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today than it was two months ago.
"There's less frustration," he said. "We talked
about that after our Michigan match. We got swept
by them at our place (Oct. 18) and I thought we spent
our time frustrated.
"I told them, 'Get rid of the frustration and get
more determined."'
It was part of his marching orders in changing the
program's culture.
"I thought the biggest challenge was getting them
to believe that they could (change)," admitted Sheffield, who commanded them to "embrace the battle."
"When there are tough times or adversity hits or
when things get off to a rocky start, embrace the battle," he reiterated.
How did he accomplish that with this team?
"Brainwashing, I don't know," he said with a smile.
"You just need to have a little success."
Sheffield felt an early turning point was a 3-2 win
over Northern Iowa on Sept. 6 in the opening round
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VARSITY December 5, 2013
of the North Dakota State Classic.
"Coming back from 0-2 and winning that match
was key," he said. "That was a building point.
"It was, 'Hey, your backs can be absolutely backed
against the wall ― and you're about ready to get
knocked out ― but if you stay with it you can still
find a way to win.'
"That was something we still refer back to. You
could tell the confidence was a lot higher after that.
This team made a habit of losing games and coming
back and winning.
"It got to the point where they actually felt comfortable with their backs to the wall. In staying together and still being able to prevail, it builds more
and more confidence."
Injuries could have been a deal-breaking factor.
But they weren't, and UW's resiliency can be traced
to the mental toughness that Sheffield cultivated
with his players.
"We had to find a lot of ways to battle," Hickey said.
