‘Nothing can prepare you’: Calgary soccer club technical director navigating through pandemic
Posted Nov 8, 2020 4:45 am.
Last Updated Nov 7, 2020 7:51 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) Masks. Cohorts. Sanitized balls.
Those are now part of Calgary soccer players’ everyday lexicon.
Clubs across the city have had the opportunity to adapt to the evolving health crisis, first with a successful outdoor season earlier this summer, and now for the indoor session this fall and winter.
Great to be back on the pitch again! Here’s what you can expect from phase 1 of training – Clearly labelled entrances/exits and screening areas with socially distant activities. Looking forward to reconnecting with all the players this week! ????⚽️ pic.twitter.com/EQvGwyuNQ5
— Calgary Rangers (@calgary_rangers) June 16, 2020
“I think the one thing we’ve learned is that we’ve got to have trust within everybody in the soccer community to make sure they’re keeping to the guidelines,” Ashley Gooch, Calgary Rangers Soccer Club technical director, explained.
“I think everybody has done a great job of that.
“There are lots of pieces to it. It’s not just one club. There’s something like 38 clubs in the city. Everybody’s got to abide by these [rules], parents, players, all the coaches, all the technical directors. That’s the biggest piece.”
FULL INTERVIEW: 660’s Sandra Prusina chats with Calgary Rangers Soccer Club technical director Ashley Gooch
THE PLAYERS
The Rangers are just one of many clubs in Calgary with high-end players potentially looking to further their soccer careers, aiming for a spot on a university team or trying for a scholarship.
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“It’s definitely stalled it,” Gooch said of players’ aspirations during COVID-19. “In terms of their development, hubs and programs have done very well to keep them going, regardless.
“Zoom calls, phase-one type box training, they’ve kept players developing, kept their shape up, so they haven’t missed too much. Obviously, the biggest piece is competition. That’s what drives development. I think that’s the one piece that’s obviously been missing a little there. But I think clubs and programs have done really well.”
THE STAFF
Even with his years of training and many certifications, nothing has prepared Gooch or his coaches to deal with a pandemic.
“There’s nothing that can prepare you for what we’ve been through over the last eight months,” he admitted.
“The soccer community has really come together, the organizing bodies as well, Calgary Minor Association, have done an amazing job to guide everybody through it. Everybody is just pulling together.”
