About Me
I've been coaching kids' team sports for a number of years, starting out with my son Max's teams and I have absolutely loved it. There's something about watching kids improve and developing a passion for the sport I love. That experience encouraged me to get properly certified, and I'm now a New Zealand Football Junior Level 2 qualified coach.
One thing I've noticed again and again while coaching Max's team: it's genuinely hard to give individual feedback when you're managing a whole squad. There just isn't the time. That's exactly why I started Next Level Kicks - to give kids the one-on-one guidance team training can't offer, so every child gets the personal attention they need to achieve the next level of their game.
Why I coach the way I do
New Zealand kids grow up with something most young footballers around the world don't have: space. Big rugby fields at school, room to run, room for a big kick down the line. It's brilliant for a lot of sports, but football isn't really one of them.
Football is a game played in tight spaces, under pressure, with quick decisions and close control. Watch kids in Brazil growing up playing in alleyways and tight courtyards, they can't get away with a big hopeful kick, so they learn to control the ball, protect it, and work their way past pressure. That's the instinct we're often missing here.
My sessions are inspired by the New Zealand coaching curriculum, and are heavily focused on children developing the core skills, not just having fun with the ball, but learning how to really use it.