S. Beek: 'Young female footballers show great desire to improve'

2025-03-03 20:17 © lff.lt

The 2025 season of women's football in Lithuania is just around the corner, and the defending champions Šiaulių "Gintra" are preparing for ambitious challenges with their new head coach from England, Steve Beeks. One of the main tasks for the Lithuanian champions – to maintain the core of the squad – has been accomplished, and with the addition of several newcomers, "Gintra" is welcoming the season with positive vibes.

The Brit S. Beeks, who took over the head coach position from Finnish Olipekka Ojala after the 2024 season, has been working with the team for three months and has already settled into the city of Šiauliai and the new football environment. His philosophy is clear – you can only win by being effective in all areas of the pitch, and consistent work and discipline will be the main pillars to achieve goals.

We spoke with the head coach S. Beeks about preparation, challenges, and first impressions in Šiauliai.

– Coach, the new season is just around the corner. How do you assess the team's preparation so far? What are the main goals you set for the upcoming season?

– Preparation is going smoothly; the young players show a great desire to improve, and I believe they are moving in the right direction. The situation is somewhat complicated by the later arrival of some players, as when they arrived, the players from the Lithuanian national team were away for ten days, so we had limited training sessions with the full squad. Nevertheless, working in smaller groups allows us to delve into details and refine the most important aspects.

Our main goals are to win the Lithuanian championship, regain the Baltic League title, and advance from the first UEFA Champions League qualifying group.

– On March 8, the first official match of the season awaits against the RFS club from Riga in the Baltic League. How are you preparing for this encounter? Do you have any information about your opponents yet?

– So far, I haven't seen their game, but I believe they are at a similar stage of preparation as we are. In fact, it will be a very difficult season opener, and we definitely will not have reached our optimal level yet. However, I am confident that we will be competitive and demonstrate a solid performance.

– This winter, a few new players from different countries joined the team. How is their integration into the team progressing? What impression have they left during training?

– The new players are demonstrating a professional attitude towards work, and I am generally very pleased with both the team composition and our potential. I see many opportunities for growth and improvement in play; I just understand that it will take time. The season is long, there will be ups and downs, but the most important thing is to stay focused on our main season goals.

– What surprised you the most during the preparation cycle?

– I don’t want to be negative, but I must admit that I was somewhat unpleasantly surprised by the fairly low physical aerobic preparedness of the team. If we want to compete successfully in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, we will need to work much harder in this area. We have about four or five months to reach the next level of physicality.

– What version of the "Gintra" team would you like to see this season?

– My main word for this season is "effectiveness." I want us to be effective in every situation, both individually and as a team – in attack and defense. This will be our goal throughout the season.

– You have been living in Šiauliai for several months now. What are your first impressions of the city, the people, and the football culture in Lithuania? Do you already have any favorite spots?

– I really like it here! My favorite spot is the disc golf course – although I still have to improve a lot here since my eleven-year-old son often beats me (laughs). In fact, he trains a lot and participated in the World Youth Championship in the USA last year. I also enjoy walking – the central pedestrian street and the path around the lake left a great impression on me. The city of Šiauliai is very cozy, and my family and I already feel at home here.

– What main challenges do you anticipate this season, both in the Lithuanian championship and on the international stage?

– I always hope that the team I coach will improve throughout the season, and the results will consistently get better. We have interesting, serious challenges ahead and big goals both in Lithuania and in international competitions. For me, as a coach, it is very important that each player grows and that this is reflected in the team's play. The biggest challenge will be to avoid injuries and maintain a high level of physical readiness. This can significantly affect how the season unfolds.

The first official match in the 2025 season will take place on March 8, when the Lithuanian champions face the ambitious RFS team from Riga away in the Baltic League.