Princeton still special to Bradley

Anthony Coleman of The Times of Trenton Sports News writes of Princeton University's prodigal son returning home.

Bob Bradley is approaching the task at hand as if he was back at Princeton University and playing for an Ivy League title.

Well, the former Princeton men's soccer head coach was, in fact, back at his alma mater yesterday; however, he has his sights set on a much more grand prize.

Bradley has been back in town since Sunday as the U.S. Men's National Team -- the squad he now manages -- holds training camp in preparation for next month's FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The team is training at Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium through tomorrow. The sessions, however, are closed to the public.

"Of course the levels are completely different," said Bradley, comparing going for an Ivy League title and a World Cup. "Whenever you work with a team, the starting point is to try to build a good team, find a way for that team to grow, learn how to compete, learn how to raise the level and try to win something.

"The process of doing that is the same at all levels. The players certainly are going to be more talented the higher the level is, but the process of team building and the work that goes into it -- the inside details like communication, leadership -- so much of that is all the same."

Bradley played at Princeton from 1976-80. During his senior year where he led the team in scoring, the Tigers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Afterward, he coached two seasons at Ohio University before accepting the position at Old Nassau.

"(Coaching the national team) wasn't in my mind at that time," Bradley, 52, who is married with three children, said. "I was thrilled to have the chance to come back to Princeton. Bob Myslik was the athletic director. I was still quite young as a coach, and Bob, he saw something and gave me that opportunity.

"I was at Princeton for 12 years, and when I think back to the teams we had, to the players that came through the program, to the fact that all my kids were born in Princeton and ran around the field...when you coach in college, one of the greatest things is the fact that, as busy as you are, kids can still be part of this. So I don't think there could have been a better place to be at that time."

The lessons learned at Princeton -- as well as the ones picked up during his four stops on the Major League Soccer circuit -- are something Bradley hopes to draw from when the United States opens World Cup play against England June 11.

"As a coach, you draw on all of your experiences," he said. "The moments along the way where you are challenged to manage a group, when you are challenged when you need to be the one to set the tone and show leadership, those experiences are what get you to a certain point.