One way to prepare for your first season as a varsity soccer coach is to go over strategies and study systems of play from a book. But Quest University's first women's soccer coach, Martina Franko, is taking more of a cleats-on approach. The Canadian women's national team defender is heading to Juarez, Mexico in early April to help earn a spot in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China in August. After playing Costa Rica and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Canada will likely hit the pitch against Mexico to battle for advancement.Even though Franko, 32, will be busy representing Canadian soccer through the spring and summer, she has years of experience helping local kids to develop skills. Since 2000, she has run soccer camps to teach fundamental skill development to kids ranging from five to 16-years-old."I haven't had a lot of time to work with teams in Squamish because I've been playing myself so I've been more focused on individual player development," she said, having just returned from helping Canada win the Cyprus Cup overseas. "It's been really rewarding seeing the kids grow up and see their skills improve."Franko helped tone Grade 11 Howe Sound Secondary School student Alison McClements's skills to prepare her for the U16 Mountain WFC (Whitecaps Football Club) this season."She really opened a door for me," said McClements before heading to Florida to play against the best in the United Soccer League's North American Super Y finals last fall.Franko will need to use her eye for talent while continuing to recruit over the next few months. There are only three competitive women soccer players at Quest right now, so Franko will truly be building the team from scratch."Basically I'm recruiting an entire team of players," she said. "I try to see if Quest works for them academically - I think that's the most important thing."Franko expects to create a smaller roster of about 15 players so she can continue to recruit next season to develop a solid base for the program. Her coaching style typically revolves around encouraging strong team commitment to the game but she intends to focus a lot on each player's personal development as well. "This year at Quest I think I'll be a little bit more relaxed because I think the skill level will be very diverse."
