Young coach is always in-control behind bench By: Kevin Duarte

MONTREAL, QC In the world of sport, the spotlight tends to always land on the players and athletes competing. But in every team, there are coaches who are at the root of all the behind the scenes work. William Chan is a 19-year-old youth soccer coach from Pierrefonds, Quebec. He is entering his fourth year as coach. This season, Chan is leading a U-11 AA boys team from his local club, the Pierrefonds Cobras. When it comes to coaching, Chan is considered to be young. Where most coaches are experienced adults, Chan does not fell age is a factor, but rather how good a coach is. "I think that if you are passionate for the game you will have success as a coach," he said. "The bottom line is it doesn't matter whether you are 18 or 40 to be a good coach. It comes with experience and love for the game." To be a successful coach, Chan believes it comes down to being a good leader and communicator. "To be a good leader you must be able to communicate effectively to the players," he added. "It's important to be a good leader and communicator because it is the coach who gives the direction for the team. The players listen and play for the coach. If a coach cannot lead his team in games then they will not be successful."

Aside from being a good leader, organization is also an important factor when it comes to coaching. Before every match, Chan likes arrive early, around an hour before the scheduled kickoff, to be able to do last minute preparations calmly. These last minute tasks include getting all his equipment ready, and of course, tactics. When the players arrive, he greets them individually before they start getting their equipment on. Around half an hour before the game, Chan will do his pre-game team talk to make sure his players are familiar with the game plan and to get their confidence up. Preparing match tactics starts much early then at game day. In weeks leading up to matches, Chan will always teach his players tactics that are specific to each team he faces. The practices leading up to games will focus on these strategies Chan will have to enforce. As part of his game day preparations, Chan always prepares last-minute changes and instructions for his players. Chan, a firm believer is technology, uses his iPad to show his players their roles in the game. He prepares tactics specific to each player on his team, before they show up to the field. This maximizes the little amount of time he has to get his team ready right before the start of a game. Once the match has started, the coach still plays an active role. Chan likes to always stay in-control no matter if its a practice or a game. As soon as the first whistle blows to indicate the start of the match, Chan is focused solely on how his players are reacting to different situations. "As a head coach, I think being in control of your team is one of the most important things," he said."The coach is the leader and gives the direction to the team. In a match there is only one coach yelling instructions to the team, so the importance of being in control of your team is big. I like to be in control of all aspects of my team, from roster selection, training schedules, tactics and the match itself. I like to be hands on when working with my team rather than delegating." As the match progresses, the coach needs to adapt his teams style-of-play based on how his team is performing. These changes can be almost anything. Whether it is an instruction to a specific player, or the entire team, Chan must be able to communicate to his players the changes he wants. This is where a coach needs to be a good communicator. Prior to the start of games, Chan sits his players down and does his pre-game speech. When the game is underway, communicating with the players on the pitch becomes much more difficult. Chan not only uses his voice to shout commands, but also plenty of hand gestures, to get his message across.

When things are not going well in matches, a good coach will be able to stay calm and figure out a solution on the spot. The coach still has to lead his team no matter what the score line is. The way in which the coach reacts on the sideline will often reflect how his players will react on the pitch. Chan demonstrates his leadership abilities by doing exactly this. In one pre-season match, his side faced difficulties finishing easy chances that were given to his team. Chan analyzed the situation and made sure his players remained confident. The goal finally came after a minor tactical alteration and his team went on to win the game. As a young coach, Chan's leadership qualities have enabled him to strike the perfect balance of being in-control and respected amongst the players and parents on his team. To his players, Chan is seen as a big brother. As much as he is the leader on the team, he is also a role model for these kids. "The way I carry myself off and on the pitch is very important," he said. "I respect the player when he makes a mistake, but I always add a constructive comment so that they can improve. Off the pitch I act like I am their friend or their brother so they can relate to me a lot better than as if I was the coach. Sometimes it's hard in a match because emotions get the better of you and you might say or do something that you don't want to do in front of the players. You always have to think your actions over twice." Chan likes to be in-control at all times. Whether it is before a practice or game when he his preparing tactics or during games, Chan remains as the leader of his team. He hopes this obsession with taking matters into his own hands will lead him to greater things, such as a successful career coaching a professional team. -30-