My role as a referee seems to have overshadowed my other football involvements such as my background as a coach.
I have had considerable Canadian and overseas appointments and experience as a coach.
Those who know me, know how, to an extreme I''ve put unbelievable portion of my every day routine into soccer for decades. As a bachelor with no family until very recently, I was able to afford 5 or more hours of soccer activities a day, every day. More of a full time job!.
What I mentioned in the article "soccer fanatic" posted as a Microsoft word file on "soccer" page was not a mere facetious tone! I really was married to football for a long time. No divorce has taken place yet, although the honeymoon tone had to be toned down as my son took over the attention, time and energy.
Well, my coaching activities witnessed several sporadic peaks and valleys. The two coaching ID certificates to the right represent experience and certification by an Asian FA and a European FA, each involving 2 years of coaching at the U21 and U18 select level with several accomplishments.
My first soccer involvement in Canada, as one of the youngest coaches in the league, was soon after relocating to North America. I coached youth U14, U16 and U 18 starting 1981 in St. Catharines and North York, Ontario.
Later in Aurora Ontario, I coached a Women team for a year followed with coaching a men's team in an industrial league for two years and winning the regional championship.
In the early and mid 80s, similar to my refereeing case, I started all over again with CSA via OSA and acquired the Canadian coaching certifications, completing the theory and technical components of the three provincial coaching levels: 1, 2 & 3 and I coached several "Rep" - competitive - teams with several impressive accomplishments.
Coaching youth soccer was a pleasure for a few years. Having no children "until very recently" and with a masked, deep, denied parental eagerness from which I wanted to escape, I compensated by pouring tremendous energy and time into coaching more than one team at the time.
The fruit of such years of condensed efforts was rewarding as several kids have made provincial select teams and in fact, three made it into the international arena including our own "Jim Brenan" of the Canadian team whom I started coaching when he was 7 years old in a winter indoor league at an old hockey arena used for soccer.
My job allowed me that. In fact, I completed the layout and set-up of several soccer magazines and a 256 page soccer club administration manual at work.
Synopses:
* Qualification by three FAs including Canadian National coaching certification programme.
* Completion of all theory and technical courses for all 3 provincial levels, 1,2,& 3..
* Experience includes 7 years at youth level, 2 years senior women, 4 years men's.
* Produced several super stars whom I coached for years at young age and developed to the National and international arenas.
* Produced a 60 pages illustrated coaching
manual for youth coaches while serving as Aurora Youth Soccer Club head coach; a
club that consisted of 145 teams from U6 to U19.
* Three years as head coach of The Falcons' men's club and North York Inter-town league and three years as Aurora Youth
S. C. head coach. Responsibilities included
coaches' administration, communication,
local education & training and general
supervision.
* Conducted several training sessions for coaches at the Aurora Club and authored the course drills. The picture below was
A valuable picture showing two of my players who are now super-stars, playing on Canada's National team and in Europe.
I remember, and I am sure they do too, how impressed they were when I showed them how to place the ball behind the goal line and bend it to enter the field and curve into goal and when they first did it. They mastered the banana shot and were very proud!
