Brand Me....

Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year; I wish you all a successful year and all your wishes be granted. My wishes mean nothing without your action, always remember that.

For those that have noticed, I have had a logo designed that represents “Coach B”. I thought it would be a good thing to explain to my thought process behind bringing a logo into this. It was never in my plans to add a logo to what I was doing but as 2018 approached, I kept asking myself “What do I want to do differently in 2018?”

It was a question that had my mind all over the place. I was thinking about the work environment, my personal life, will the coaching be as successful as it was last year or will it be a one year thing? How will I go about ensuring that the players enjoy me as a coach? I had all the answers but I was still not satisfied, there was obviously something missing. I sat and thought but what is it that I do different to any other coach out there that has the same goals and dreams as myself? Besides been in the team that I am in, what do I have on the card that is different? I first started looking for a photographer who would come to most of my home games and maybe a training session now and again. I had a few options that I had spoken to, just haven’t finalised anything as yet as I really need this to work for both the photographer and myself. The reason for the photographer was because I actually just wanted more action shots while I was standing on the side line and obviously actions shots of the game now and again. This way I thought I would start building the Brice Petersen brand but I mean everyone takes pics and post them to social media, I need more than just that. So on my way back from Pietermaritzburg just after New Year’s Day, I was chatting to a friend that is actually a brother (who is a graphic designer, made people upset but just know, I still love you) and I gave me my idea about how I want to brand myself and asked him if he can create a logo for me, to my surprise it was his first day back at work and he was doing just that looking for designs to design this Coach B logo. If that was not a sign then I am not sure what is. Abie Fearless Delis got to designing and he came up with 4 different designs but the one that has been made available is obviously the one that caught my eye.

What does the logo mean?

The logo represents me as a coach, where I have come from and where I am going. The logo is something that I wanted to get out as I feel it could be a good way to try and change the way everyone sees coaches and what they are doing. I would like young kids to see that we can dream to be footballers but if you have two left feet then there is absolutely nothing wrong with working your way to be a coach and inspiring young lives to be better than what they were when they first played under you.

The reason for the logo was to get myself out there, try new things. There are a lot of coaches that have a dream to one day coach on the big stage but what are these coaches doing to get themselves noticed? Besides the obvious of making themselves better at what they do, equipping them with knowledge? That is where the Branding comes in, I want people to see the CB and know that it is not a Centre Back but Coach B, my plan and vision for it goes beyond just a one year plan but as I develop, it develops, as I grow, my brand grows but as all this grows I got to remember to keep level headed and ensure that this does not interfere with my main job and that is developing young soccer players to share the passion I have for the game. I see coaching as a great tool to guide youngsters to be in a better place. I have coached a lot of young players and some from even unfortunate backgrounds, I try and nature these players to make themselves better, show them what is out there. As a coach I don’t only want to develop soccer players but also great personalities and people as a whole. If I have a team of 20 and only 5 actually adapt what I am trying to teach then I have succeeded.

So Branding Coach B is not only about Brice Petersen but about showing young players with dreams that life is what you make it. Take what you love and do it to the best of your ability because one day you will be sitting in that rocking chair and looking out the window with all these regrets and say to yourself “If only I tried.”

Rather try and fail than fail to try.

Share the logo. Put it as your wallpaper; post it on your social media site. The more it goes out the better.

Brice Petersen