Ryan’s a passionate football coach

Ryan Ward is the Football Development Manager at North Shore United (NSU) where he is in charge of the Junior and Youth Programme. He is also the Director of Football at Takapuna Grammar School (TGS). At TGS, he oversees 20 football teams, along with coaching the Boys First XI and Year 10 Gold team. Ryan is also a qualified physical education teacher and often does PE relief teaching at TGS. Originally from Birmingham, England, Ryan has been living on the North Shore for 11 years and shares some fantastic football stories from growing up in the UK.

What do you love about football? Ryan Ward: I am a passionate football coach! I have been coaching now for 19 years since I was 15 years old. Football and sport in general is a great way to bring people together, socialise and be physically active. There is a reason why football is called the ‘Beautiful Game’. The simplicity and elegance of the game, the teamwork involved, the unpredictability, and the sheer joy it brings to fans and players.

What was your journey to becoming a coach? Explain how you got to your role. Growing up in Birmingham, the second city of England, football is in your face all the time; on the TV, in the newspapers. As a kid growing up, I always wanted to be a footballer, but I came to the realisation at the age of 14, that it would be an unrealistic goal to make it professional. I was inspired at the time by my physical education teacher who gave me lots of opportunities in a range of sports. I decided at 15 I wanted to become a PE teacher and a football coach. So at the age of 15, I asked the football club, Ulverley Hawks, which I was playing for, if I could volunteer to coach the club their U7s team. I took that team for six years through the ages and then I got asked by Birmingham City FC Academy if I would be keen to join their coaching team. Working in the professional environment really was an eye-opener. I was very fortunate to work alongside some top coaches and work with some exciting young players who had bags of potential! After qualifying as a physical education teacher from Newman University, I was set on travelling the world! My first destination was New Zealand. However, I fell in love with the country and came to terms with the fact that I would struggle to find a better country! I worked hard to create a full time coaching role at Greenhithe Football Club, and coached the Girls First XI at Rangitoto College. I then was offered to oversee the football programme at TGS which I have now been doing for the past eight years and I am now in my sixth year at North Shore United as the club’s Football Development Manager.

What are some highlights of your coaching career so far? I have been very fortunate to have coached players back in England at the BCFC Academy who have gone on to compete on the world stage. Players such as Jude and his brother Jobe Bellingham of Real Madrid and Sunderland, and Bobby Clarke of Liverpool. But the main highlight for me is seeing the players who I have coached here on the North Shore grow and develop as not only better footballers but as better people! Every player who has played for the Boys First XI over the past eight years becomes part of the TGS Old Boys chat. We still keep in contact, with many of the ex-First XI players giving back their time to coach and support teams at both TGS and NSU.

What teams do you support and why? Who is your favourite player and why? I support my boyhood club, West Bromwich Albion. However, I am starting to buy into the hype of the new Auckland FC team! So you may see me on the terraces, waving the Auckland FC flag next year! My favourite player is Xavi Hernandez. I admired him as a young player for his game intelligence. He played the game in the future, always knowing what to do before he received the ball.

Why would you recommend football for kids looking to begin the sport? Football is a fantastic sport to get involved in. There is a reason why the sport is growing at such a fast pace here in NZ. It is a simple but exciting game and absolutely anyone can play it!

What are your hobbies outside of football? I do still love to travel and any chance outside of the football season, my wife and I will get away to travel to a new exotic country.

Article added: Friday 26 July 2024