ABOUT ME

I have been involved in coaching soccer for over three decades. During this time, I have had the pleasure of working with players from the very youngest grassroots players up to adult players that would go on and have great success carving out careers for themselves in the professional game. I was born in England and moved to the Canadian prairies when I was very young. It was in Saskatoon where I started playing the game I love and where I began my coaching journey.

Through the experience of being a player, I was driven to truly love fall in love with coaching. Like most players, I reacted and trusted my experience and instincts to do what I know needed to be done in each moment. I knew what to do as a player (like shoot the ball or drive to the net). When I began coaching, one question drove me to wanting to support players as best I can and it was this:

How do I teach someone the steps, process, and mindset needed to be successful in that moment?

That is where it began for me, and as they say, the rest is history!

Little did I know all those years ago how my experience in the game would change my life and how fortunate I am to be that driving force in young peoples’ lives that makes a positive and meaningful impact.  It isn’t about helping a player score goals, win more games, or get the opportunity to make some money in the game. That can be the by-product of a great environment, but it isn’t the top reason why I help.  For me, it is about leadership; we, as coaches, are leaders in peoples’ lives. We are so privileged to be connected with people. This isn’t just the players we work with with but the community we are surrounded by, the parents of the players, the teams in our club, our community are all connected, and we, as leaders, have the great honour of leading them.

I have learned so much in my time in the game and how, through connection and building relationships, we can have success together.

SUCCESS IS NOT TRANSACTIONAL. SUCCESS IS TRANSFERRABLE.

I was blessed as a young coach to have incredible mentors who supported and guided me though my experience as a young leader. They allowed me to try things and sometimes fail, to rebuild me when I stumbled and to be there when I needed them. I know this is not every coach’s journey, and that is what I would like to change. My simple question surrounds my ability to create connections and build relationships with you and be along with you on your journey and would ask you, … How can I help?