Michael Norris was thrown between the pipes the first time he hit the pitch but like so many other things in his life, it seems to have worked out for the best.
The Quest University Kermodes men's assistant soccer coach is looking forward to the second session of his Michael Norris Pro Goalkeeping in February, but still recalls the first time he was thrust into the net.
"Someone asked me, 'Do you fancy playing in goal?' and I said 'Yeah, not a problem,'" he recalls. "I gave it a go and enjoyed it. I guess I was lucky because back then it's the bigger, taller people that were thrown in goal."
Growing up in the soccer-obsessed country of England, the 6-foot, 3-inch Norris began playing at the age of 12 and then got involved with the Newcastle United youth system. From there he moved on to play with the illustrious England Boys Club and was later offered a contract at York City and with several other professional and semi-professional teams.
Although he quickly developed into a sound goalkeeper, Norris admits that the craft came with a steep learning curve.
"The first year I played was a bit of a tough ride," he said. "I wasn't the most successful keeper right off the start and it wasn't fun seeing a lot of goals go in. Even then, I wasn't put off by the position. A couple years later I started realizing I had a bit of talent for it and began enjoying myself a lot more."
One of the more memorable years for Norris was an undefeated run at age 14 with the Cramlington Juniors side. The team went undefeated all season, winning the league, three cups and an international tournament.
"There were a lot of talented lads on that team," he said. "I think four or five players ended up getting professional contracts and it was really cool to play on that team and be very successful. The training was really hard but we saw the benefit of that hard work in the end."
But after bouncing around several pro and semi-pro teams in the U.K., Norris decided to take a year off and travel.
"Through football I had given up a lot of my youth and time," he said. "I went to Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Canada, which was supposed to be the last stop but I never really made it home. Vancouver is a beautiful city. I settled down, got a job and the rest is history."
Timing seemed to be on Norris' side when he settled in Vancouver in 2006 as his former goalie coach Simon Smith happened to be in town shortly after. The two met up and Smith hired him to help out at a new Simon Smith Goalkeeping Academy in North Vancouver. From there, Norris made connections at the Mountain FC youth club in North Vancouver and Quest.
"It's been fantastic," Norris said of his time at Quest. "Last year was great with Jonas (Worth) and it's been good to work alongside different coaches with different styles."
This past fall Norris ran his first goalkeeper camp at Quest and was pleased with the response.
"There's definitely a market for goalkeeping schools out here," he said, noting that three boys and three girls took part in the first camp. "Something like this has never really been offered in Squamish and this is a pretty soccer mad town."
Norris said his students work on the basics, which include footwork, handling and diving. But he did say other factors help make a good goalkeeper.
"Personality is a big thing," he said. "Goalkeepers need to know everybody's role on the pitch. You need to be strong psychologically and tactically, but you also have to have the desire to put your body in front of the ball at all times."
The camp, which begins on Feb. 17 and runs on Friday afternoons until May 4, is open to all skill levels and boys and girls over the age of 10.
For more information on the camp, visit www.michaelnorrisprogoalkeeping.com.
