David Standish had the chance to talk with Tommy Wheeldon Jr, head coach of Cavalry FC, about team building and soccer culture.

Q. Martin Nash is your new technical director. What is the difference between a general manager (your position) and a technical director.

A. I am working with the ownership group on a lot of the business aspects, the stadium, fan engagement, negotiating contracts, talkin with agents. The technical director is a lot of our playing philosophy and how its implemented, not only towards our Cavalry team, but also if we have a youth system or a U20 team, it’s developing a brand and a style of play.

Q. Looking at the venue this is like no other sports stadium in Canada. I can’t wait the see the lines being painted on and balls getting kicked around.

A. I’m a purist, I love the smell of grass. I grew up in a country where we played on grass pitches. The smell of freshly cut grass is like nothing else. So when I come out here it brings me back those days when I fell in love with the game. The next part of it is the crisp white lines. Once you see them painted and the goals put in there, it’s going to be brilliant. Every little piece will be part of the building process at Spruce Meadows.

Q. When you talk about building processes, we’ve talked before about the right way to build a culture within a team and perhaps the wrong way as well. What can you do with a group of a lot of strangers that will be starting new in 2019 in terms of the expectation and culture of winning.

A. It’s going to take time. We use the Golden Knights of last season as an example. They got their team together and their system together and everything meshed. We have been doing our due diligence of the type of players we are bringing in and the types of positions we need. I’m a believer in the way you treat people and the human values and how you deal with people, then give them the expectations of what you want. If you have those values it makes it easier to develop a culture.

Q. Foothills FC (from the PDL) have big holes to fill with several members of your staff joining you with the Cavalry. Can you talk about that.

A. Leon Hapgood has taken over as T.D. for the club. But make no bones about it, it’s a phenomenal club, with phenomenal people around there and a big part of the reason we were able to bring pro soccer to Calgary was because of the vision the club had. So that team will still exist and flourish and I couldn’t have been prouder to have been involved with that organization for as long as I was. S

Like what you read? Become a Patron.

David Standish David Standish is the play by play voice of Foothills FC men’s and women’s teams as well as the University of Calgary’s soccer programs. He has been part of the Calgary sports media for over 20 years.

Share with a Friend Facebook

Twitter

Reddit

LinkedIn

WhatsApp

Telegram

Email



Like this: Like Loading...