As the San Jose Earthquakes prepare for their second preseason trip to Cancún, Mexico, a lot of work is being done behind the scenes to get the team ready. We sat down with several members of the Quakes’ soccer operations staff to get a feel for what the grueling two-week training stint requires.
Sjearthquakes.com: How long have you worked for the Earthquakes?
Team administrator Sean Mearns: “I started as an intern at the beginning of 2012 and went full-time in August of that year.”
SJEQ: How does preparing for Cancún differ from previous preseason trips to Tucson, Arizona?
SM: “Obviously going to a different country put a whole different layer on it because you have to make sure everyone has their passport and we have to go through customs. Things just work different in Mexico. In the past, we could just have the equipment guys load a van and drive down to Tucson. Now we have to ship the equipment so I’m in contact with a few airlines about cargo shipping. However, once we’re down there, I think it’s easier because the training field and the hotel were so far apart in Tucson. Now we can just bike to training because everything is more centralized. So, overall things are easier once we’re there but getting on-site is 10x harder.”
SJEQ: Now that this is your second trip to Mexico, how do you think things will be easier for you?
SM: “I’m hoping it will be easier. We know what to expect now. We were a little unprepared last year in a few aspects. We had just met the coaches, had never worked with them before. We didn’t know what setup they wanted. Last year, it was mostly reacting to what they wanted but now we’re able to be more proactive. Hopefully everything will be a little more organized for our equipment and training staffs.”
SJEQ: What was the process like in 2019 when you were told to organize the trip on short notice?
SM: “Matias had taken his teams there three years in a row, I believe, so six or seven times overall with the dual Liga MX offseasons. We ordinarily would have already had Tucson booked in August or September but because Matias was hired in October, we didn’t sign our preseason contract with the resort until November or December. It was a bit of a scramble to get everything done. We had to work closely with the coaches to make sure things were organized how they wanted. Luckily nothing was set with Tucson because we had an interim coach at the time and our plans were up in the air.”
SJEQ: Once you’re in Mexico, what do you do on a day-to-day basis?
SM: “It’s a lot of reactive stuff that can pop up. I remember last year our coaches needed a new memory card for their camera. So [assistant team admin] Ricky [Dorrego] and I were driving around Cancun on a wild goose chase looking for one before training. We have to register new players with our payroll system and with the league. We can be asked to make daily adjustments to training times, meal schedules, menus, etc. Then we have national team guys that come in late and we have to make sure their travel and room arrangements are sorted.
“Beyond that, I oversee various team activities while we’re there. The one day off is for the Superbowl, so I’ll have to make sure we can get the players a place to watch it together. I also organize an off-site event. Last year we went paintballing.”
