Over the offseason, the Red Bulls added some new faces both on and off the field. One of the new faces off it is fitness coach Pierre Barrieu.
A former French international team handball player and most recently the U.S. men's national team's fitness coach between 2002 and 2006 under current Red Bull New York head coach Bruce Arena, Barrieu is charged with making sure that each player is physically ready for the rigorous MLS season. He stopped in to speak with www.newyorkredbulls.com.
Talk a little bit about how you first became interested in working in this field.
PB: First of all, the reason why I picked handball over soccer was that it allowed me to keep studying. And reason number two was that I don't think I was good enough to become a pro soccer player. So I went to university, I had a degree in sports sciences and kinesiology and the first two years of the curriculum was med school so after that, it was something that I always had in the back of my mind when I was playing team handball.
What is your general plan to get these guys ready for the MLS season?
PB: One of the particularities of MLS is that the preseason is very long - eight weeks. If you think about it, there is not a league in the world where players have eight weeks of preseason, especially coming after a one to two-month offseason. So my plan is to gradually build them up to playing level. To be specific, we have two friendlies next week and I just want each of them to be able to play a good 45 to 60 minutes, so there's no rush. Right now we want to evaluate players and see them play and make sure they stay injury-free.
In the meantime, what I do on my end is to work with the guys on the basics and fundamentals and give them some good technique for whatever we're going to do next in preseason or through the season.
So the training sessions will get tougher as we go on?
PB: Obviously, as we get closer to the season, the intensity is going to get more match-like. As of now for Florida, I don't think it's going to get that intense. We're going to focus on duration and in the future, as duration decreases, then intensity is going to go up.
How do you deal with the situation of having some guys, such as those who were in national team camps, being fitter while other guys did not train as much during the offseason?
PB: That's why I'm here. I guess you have to get a good feel of the group you are dealing with. It's going to be very different from one player to another, but what I do basically is I divide the team into five or six groups and then I try to individualize the work. It's easily said but not easily done, especially when you have to combine it with the regular practices.
In your opinion, how much do players' activities off the field play into building their fitness?
PB: What they do off the field is as important as or even more important than what they do on the field when it comes to fitness. So it means eating right, it means sleeping right, it means stretching, it means doing the right kind of weight training on a regular basis and following the right program. It involves commitment on their part and as professionals, they have to understand it. I'm lucky enough that I know most of these guys through national team programs, college, youth national teams that I guess my reputation is such that they trust me and most of the time, they'll get into it. I do not need to do much lobbying. And if I do, it's up to them to do their job.
You have known Bruce since your days at the University of Virginia. Was becoming a fitness coach at the club level a discussion you had?
PB: Bruce asked me a long time ago if I was interested to work with him in MLS. For me and for various reasons, my family being one, I felt that I was going to move back to Europe after the 2006 World Cup. I actually turned down three European clubs before the World Cup, had other offers after, and when Bruce asked me about coming to the Red Bulls, you obviously weigh the positives and the negatives.
Coming back to a club environment was something I wanted to do. Working with Bruce was obviously a plus and to be honest with you, I felt it was an interesting challenge working for Red Bull and I think it's the same for him. I don't think I would've considered it if it were from another team but it looks like Red Bull has a vision and if it looks like it can be done in the right way, it could become the model and that's one reason why I followed him here.
Super Bowl Sunday
With the biggest American sporting event taking place Sunday, some of the Red Bulls gave their picks on the Super Bowl:
Sal Caccavale, midfielder:
"Colts. Best quarterback in the history of football."
Seth Stammler, midfielder:
"Colts. Peyton Manning's had two weeks to study."
Jerrod Laventure, forward:
"Bears. Defense wins championships."
Craig Chmiel, equipment manager:
"Colts, without a doubt. The Colts beat the Ravens, who apparently were the best team of division."
Marvell Wynne, defender:
"Bears, ecause I'm a big underdog guy."
Todd Dunivant, defender:
"Colts. I think I'll take Peyton over Grossman any day. Grossman hasn't convinced me."
Claudio Reyna, midfielder:
"Bears. Because they have cooler uniforms and I like Brian Urlacher."
Peyton Manning and the Colts won 29-17.
Other random musings:
