Kelly starred at George Mason.

Q: This is your first year coaching in the club. What’s been the best part of teaching the game to the kids?

A: Having fun with the kids and seeing them improve based upon what they are learning in practice is, for me, the best part of being a coach. To see a child do something in a game or practice that you have taught them and then for the child to realize that they have just improved as a player is most rewarding – especially if they have a smile on their face.

Q: You played the game at a high level – first in the UK, where you are from, and later at George Mason. What’s the biggest difference between soccer in Europe and soccer here?

A: The pace of the game is the main difference. In England you are allowed very little time on the ball; games are played at a very high pace. When I got to the States, I noticed that you had a bit more time on the ball to take a touch and pick your head up. No doubt this difference had something to do with the 100-degree heat and high humidity we were playing in [in America]. It is much easier to run around at a high pace for 90 minutes when it is cold and wet, as it invariably was in England for good portions of the season.

Q: GUSC is two decades old, has seen some steady growth, but isn’t yet among the elite clubs in the area.
In your opinion, what's it going to take for GUSC to get to that level?

A: I think we need to focus on three main areas: player recruitment, quality coaches and improved facilities. We need to do a better job at recruiting kids from ALL backgrounds—especially from lower-income areas as well as the Hispanic community. We need to continue to bring in good coaches that know the game and want to make it enjoyable for the players, and who can teach the kids the right things for their age level. Finally, some of our practice facilities need to be improved drastically, maybe for selfish reasons certainly on the Academy side, but there certainly would be global benefits for the club.

Q: You coach in our Academy with Jeff Phillips, Patrick Sery and David Shearer. There is good momentum there.
To what do you attribute the growth and sense of momentum?

A: The Academy Director, Jeff Phillips, deserves much of the credit for this growth. He has put a lot of time into taking the Academy to the next level. Jeff, the coaches and GUSC in general have done a great job promoting the Academy concept to parents and players. We have been able to show that there is a big benefit for players entering into the Academy program from the Recreation leagues by improving their skill level, knowledge of the game and technique. We need to continue to grow the Recreation program, especially for the younger ages—from 4 to 9 years old—so that the pipeline to the Academy remains strong.

Q: How can GUSC get stronger as a club? If you were tasked with that mission, what would be your first initiative?

A: I believe a GUSC-specific soccer facility for games and training would be a huge step in strengthening the club and a big draw for kids, parents and coaches. This would be a huge undertaking though. Smaller and shorter-term initiatives to strengthen the club would be recruiting more kids from all backgrounds, including Hispanics, lower income, and a wider geographic region. Of course, we need to continue to recruit good coaches, increase fundraising initiatives and develop closer ties with our local colleges, including Belmont Abbey, schools and churches.

Q: GUSC’s leadership has talked about diversifying its pool of players—that is, creating opportunities for kids from various backgrounds. Why is this important?

A: For the kids, I think playing sports has a great positive influence on them. It teaches them discipline, how to win and lose in the right way, how to work as part of a team, and it gives them confidence. These are skills that are applicable no matter where you are from or where you are going in life. A diversified pool of players is important because it enriches the experience for all the kids and coaches, improves the talent pool we can pull from, and exposes everyone to individuals that they might not otherwise get a chance to know.

Q: How would you describe your coaching style?

A: For the ages I am coaching, I believe first and foremost the kids have to be having fun in games and pratices while learning the fundamentals of soccer. If you take the enjoyment and fun out of it, I believe it hinders their growth and learning. While I expect a lot out of the kids, I’m all about making practices and games an enjoyable learning environment with plenty of positive reinforcement. 

Q: For this club to grow—that is, get to a membership of 500 kids—what, in your mind, is the most important thing it can do to promote growth?

A: I think you have to be careful to not sacrifice quality for quantity. To sustainably increase numbers, then the fundamentals have to be in place--good facilities, quality coaches, and satisfied kids and parents. If these fundamentals are in place, then I think you will see a healthy, steady growth in numbers. We could also try more outreach to the community, doing some free and fun soccer camps for the younger kids and partnering with the Gaston schools or churches with after-school programs and summer camps, for example.

Q: Finally, every American soccer club needs a guy with a British accent. Are you comfotable in this role?

A: Certainly, as long as it includes a supply of hot tea, crumpets, and plenty of fish and chips!


This article was posted on Dec. 12, 2011.