“Trying to bring the love of soccer to the rural areas where baseball and football are number 1 can be difficult.  Coaching a team of varying playing abilities, athletic abilities, age and maturity and trying to make them into their best as soccer players and students is a great challenge, but one that the rewards far outweigh anything else.  This present challenge has made me grow as a coach, and it has made me better in all facets of my life.”

Obstacles impeding Christian Fletcher’s love for soccer are nothing new to his life. As a young boy, he quickly fell in love with the game and dove head first into the life of practicing, travelling and playing the sport he loved.

When he was 14, however, his dream to play professionally suffered a major setback. In 1984, Christian was riding his bike when a vehicle hit him dead-on while trying to pass another car on a sharp curve. He had a compound fracture of his left tibia, a displaced fracture in his right femur, a compound fracture on his right wrist and a fractured pelvis, plus several broken fingers and toes. Furthermore, he was in a coma for nine days.

“I was told that my chances of ever playing again were very slim,” he said.

That summer, Christian’s family moved to Memphis, Tenn., where he underwent physical therapy every day for six months. Where he had once dreamed of professional teams and playing internationally, he was now learning to simply walk correctly again.

“I wanted to prove everyone wrong and play soccer again,” he said. “I still, to this day, remember the pain I went through. I used that pain to drive myself harder and harder. One year after the accident, I was allowed to play again.”

From that point on, Christian focused all of his time on improving his skills as a soccer player. He made the Memphis Rogues club team and was named team captain. In high school, just three years after the accident, he was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America team as one of the few underclassmen and as a defender. He also began playing with the Memphis Storm, a former American Indoor Soccer Association team, as a Pro Prospect.

Christian then played at the University of Memphis, where he started as a freshman.

“Unfortunately, injuries caught up to me and I thought that my playing days were over,” he said. “I took several years off, and at the age of 27, fought through injuries again and played for the No. 1 ranked University of Illinois Springfield (NAIA), where I finished my college career.”

Christian’s refusal to give up soccer transcends into his coaching career today, where he has coached at the high school, club and college levels in Illinois.  Today, he coaches a U-11 boy’s team in a small town outside of Springfield, Ill. Despite the lack of numbers and participation in the small, rural community, he remains dedicated to teaching others the game of soccer.

“My inspiration comes from my deep love for the game and my desire to try to give kids the knowledge, skills and drive to be their best, and better,” he said.

NSCAA: What inspired you to become a coach?

Christian Fletcher: My inspiration comes from my deep love for the game, and my desire to try to give kids the knowledge, skills and drive to be their best, and better.  My inspiration also comes from one coach that taught me the game and made a huge effect on my life and how I view the game, Goran Meskovic.  He was the first coach I played for after my accident.  He was a great player for the Yugoslavian National Team and played professionally in France and in the NASL for the Chicago Sting.  He truly gave me a deep knowledge of the game, and he never turned any of us players away when we stopped by his house to talk soccer and eat the fish he had caught that day.  I am forever indebted to him for all of the work that he put in with all of us.  He is a big reason why I began coaching and continue coaching.  I was also inspired by my father who taught himself the game and taught me the importance of learning all aspects of the game and that every player has potential.  It is what we do as coaches to get that potential out of them.  

NSCAA: What motivates you to keep coaching?

CF: Presently, I pull inspiration from the group of kids I am coaching.  They have proven to me that with a little guidance and a strong desire to learn, anything can be achieved.  It doesn't take much to motivate me to coach soccer.  I love to see the kids grow and learn the game.  I have two sons, ages 7 and 10.  Seeing the smile on their faces when they play or their drive to be their best at something they love is a huge motivation for me now as a coach and pushes me to be my best.  I just hope that I can make an impact on the kids in a positive way through something that they all love.

NSCAA: What was the biggest challenge you've faced while coaching?

CF: My biggest challenge while coaching is probably my present position, but it's a welcome challenge.  I am currently coaching a team of 8-11 year olds in Buffalo, Ill., a small rural community, 15 minutes East of Springfield, Ill.  Our numbers are low due to lower population and most of the kids are playing up one to two age divisions.  Trying to bring the love of soccer to the rural areas where baseball and football are number 1 can be difficult.  Coaching a team of varying playing abilities, athletic abilities, age and maturity, and trying to make them the best soccer players and students is a great challenge, but one where the rewards far outweigh anything else.  This present challenge has made me grow as a coach, and it has made me better in all facets of my life.

NSCAA: What are your thoughts on coaching education and its role in developing coaches?

CF: Education is huge.  Soccer is a very complex game when you really begin to understand it.  I truly believe that the development of good coaches is tied directly to educating them in all aspects of the game.  I also believe the development of coaches needs to begin at the earliest ages.  The kids need to be taught the game correctly from the beginning.  This allows a coach to delve deeper into the game earlier with the team, and this is crucial in the development of a soccer mentality in this country.  If we don't develop coaches for the younger age brackets and bring out the love for the game then, we end up losing too many of them to other sports.

NSCAA: What has the NSCAA meant to you? 

CF: The NSCAA has been a great tool in helping me continue to grow as a coach.  I think the NSCAA and its yearly Convention are crucial in the growth of soccer in the U.S.  The website is full of resources that can help any coach, from the articles and news, to job openings, to any information that you may need as a coach and as a player.  The growth of the NSCAA through the years is directly attributable to the growth of soccer in this country.  On a personal level, the NSCAA helped affirm that I was made for this game by honoring my efforts.  It helped grow my confidence as a player, and through the years as a coach.

To share your passion with coaching peers and the NSCAA, visit NSCAA.com/icoach. You could be the next featured story on www.NSCAA.com and win one of many prizes!

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