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Kane explains what he wants his team to do during a Monday evening practice. (TIM SNOW/The Gazette)
With The Coach:
Coachin gkids is just fun
John Meagher
The Gazette
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Kane explains what he wants his team to do during a Monday evening practice. (TIM SNOW/The Gazette)
With the Coach is a weekly series featuring a conversation with a local coach.
Coach: Todd Kane, 40-year-old Beaconsfield resident and inside sales rep for Metso Minerals
Teams: Lakeshore U-4 and U-9 house-league girls teams
Years coached: Four
Playing experience: None
Best coaching tip: Kids love to hear encouragement.
Todd Kane admits he didn’t know much about soccer when he first started coaching at the local house-league level four years ago.
But the sport has grown on him, and so has mentoring youths.
This weekend, Kane will coach an under-9 all-star team at the Lakeshore Soccerfest Tournament.
You weren’t exactly a soccer enthusiast growing up in Verdun?
Kane: Not at all. My favourite sports were hockey and baseball, but now I love soccer. I’ll even watch it on TV. My (Norwegian) wife, Tone, played it, though. And the more I see my own kids, Katie (3) and Emma (9), playing and enjoying it, it’s hard not to get enthralled with the game.
How have you learned to become a successful coach?
Kane: When I first started, Emma played on a U-5 team coached by John McMahon, who was also an intercity coach at the time. So I learned a lot from watching him. I copied his style and incorporated a few things of my own.
What’s common to coaching all sports?
Kane: Just bringing your team together. Teach them that you’re part of a team. You can start teaching that at a very young level.
What’s it like coaching U4s?
Kane: Better than I expected. We have a one-hour game and a one-hour practice per week, though I really think it should be one 45-minute game with a 15-minute practice. It’s hard because the kids lose interest very quickly.
What’s the best part of coaching 3- and 4-year-olds?
Kane: They’re just so cute. Their soccer shorts practically go down to their ankles. This is the group that actually picks flowers on the field. It’s also non-stop talking, but they’re so much fun.
What about coaching U9s?
Kane: Every year you have to bring something new to them. This year, for example, it’s more positioning. They’re like sponges. If you don’t have anything new for them, they’ll go stale on you.
Your thoughts on the decision not to keep standings?
Kane: They’re better off without standings at this level. Besides, this year the girls are very aware of the final score.
How have you improved as a coach?
Kane: Well, I have an excellent assistant coach in Peter McCusker and I also go to the annual coaching clinics. Most importantly, I try to make sure every child on the field is being noticed. I like to encourage every child.
What do you get out of it?
Kane: When I give a kid a big thumbs up and I see a big smile from across the field, it’s very rewarding. I love that.
Do you have any desire to coach an intercity team someday?
Kane: No. I’m happy at this level. It’s about doing our best, getting popsicles and going home.
Are you looking forward to the Soccerfest tournament?
Kane: I did it last year and loved it. It was amazing for the kids. And the parents loved it, too. It’s an upgrade in competition, but win or lose, it’s still “Hey, good job everyone. Now, let’s go get some popsicles.”