TUCSON, Arizona – Long after the end of training, Portland Timbers coach Caleb Porter can often be seen still standing in the center of the pitch speaking privately with one of his players.

The conversations range from discussions about on-field tactics to informal chats about family and life away from the soccer field.

These simple moments between player and coach go a long way to explaining why Porter has had so much success in his coaching career.

"To get the most out of your players, you need to know them inside and out," Porter said. "I look at all the players on an individual case-by-case basis because they all come from different backgrounds. You need to know the right buttons to push."

Along with managing the technical and tactical aspects of the game, Porter believes that it is essential for a good coach to understand the psychology of his players if he hopes to bring out the best in his team.

This understanding was a big reason why Porter was able to guide the Timbers through the ups and downs of a bumpy 2015 regular season and implant the right mindset in his group in their run-up to to the MLS Cup title.  

"I think the more that you kind of watch your teams and your players, the more you figure out how to get the most out of them," Porter said. "That's a big reason why I love coaching. I love my players. I love getting to know them. I don't think you can be a good coach if you don't love your players."

Even in his youth, Porter naturally gravitated toward leadership roles, but he first began developing a serious interest in psychology during his college career at Indiana University, where he played under mentor Jerry Yeagley, the winningest coach in NCAA soccer history.

Yeagley had been a psychology major himself and when Porter later returned to Indiana to serve as an assistant coach to his mentor, he began to develop a strong understanding of how to manage a team and a season from a psychological perspective.

"I learned a lot from him just about creating a culture, getting the most out of your players, managing your staff," Porter said. "Just getting that synergy in your locker room, that spirit. I called it the 'it' factor in any team. Any winning team has just a little bit of an aura."

Since his time working under Yeagley, Porter has made an effort to continually study the mental side of the game. He has read dozens of books about psychology and the intricacies of coaching.

And during his time as head coach at the University of Akron, Porter spent four years working with a neuropsychologist, learning about the psychological impact that something as simple as a coach's demeanor or choice of words can have on his team.

Timbers defender Zarek Valentin, who played under Porter at Akron, said that Porter has always had a unique knack for getting the most out of each individual player on his roster.

"Certain players can deal with a little bit more criticism," Valentin said. "Certain players, you can't necessarily do that as much and if the coach takes the time to learn the ins and outs of each player, I think that they will have a better understanding of the player and how to get the most out of them. I think coach Porter is good at that."

Even when he is addressing his entire team at once, Porter is deliberate.

In each pregame, halftime or postgame speech, he is always trying to convey just the right the message – whether that's pushing his players to be better through a stern conversation or conveying confidence in his team to motivate the group. He knows his players are at their best when they feel confident, but not complacent.  

"I think that Caleb is just a master of getting guys up for every training session and every game, whether it's preseason or regular season." Timbers defender Nat Borchers said. "I think he does a great job of making guys understand what's at stake."

To win the MLS Cup title in 2015, Porter had to guide the Timbers through some low points with finesse. 

On May 27, the Timbers were sitting dead last in the Western Conference standings with just 13 points after 12 games. But instead of chastising his team, Porter walked into the locker room at Providence Park before a game against D.C. United and gave the shortest pregame speech of his career to show his club that he still had faith in them. The group responded with a 1-0 win.

He took a different approach on October 5, two days after the Timbers lost to Sporting Kansas City and dropped below the red line with just three games left in the regular season. He brought his team together for one of their longest pre-training meetings of the season, understanding that he needed to get his group in the right mindset if they hoped to turn things around.

"I know myself, so I'm very aware of myself, how I come off," Porter said. "I think that helps because I know when I've been too hard, too soft. You try to think along the lines of what does your team need to hear right now. Sometimes they need to hear things that they don't want to hear."

Just seven weeks after winning the MLS Cup, the Timbers returned to the training field for the start of preseason training camp on January 23. 

Before opening practice, Porter gathered his group at the center of the field. Like always he chose his words carefully as he reminded his team that they had tasted victory once, but had a long road ahead of them if they wanted to hoist another MLS Cup trophy. 

The players then took the field, exuding confidence and ready to work. 

"You see that effort that guys put in for him," Timbers midfielder Jack Jewsbury said. "It's something special."

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg