Meet the Coaches: Jill Klein
This week we catch up with another first year coach(ing duo) of our Women’s State 4 team, Jill (& John) Klein. Read on to find out the challenges faced when taking over a new team in this very unique year.
Can you introduce yourself please:
My name is Jill, I’m a prof at Melbourne Business School and Melbourne Medical School. I’m originally from Miami, Florida.
Why did you choose to coach for the Melbourne University Soccer Club?
I played in the 2018 season and I have coached kids for years. I thought the women on my team were amazing and realised it would be really fun to be a player/coach.
What do you feel are the main benefits of coaching for MUSC?
The support from the club and its leaders and the fun of being part of a team.
Has there been a favourite season at MUSC, if so why?
Only have 2 so far, only this sort of half season here I got to coach.
Has there been a standout player you have coached at MUSC?
I’m impressed with so many of my players.
Who is your coaching idol?
Two Jürgens: Jürgen Klopp and Jürgen Klinsman. They are both so passionate and seem to really care about their players. I jump around on the sideline and go wild when we score, just like they do.
How would you describe your coaching style?
My husband and I coach together. We like working with beginning players and longer-term recreational players who want to get better and advance. We really focus on the basics. In the training we got to do before lockdown our players got hundreds of touches on the ball at each session, so many with their non-dominant foot that I think we had a team of two footed players. They worked so hard. We also really care about having fun and each player having the opportunity to develop as a person as well as a player.
Do you have a particularly memorable moment relating to your coaching experience?
Since I only have this season, a key memory will be trying to run drills that include social distancing.
How do you prepare for a match on gameday/do you have any quirky pre-match rituals?
We never got to game day but Adam gave us great training on how to prepare. Now we just need a gameday!
Besides soccer, do you have any other hobbies or passions?
Yoga, being a mom to my 19-year-old daughter, playing with my cocker spaniel Bodhi.
Are you interested in joining our coaching team? Find out how to become a coach at MUSC: https://www.musc.com.au/join-musc/join-our-coaching-team-in-2021/