ST. PAUL – St. Paul Soccer brought in a coach from Belfast, Ireland, through the Challenger program, to help train players on its youth soccer programs this season.
Conal Burnett brings a wealth of experience not only as a coach, but as a soccer player himself. He earned international youth caps, won trophies, and he also signed with a college team in the United States when he studied there.
He said he wants to share insights from his experiences in Europe, where soccer is the predominant sport, and to help players in St. Paul reach their potential.
As a coach, Burnett said among his goals is to help St. Paul Soccer’s players to develop their foundation with the sport. “I’m more of an analyst or a tactician,” he said. “I’m not one to sit back and just let everything happen.”
“If I see something wrong, I’d rather stop it and [stop] the bad habits,” added Burnett.
The key to helping youth develop is to have fun with their sport. “I want them to finish training, while a bit tired, but with a smile on their faces.”
Burnett believes that youth soccer should prioritize development over competition. He believes if young players focus on developing their abilities and love for the sport, competitive success will naturally follow as they progress.
He noted that while many players aspire to advance to higher levels of play, the foundation of their experience should be about understanding the game while also building friendships.
“It’s about just development [and] making them stronger,” not only physically, but stronger in a way that they have robust understanding with regard to the tactical aspects of soccer, he explained. Because without a strong foundation, a player’s development could later suffer.
Lori Cote, technical director at St. Paul Soccer, said there are about 40 teams at St. Paul Soccer each composed of about a dozen players. Many of them are benefiting from Burnett’s training. Of those 40 teams,10 teams are in the youth level, or U13 to U19 age categories.
“We’re just hoping that our kids and our coaches all learn something and improve their overall skills. That’s what it’s all about . . . just improvement,” she said.
According to Cote, the club has been behind other communities for about two years due to the pandemic. Other communities also hired other Challenger coaches, and the club thought it would be a good idea to do the same for its programs.
Other updates
As the soccer season fires up, some teams will be competing at tournaments to be held in late May in Sherwood Park and Camrose.
The club is also working on growing its adult program.
"If there are any adults that would like to play, we are still taking registrations for that,” until the end of May, said Cote. “But the sooner, the better.”
