Reluctant Hero – Steve Edelmuth
Recently, NSW Maccabi News spoke with Steve Edelmuth about his incredible success story with Northside Monash All-Age Squad which has attained Premier League status for 2011.
Steve Edelmuth is centre - the man behind his team
A huge jump from their humble beginnings of Division 3 in 2009. Most people will recognise Steve as one of the owners of Passion8 Catering but in his free time he is a dedicated mentor and loves it.
Steve Edelmuth
It was obvious from the discussion that modest Steve, 59, is this squad’s secret weapon. Steve proudly boasted, “The squad has reached a pinnacle creating a new page in history.” Steve is a seasoned coach who not only can work effectively with the
team but has a vigorous and contagious passion for the game. His background is one that most players would certainly envy.
In his native South Africa, Steve was Chairman of the Balfour Park Soccer Club which was affiliated with Maccabi South Africa. This Club had 680 members. He also initiated and was part of the “Gary Bailey (ex Manchester United) School of Goalkeeping” at Balfour. Steve was also Vice Chairman of Maccabi Soccer South Africa. His involvement with Maccabi goes back decades.
What really makes Steve stand out from the crowd is his education in training techniques. After completing his coaching badge through the Football Association in South Africa he then went and did a Diploma of Coaching with Kevin Keegan in England. Kevin is an ex-coach of Newcastle United and played for England. Steve has a wealth of knowledge to draw on and has been kind enough to share with us his secrets. They are:
• Training must be entertaining and worthwhile. Let’s face it men in their 20’s have a lot of choice. Therefore, each session must bring something new and exciting to the mix.
Each one is pre-planned and cancelling a session due to bad weather is not an option. If the weather is poor we take it indoors and do Pilates, Aerobics, Gym workouts, Spinning Circuit training & indoor courts. Life was not meant to be boring and teaching these guys to manage their energy is as important as any other skill.
• My coaching is based on six principles – Pride, Passion, Confidence, Will to Win, Team Work and Heart. By using emotional intelligence Steve is able to tap into the boy’s true spirit. When the mindset is right you can be sure the game plan is in action.
• Being an ex-professional player Steve knows and understands intimately what the players are working through physically and emotionally so he can assist on all levels.
These boys are obviously fortunate to have Steve but beyond that this squad possesses a talent and distinction from the rest. Steve said, “The country is full of good coaches. What it takes is a bunch of interested youngsters. The guys are a super squad; they stayed togetherand made it happen together, both on and off the field.”
