Q: CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US A BRIEF INTRO ABOUT YOURSELF - PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE?

A: I hold the prestigious UEFA A License and USSF A License respectively. I also acted as a Coach Instructor to deliver Oceania and FIFA Coaching Courses. I'm a dedicated and passionate soccer professional with 18 years of experience across a variety of roles in the football industry, mostly at the elite level. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated excellent skills that have been invaluable when working with presidents, directors, CEOs, coaches, scouts, players, and the media. As a result, I have achieved many successful outcomes over my coaching career to date.

I have worked in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, New Zealand, and now the Cook Islands as Technical Director for the country. In my previous role as Head of Academy for the Wellington Phoenix, I successfully established the club's first professional academy as well as recruiting the initial intake of players from Asia, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. There was huge growth from 21 players to 34 across an 18-month period, with over 150 players attending trials throughout this period. Two academy players signed professionally with the first team in 2015.

Previously, I worked at a residential elite football academy in association with Chelsea Football Club in New Zealand with elite players from around the world aged 11-16. My role saw me travel extensively throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the USA identifying elite players, which has resulted in me building a substantial network of contacts internationally. I've been fortunate to visit Chelsea FC on numerous occasions and see firsthand how the club operates from academy to first team.

My philosophy is built on being professional, an excellent communicator, and always seeking continuous improvement in all facets of my work combined with my strong work ethic. I have also visited over 50 professional football clubs in more than 15 countries to see their academies working.
Ideally, in the future, I would like to be working at an elite level within a professional football club as an academy director or as a national team coach, whether youth or senior level.
 

Q: WHAT IS YOUR COACHING PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DID YOU CREATE YOUR PHILOSOPHY?

A: My coaching philosophy has varied over the years depending upon the level of players I work with, but also the environment in which I work. My core beliefs have stayed the same, however, and although it’s been molded over the years, I have set values I stick to when I’m implementing my philosophy into the teams and individuals I work with.

I’m a firm believer that as a starting point, you, as a coach, must create a disciplined environment to work in with accountability from not just the players, but also the staff. Routines and habits have to be created, as this will be replicated when you come to implementing your philosophy with the players you work with. I believe that having individuals and a team that are competitive and hardworking is paramount to the success you will have on the field. System-wise, for me, it varies depending on the players you have to work with. I like 1-3-4-3 or 1-4-3-3 as they’re interchangeable and well-balanced in both defense and attack. Teaching the players the core concepts to implement this system takes time for the players to adapt to.
 

Q: IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL SKILL FOR A PLAYER/COACH TO MASTER?

A: For a player, for me, it’s being able to bounce back after a bad experience. This could be injury, non-selection, or poor form. It’s key that, like a coach, players go through adversity at different points in their career so they are able to adapt to situations in the future more readily.
 

Q: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE NEW COACHES STARTING THEIR COACHING JOURNEY?

A: The key is to accumulate as many coaching hours and different coaching experiences as possible. I coached in America from 2000–2005, and this was one of the most valuable experiences for me. I was just starting out as a coach, and it enabled me to gain experience, knowledge, and confidence. I worked all over the eastern side of the US, from summer camps to college and the elite level. I cannot recommend this enough to coaches just starting out on their coaching journey. But being honest, look for the local junior coach and just offer your services voluntarily from there. Get as much practical coaching experience as possible, from U6s to senior level – you really have to throw yourself into it.
 

Q: HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE DIFFERENT ABILITIES OF PLAYERS WITHIN YOUR SQUADS?

A: It’s not easy, but I feel with experience it does become easier to manage. I have worked with different elite-level groups, and sometimes players would drop into the group that was perhaps off the level of the other players. It’s a slow process, and it means you have to make sure that when it comes to the planning of the session, you cater for this as a coach. Even down to the detail of individual