“When you come from a country where for a woman it is completely wrong to be interested in soccer, the passion for this sport grows even more. I'm a coach because I want to share my passion with my players, I want to give them opportunities to grow and believe in their abilities. I want to teach my players to not give up and follow their dreams. I cannot make champions, but I can show them the way to be more than that.”

-- Giovanna Swierzewski

Geographically, the shape of mainland Italy is like a boot; to the west of the toe, lies a big island, which is just like a soccer ball being kicked by the boot. This island is Sicily, home to Coach Giovanna Swierzewski, the winner of this week’s “I’m a coach because…” campaign.

Her story has points of resemblance to She’s the Man, a Hollywood movie centered around a teenage girl struggling to play soccer with the boys' team.

Giovanna Swierzewski was born in Italy, where she lived for 24 years. She has been obsessed with soccer since childhood. We know Italy has a long-standing fever for soccer; what we might not know, as Swierzewski notes, are the stereotypes of gender discrimination in the sport -- for a parent it was a shame that a little girl was so attracted by a masculine sport. Young Giovanna snuck out everyday telling her mom that she was with her best girlfriend doing girls stuff; however, the truth was that she was playing soccer with her brother.

Entering into her teenage years, Swierzewski was separated from soccer by her mother – no more games on TV, no more FIFA video games, no more playing and collecting any kind of soccer material; she was only allowed to socialize with other girls.

Then Swierzewski met her husband, a U.S. sailor who helped her find the courage to keep on doing what she liked. “I was talking about soccer in public and I was sharing my opinions,” she said, “of course with men only."

Last year, Swierzewski moved to United States with her husband. She took her first license and coached as an assistant coach in a private middle school. “Now I'm trying to get as many certifications as I can because I want to help as many kids as I can. I want to teach them that soccer isn't just a sport but a state of mind, it is a passion and nothing can stop it. I want to give hope and strength to those who are to give up.”

Since her husband was deployed overseas again, Coach Swierzewski is now back in Italy and working as an assistant coach in a soccer school in Catania, Sicily. Her goal is to become a high school coach in one year when her husband gets out of the military and they will have a stable lifestyle. Talking about her trip back to Italy, Coach Swierzewski’s has happier experience that is better than before, “People see me differently now. I'm an American/Italian coach so people respect me when I talk about the local team. Also I received some offers. A lot of soccer schools here are interested in having me as an assistant coach for one season. And my mom is my number one supporter now!”

NSCAA: What are your thoughts on coaching education and its role in developing coaches?
Giovanna Swierzewski (GS): It is the most important thing. A lot of times I see very talented kids give up only because the coach is not prepared enough.

NSCAA: What has NSCAA meant to you?
GS: NSCAA is the way to learn how to approach the players in the right way. The courses are easy and well presented.

NSCAA: What is your most memorable moment as a coach?
GS: The time when the kids won a game against the rivals 5-0 and it was my birthday.

NSCAA: What sort of qualities do you think a coach should have? How do these qualities influence players and team?

GS: Patience.... lots of patience. If you have patience the team will play more relaxed and the players will fell respected and listen more.

NSCAA: How do you describe the relationship between you and the players during coaching?
GS: It is clear between us when it is time to be serious or it is time to joke. There is a lot of respect from both sides.

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