By Charley Nordin
Upon moving to New York from Mali, Daouda Kante starred for New Jersey high school power St. Benedict’s Prep. After college ball atMercer and FIU, Kante went pro, including three seasons (2002-04) for MLS’s New England Revolution. He started in the Revs’ runner-up finish to the Los Angeles Galaxy on MLS Cup 2002. NowTechnical Director of Kansas Rush SC, he is also a national instructor for United Soccer Coaches (formerly as known the NSCAA).
Daouda Kante on …
His childhood
I grew up in Mali in a family with 11 of us — seven boys, and they all played soccer. I grew up playing soccer at home and on the street. I fell inlove with watching it and playing it with my brothers and friends.
Coming to the USA
I started playing with the Mali youth national team and had a hugeopportunity to come to America and also play soccer. I was very lucky to find Saint Benedict’s Prep in Newark, the No. 1 boys soccer high school in America.
Coachingstart
I had the fortune to live with someone who asked me to coach his daughter’s U-13 team while I was playing pro. I got to coach and train them and I fell in love withthe teaching part, teaching the game. I said after my playing career this is something I want to do. After I moved to Kansas City, I was coaching women’s soccer at Baker University and startedgetting involved with youth Kansas Rush, which I am still working with. From there, I got asked to coach for the Wizards’ Youth Academy.
Enjoy most aboutcoaching
The teaching process and watching payers learn and grow. Not just as soccer players but as human beings. To me, we have a responsibility as a coach to not only teach thesoccer aspect, but teach life lessons through soccer. Also, teaching to have passion with whatever you do.
Least enjoyable part coaching
The biggest aspect that Idon’t like is the politics that can be involved with it. It could be the parents, it could be the board, or it could be other stuff.
Influential coaches
When I was younger back in Mali, some of my youth coaches were a huge influence on me. But coming to this country, Rick Jacobs, the coach of Saint Benedict’s Prep, was one of mymentors and also someone I tried to take a lot of stuff from what he did and implement that into my teaching and coaching.
Professional coach role models
Arsene Wenger is someone I look up to because I am a huge Arsenal fan. I like Alex Ferguson also and his philosophy and methods of coaching.
Favorite soccer books
“Leading: Learning from Lifeand My Years at Manchester United” by Alex Ferguson and Michael Moritz.
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Favorite teams
AC Milan when I was growing up. Now it isArsenal.
Favorite soccer movie
“Le ballon d’or,” the of storyof the great Malian player Salif Keita. He was the African Gold Ball winner in 1970. He played in France, Spain and Portugal before finishing his career with the NASL’s New EnglandTea Men. When I was a kid in Mali, I played at his academy. And by coincidence I also played for the New England, the Revolution. When I went back to Mali to play for the national team, I met him andhe told good places to go in Boston.
Favorite players growing up
Salif Keita, Geoge Weah, Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten.
How you’ve changed as a coach
Everylevel is different and I think I have grown as I get older and more experienced toward the job. The biggest change is that I became a listener to the kids and learned to respect them too. Treat themwith the respect and you will get that back. I learned to treat each kid different because they all have different backgrounds.
Advice to coaches
You have toknow your players. Each player comes from a different home and different type of life, so you have to get to know them. I ask them “How is your day?” and “How are you?” Littlestuff, but it can make a huge difference in a kid’s life and they will open up to you. I think we as a coach don’t know how much we influence those kids and how much we mean to them.Listening to them and respecting them goes a long way.
Biggest mistake youth coaches make
We tend to micromanage. I think that’s something we need tolearn to stop doing. Soccer is a free-spirit game. So let the players make those decisions, not the coaches. When we get to the game, let them play, let them make those decisions and learn from it. Ifthey make a mistake, you can learn from it. If you never made mistakes, you would never learn.
Advice for parents
We need to enjoy our kids and let them bethemselves. Our job and responsibility is to support them, no matter what they do. After games, tell your kid that you enjoyed watching them today. So let them play, enjoy the game and be themselves.Let them be kids and support them.
Special coaching memories
I have a lot, especially with my kid. My daughter was 4 years old and in the middle of ascrimmage, and she left to play with a dog. …
I was coaching a kid and I told him stuff to work on and he did. Then he came to practice and told me, “I can do it now” — andhe showed me. Seeing the smile on his face because he accomplished something he couldn’t do before was so rewarding.
He will be a good youth coach.Hard to not coach from side line during the game.Takes lot of restraint not to be a joy stick coach.But you can see the difference on the field when u have a calm organized coach that don’t call out instructions all game long and the players looks more in tuned as a team.
correct. agree with all your points.