said "despite the fact that it might not show up on a stat sheet."
Follow Kyle Brutman on Twitter @KBrut13
UF soccer coach Becky Burleigh leads practice prior to Florida's 2-1 win against Troy in an exhibition match on Aug. 11, 2015, at the soccer practice field at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
