2017!!! WHAT A YEAR

Hello Everyone

Part 2 of “Who Is Coach B” will follow in the near future. Now I would like to tell you about my first year as a coach in Johannesburg and at Wits Junior Football Club.

PS: This is also to promote my boys for the Final that is coming up this weekend. Keep reading for details!!!!!

At the beginning of 2017, I was not sure what was in store for me but my plan for the year was to ensure that my degree is completed. That was the goal, for some reason soccer was the last thing on my mind, even though I had sent my CV to a guy that I was on a coaching course with. It had slipped my mind and my concentration was on studying.

24th January 2017, I had received an email which had me concerned as this was regarding my coaching application but all it said was WJFC and that I needed to be at Wits Marks Park at 17h30 the next evening to discuss the possibility of me coaching there.

Let’s go back a week, Coach K (Kyle Govender) and myself always spoke and discussed my coaching or getting back into the game. I discussed with him, how I would like to get my coaching going but finding the time and a club was an issue for me, but there was obviously a plan in place to get it going once the degree is out the window. Call it what you want but this email that was received was like someone was listening to our conversation. By the end of that week I was officially a Wits Junior Football Club Coach.

I was given the privilege to coach the U15 RCFLA (B Side). I was nervous, had no idea what to expect as now I had 20 boys that were expecting so much from me but most importantly I was excited about the new journey that I was about to take on. I remember sitting with the A team coach and he was laughing and showing me all my players and I kept saying to him, at least give me one quality player. To no avail, so I took my boys that I was left with and started working with them. I could see the eagerness in their eyes to want to play, to want to win but most importantly the passion they had.

We attended our first tournament in Florida, at Florida Albion sports grounds (reminds me of Eastwood, people don’t like losing there). I didn’t expect much from my boys as I knew that this was not the cream of the crop, as a coach you hope that your team can win but deep down you also know this is going to be difficult. It was a Sunday morning, Coach K and myself attend the grounds shirts and jeans, looking fresh but the way we were sweating, IT WAS HOT!!!! We see the boys coming and a handful of them with their parents, more pressure because now if their boys don’t play they coming for us as coaches. (I judge them on previous experiences, please forgive me). They just sat in the corner under the Gazebo and drank Strawberry lips the whole day, I only saw one bottle but it’s like it had no ending and the way it made them loud.. hahaha.

Anyway, back to the tournament, we played 3 group stage games, drew 1 and won 2. The boys had amazed me as I did not have that much time to work on them. Spirits were high, we find out we’re playing our A team in the Semi Finals of the cup. Boys heads dropped as they knew, this would be a difficult game. Everyone wrote them off, I mean how could the B Team compete with the A team, that is never a match right? WRONG!! I saw a bunch of boys dig deep down and come out fighting, we had people surrounding the field watching the game, the boys were attacking. They wanted this win, their fighting spirit showed me that I have soldiers here that want nothing more than to play soccer. I can safely say that we out played the A team but lost to them on penalties in the end. The boys were fortunate to have two professional players from Kazier Chiefs screaming for them as well, the likes of Ryan Moon and Brylon Petersen. The boys walked away with their heads high and they saw their potential and what they are capable of. So for the coaches back to the drawing board as it was now time to prepare for the Annual Wits Junior Tournament and the League that was about to start.

Before the league kicked off, we all sat down as a team and discussed what are our goals for the coming year, what do they want to achieve for themselves. They put their goals down. “Coach, we want to go unbeaten in the League and we want to win the cup!!” I had told them, if that is what you want then, you got to ensure you work hard and you push yourself further than what you can to ensure this happens.

The boys lived up to what they wanted, I could be wrong but they went 8 games unbeaten, scoring 44 goals and only 8 conceded, that is an average of 5.5 goals a game. If you know soccer that is AMAZING stats. Unfortunately the next game was their first loss for the season, I walked around that field that day to ensure each and every player doesn’t drop their heads and I saw boys crying, I saw the passion in each and every boy on that field, it made me tear up but it was an eye opener for each and every one of them. The most important part was the bounce back and they did it in style by beating the next team 9 – 2. My boys were back and ready to tackle anyone.

4 games after the loss we had captured the league title that was one of the objectives for the season completed, now to win the semi-final to get closer to the Cup. We get the toughest draw of the Semi Final, Panorama FC. They were 2nd on the log and wanted to beat us more than anything else. I can safely say that it was one of the most entertaining games of the year. We went 2 – 0 up before half time and the boys started relaxing, I mean they have been in this situation so many times, leading by half time and they know the game is won. NOT TODAY BOYS, 15 minutes into the 2nd half we concede two quick goals, I start to panic, I know how they feel plus the momentum is with the other team but I saw the character show. I saw the willingness for what they wanted for the season come out, we walked away 5 – 2 winners. Onto the FINALS WE GO!!!

FINALS – WITS vs Linhill Celtic DATE- 30 September 2017 VENUE- Randburg Sports Complex KICK-OFF- 18H30

Be there to see if these boys get 2 out of 3 objectives for the season.

WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN!!! As a coach it was my first piece of silverware that I have won, I am going into my first finals but more important than that; I saw boys from different backgrounds, from different walks of life come together and be one. I watch them week in and week out and just get amazed on how they have come together. Parents have come to me and been like “Coach, what you have done with our boys is amazing, we can see the impact you have on them!”

This is what I have to say to you parents:

I look at them and smile and say they brought something into my life that was missing. They made my passion grow further, they showed me where I should be and what I should be doing. They have brought so much joy back to me and made me love soccer more than I ever have. Your boys opened a door for me I thought was closed. For this I say Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have the honor to coach them. This by far has got to go down as one of my best years and it is only them that I can thank for that.

Thanks to Wits Junior Club for the opportunity to be apart of your team and having the confidence in me to take a team

PS: DON’T FORGET, 30th SEPTEMBER 2017 BE THERE!!!!!!

Brice Petersen (Coach B)