Can you tell us a bit about your journey and what led you to become a coach?
I was forced to retire from playing after two operations on my knee. Unfortunately, the old body couldn’t handle it anymore and I had to stop. So coaching was the next step in staying involved with the game.
How has your personal experience shaped the way you support and guide others on the team?
It’s completely different seeing things from a coaching perspective. It’s important as coaches that we provide support to the players as all players are different. Some will understand things quicker than others. Certain players will need to adapt their ways, so things can’t be forced onto them, or they can easily lose interest or start to feel isolated.
What does it mean to you to be able to give back as a coach?
It means a lot. It gives an internal feeling of pride seeing the players enjoy themselves after a game or training session. I like to have players enjoying themselves while working hard and hopefully they feel the benefits of coaching that is being relayed to them.
How do you hope your role with the team inspires others?
I hope it inspires them to do the same and keep themselves involved in the sport one way or another. There are various styles of coaching and playing sport, but having experience in seeing how the game has developed so much throughout the years, is invaluable to the younger generation coming through.
In what ways does your role as a coach go beyond the game and impact the lives of your players?
One of the main objectives in my coaching is to create a team bonding and togetherness. If the players are able to adapt their styles of play and learning to help them with their football, they are more than capable of doing it in their personal lives outside of the sport. They will have experience of being a good team player that knows how to provide support when needed, and bring a positive attitude and impact to anything they are involved in.
