SEATTLE - Not many can say they’ve been at the pinnacle of success in their careers for over 20 years, but for Seattle U Coach Julie Woodward, it’s just another day on the job.
In the midst of her 23rd season at the helm of the Redhawks women’s soccer program, and with her 300th win in hand, Woodward has set an unprecedented standard of play for squad. The Redhawks have won four WAC regular-season titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances since the 2013 season. All told, she has taken seven different SU squads to the NCAA Tournament, including an appearance in the Elite Eight in 2004.
The 2018 campaign saw Seattle U defeat Kansas City on senior day, a side that had previously not been scored on in WAC play. The Redhawks later beat the Roos again in the WAC Tournament title game, 1-0, to set up an NCAA Tournament showdown against defending champions, Stanford.
The expectation and pressure to win is something that Woodward instills in the competitive mentality of her players, and short-term goals won’t cut it.
“We want to win the WAC regular season and of course win the WAC Tournament title,” said Woodward. “From there, get into the NCAA Tournament, win games and keep improving.”
Since beginning her Redhawk coaching career in 1997, Woodward has accumulated winning records in 21 of her 22 seasons, something that strongly draws players in during the recruitment process.
Before transferring to Seattle U as a sophomore, senior midfielder and captain Holly Rothering can strongly attest to Woodward’s winning mentality being a driving force in her decision to play for the Redhawks.
“A big reason why I came here was Julie’s history of success,” said Rothering. “I liked her possession-based style of play and wanting us to break down teams that way.”
Prior to her collegiate career, Rothering played alongside Julie’s daughter, Jalen, who currently captains USC, and has built a strong relationship with elder Woodward before her time as a Redhawk.
“Julie’s just very personable and always happy. Most coaches at this level will get on you and yell, but Julie’s extremely composed.”
The relationships Woodward has built with her players is something she credits to the success of the program – a philosophy that has added just shy of 80 wins in the last six seasons alone. “For me, forming relationships with the student-athletes that we bring in at Seattle University is most important. Winning comes because of the relationships we build.”
Woodward’s style of possession-based play has attributed to the steady hunt for championships year in and year out. Utilizing the vision and passing ability of her midfield core, Woodward implements tactics that knocks the ball around the park and pushes the wingbacks forward to aid the wingers in the attack, something that gets the best out of Rothering.
“Going into every game she wants us to think, ‘How can we possess the ball, break teams down and dominate them on the field?’” said Rothering.
Woodward implements high-tempo training sessions to keep her women sharp for every match, challenging every member of the team to compete for their spot in the starting 11. In the ever-improving WAC, Woodward ensures her squad takes no opponent lightly.
“She wants us to develop as a team and build together,” said Rothering. “She wants us to look at every school we play like a top-10 team.”
“I still come in every day with a competitive edge,” said Woodward.
With another historic milestone behind her, Woodward remains focused, taking every match one game at a time to reach her team’s long-term goals. Instead of congratulating her own career milestones in her 23 years coaching the Redhawks, she happily reflects on the bonds she’s built with her players and beaming with pride of who they become off the pitch.
“I feel blessed to do what I do.”