In college, students are given the opportunity to take on many roles: student intern, student teacher and student athlete. This spring some students took the chance to add to their roles, as coaches.
Drayson Bratt, a first year graduate student at UW and his wife Caitlyn Bratt, a senior, held their first soccer practice Tuesday evening at Washington park, working on the fundamentals of passing and throw-ins, with their U-7, five and six-year-old girls team. Caitlyn, an Elementary Education major and student teacher at Beitel Elementary School, became involved with Laramie Soccer Association (LSA) after a parent had expressed the Associations need for coaches this season.
“It worked out for us, and Dray (Drayson) has a background in coaching,” Caityln said. “I’m excited to get to know the kids and see them make progress throughout the year. Especially when we have students that have never touched a soccer ball before, to see how well they progress,”
Drayson, a Wyoming native from Powell, is licensed with the National Soccer Coaching Association of America and has spent four summers coaching the elementary age group.
“I’m excited to watch the kids learn soccer skills and come to enjoy the game like we do,” Drayson said. “I really just want them to get experience and enjoy it so that they will come back and keep playing soccer.”
Caitlyn is expecting to graduate this May, and is hoping that next year, her and Drayson will be able to continue coaching LSA recreational youth soccer.
According to LSA commissioner Jimmy Mora, this year LSA is experiencing one of the highest number of players registered since LSA was established in 1978. At the end of registration, LSA reported 297 players registered from their “Mighty Munchkins” three and four-year-old players all the way up to their U-16 division of 12 to 15-year olds. The players are cut up into seven divisions and this year has 35 volunteer coaches.
Stephen Oni, a sophomore international student from Nigeria, made the transition this spring from player to coach.
As a freshman, Oni had participated in LSA’s summer adult league. Oni had played soccer in high school as a defensive right back and had earned Man of the Match while playing in Nigeria. At UW he participated in intramural soccer. This spring, Oni is coaching a group of U-10 boys and has had two successful practices thus far.
“I think the kids are really good. We have some good players. There’s really no winners or losers, this league is just for fun,” Oni said. “I want them to pass the ball well, we play passing games. I want them to make opportunities to shoot.”
Saturday was scheduled to be Oni’s first outing with his team as their first official game, it will be rescheduled due to the snow.
“Sharing your knowledge with younger kids, and being a leader to the kids, helping them improve and get better, is why I coach. I don’t want to see kids try soccer and stop, I want them to like it and have fun,” Oni said.
Oni, a Geology major, has intentions of continuing his coaching stint with LSA in future seasons, he mulled over possibly coaching an older division.
“They’ve been really nice. The parents are really nice; the kids are really respectful- that’s one thing I’ve noticed. Yesterday, a player came over and said thank you and that’s something that really goes a long way… Maybe I will coach U-10,” Oni said.
