Phil Molloy - Head Coach, 2025 Canada Games, Female Team

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1) What's the most rewarding part of coaching for you personally?

The most rewarding part of coaching for me is getting to know the players and being part of the team environment we create together. I am always proud to see them gain confidence in themselves but probably more so, when they develop into great teammates. Being part of their journey and helping players navigate through the ups and downs of team sports isn't always easy but it is the most rewarding for me. 

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2) Other than wins and losses, how do you measure your teams 'success' ?

Team success is not always seen on the field, so for me a good measure of true success is getting to witness the personal growth and development of our athletes. Knowing that we created an environment where our athletes can be themselves, learn and thrive in a sport they love - that's true success to me.

3) What was your initial motivation to get involved in coaching?

I have a daughter who has been playing soccer from a very young age, so introducing her to the sport was a great motivator. I play soccer myself, so volunteering to coach her team just felt like a good fit. Through volunteer coaching, I also found myself becoming more and more interested in learning how to support young players in their long term development. This led me to the education side of coaching and allowed me to transition into the provincial coaching program. 

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4) Describe your coaching style

Growing up in St. Lawrence, soccer was a way of life and this culture definitely had a huge influence on my coaching style. I believe my high energy, passionate and "team first" coaching style comes from that great soccer community. I strive to bring passion and love of the game to the next generation of players in our community. 

5) Part of the National Coaches Week campaign is to say #ThanksCoach; who would you like to thank in getting you to where you are today?

The soccer community in Newfoundland and Labrador is a great one! I've been fortunate to have been encouraged and supported by my home club, Mount Pearl Soccer Association (MPSA). My coaching career started with the Girls U9 Metro team, so thank you to MPSA for allowing me to be part of their community.

I would also like to thank the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association (NLSA) for the opportunities they have provided me over the past several years. The opportunity to work with athletes on the provincial level has been truly rewarding and I look forward to being involved for years to come. 

Lastly, I would like to thank my family, my wife, Lindsay and daughter, Lily, who continue to support my coaching journey and have always encouraged me to be involved in soccer as a player and coach.

Brian Malone - Head Coach, 2025 Canada Games, Male Team  

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1) What's the most rewarding part of coaching for you personally?

Seeing my athletes grow and develop as both players and people! Sometimes the most rewarding part of being a coach actually happens after you’ve finished coaching an athlete, when you run into an athlete years after you have coached them and you see what they’ve accomplished! I love when my former players want to give back and reach out to me to get involved in coaching, it provides a feeling that they truly enjoyed their time with you!

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2) Other than wins and losses, how do you measure your teams 'success' ?

Team environment is key! Creating an environment that both players and coaches want to be part of is critical to a team’s success. When players show up day after day to training, work hard and support each other it shows that the program is going in the right direction. Seeing individual players improve and watching the team develop as a unit over the season is very rewarding. There are always small successes along the way, it’s important to recognize the small accomplishments/ improvements that happen, the small improvements lead to the big successes!

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3) What was your initial motivation to get involved in coaching?

Growing up, sports were a huge part of my life. Participating in sports has positively impacted me in many ways and taught me many life lessons, along with giving me the tools to deal with difficult situations that arise. Ultimately my involvement and love for sports growing up led me to becoming a Physical Education Teacher as well as giving me the passion to want to give back and help create positive experiences for youth through coaching.

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4) Describe your coaching style

I like to take a holistic approach to coaching, where establishing positive relationships with my players and putting a focus on development comes first! Too often the focus in youth sports can become results driven, when the priority should be on developing the player! I like to create an environment that provides guidance to players while also allowing the players the freedom to experiment and explore new tactics/skills in order to help them solve problems on their own. Allowing players to navigate situations helps empower them as both players and people and helps build confidence, while also providing them with the opportunity to contribute to their own development and learn from each other!

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5) Part of the National Coaches Week campaign is to say #ThanksCoach ; who would you

like to thank in getting you to where you are today?

I’ve had a number of great coaches throughout my life, however my Father would be the coach that impacted me the most! He was heavily involved in coaching when I was growing up, he always took time to better himself as a coach by attaining various coaching certifications, so that he could be at his best for the players. He always made time to provide feedback and guidance to me and all of his other players both on and off the field. The way he coached has helped shape me as both a person and a coach. Without his guidance, (which he still provides!) I wouldn’t be where I am today! I would also like to thank NLSA and Feildians Athletic Association for supporting me along my coaching journey and providing me with many opportunities to further develop myself as a coach!

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