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A lifelong passion
Soccer coach has been at it for 18 years and shows no signs of slowing down
John Meagher
The Gazette
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Pierrefonds under-18 soccer coach Ralph Poliseno. Natasha Fillion, The Gazette
Ralph Poliseno started coaching youth soccer in Pierrefonds in 1990 when his children were first learning to play.
But even though his daughter, Lena, is now 26 and son, Steven, is 22, Poliseno can’t stay away from coaching the game he loves.
This summer, he signed on as a non-parent coach of two intercity teams, as well as his head coach duties at Dawson College.
Coaching two teams must take up a lot of your time?
I guess you could say I’m married to soccer. I coach the U-8s three nights week, and the U-18s take up another three nights. I enjoy it, but when you get to the month of August, you’re a little burnt out.
Why did you take a U-8 team?
I’ve done it before. Every so often I’ll go back and take a young team and develop them for a couple of years and then pass it along to another coach. With the younger ones, it’s about basic skills. With the U-18s, it’s more about teaching tactical soccer.
Is there too much emphasis on winning in youth soccer?
Much too much, no matter what anybody says. Because of this new Triple-A club reform, if my team in Pierrefonds isn’t winning, some parents might decide to take their kids to Dollard or Lakeshore or somewhere else. You almost have no choice but to win as a coach now.
Will the Triple-A club reforms brought down by Soccer Quebec succeed in the long term?
I think they’re a horrible idea. I think they’ll eventually revert to the old system, but they’ll cause a lot of damage in the meantime. The way Triple-A was done before, with the Lakers program, was phenomenal. The clubs just don’t have the resources to do what we need to do; there are just not enough quality coaches. The (reforms) have gone too far, too fast, but that’s just my opinion.
What is the Pierrefonds Soccer Academy?
We started it last year. It’s run by the Pierrefonds technical staff and designed to develop soccer skills for players age 8 to 13.
What are the immediate needs of the Pierrefonds club?
Facilities. We just don’t have enough playing fields. And we don’t have an indoor facility. We have to beg, borrow and steal just to get some gym time.
What is the state of the grass fields in Pierrefonds?
Awful. We’ve been closing our fields so often because of all the rain. I don’t know why, because we can’t cause them anymore damage, they’re so bad. It’s in the city’s plans to put an artificial turf field in Grier Park in the fall. That should help.
With the coach
Coach: Ralph Poliseno, 54-year-old Pierrefonds resident and insurance consultant. Technical director of Pierrefonds Soccer Association.
Team(s): Pierrefonds U-8 and U-18 girls teams. Head coach of women’s CEGEP soccer team at Dawson College.
Years coached: Eighteen years in Pierrefonds, six at Dawson.
Playing experience: St.Pius X High School and Vanier College.
Best coaching tip: You have learn the game to know what to teach.