Having taken over Niagara College's mens team this year, I had a vision of building a soccer culture with good people at the helm.
At Niagara we have a medium size student body as far as Ontario College's go. The population is split between two campuses so drawing the students from the other campus will be difficult if there is not something valuable for them to come for.
The stage is set to develop a strong soccer culture at school. The previous coaches were solid people who built good relationships between the former players and the school itself. The college now sees athletics as a positive marketing vehicle for the school brand and with that comes institutional backing. The support system at school is solid. The international student population grows annually. There is staff to tend to most needs including administrative duties, academic advice and Athletic Therapists.
We have a bit of a hurdle for one year as we are training off campus. The Welland Soccer Club is hosting our training and is a great facility, but it's still off campus. So far, it hasn't caused a major problem.
My main focus was finding the right group of coaches and I think that's in place. Our main assistant has University and Semi-Professional playing experience and is currently coaching a premier men's team. He is a full time college employee and every connection to the school helps. Our part time assistant has Premier Men's and University playing experience and 20+ years as a coach. He is also the friend who got me into coaching in 1989 and continues to be a mentor figure for me. Our goalkeeping coach has semi-professional playing experience and has amassed a great deal of training and experience as a coach. He has also witnessed the training his own daughter has received as part of the national program and retains a lot of what he's learned.
An added bonus has been the addition of a women's team coach who has International and NCAA playing and coaching experience. She has some good insight and often gives me points to ponder when we talk. I find myself picking people's brains every chance I get.
I want an environment where experienced people want to come out when they can and lend a hand because they love the game and are impressed by what we are doing.
The vision will take some time and I believe in it. My only concern was getting some positive results to keep people interested. We've been playing well so far, making progress and the guys know it, but a win eludes us.
This year we are fortunate to have a great group of players who remain supportive of each other. The attendance at sessions has been fantastic and we are seeing good moments as a team and individuals.
This season is short, 8 games plus playoffs. Right now we are 2 losses and 2 ties. We have 4 games left. Every day brings something better. The system and philosophy will be cemented for next season, but I think we are far enough this year to yield some results. Just as we sit 0-2-2 we could easily be 2-1-1.
I did not want the job if I was going to start from scratch and piece together a new team every year. I want a system in place where players move in and out of and the attitude is carried over from year to year.
At the end of the season we will have to evaluate how things look and if it needs to be adjusted for the realities of Ontario colleges, where students are in program ranging from 1-4 years. We will also have to sit down with our bosses at school to see if they are happy where the program is headed.
For now, I am going to stick to my guns. If all works out, next year we will not start from scratch but just find new pieces for the system already in place.
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