John Dennison has been playing and coaching football for his whole life. He grew up in England, but after being offered a job in Sydney, John and his family moved to Australia in 2005.
The first thing he did was to enroll his eldest son at their local club, Seaforth FC. This is where his coaching journey began and he has not looked back, coaching every year since.
Over the past 15 years, John has coached in every youth age group ranging from U6s to U18s. In 2020, he coached the U14 Division 1 Academy and U18 teams, as well as with the Sydney FC Skills Training Program. For the 2021 season, he will be coaching three teams, including the Seaforth U15 Division 1 Academy team. One of John’s proudest achievements was winning Seaforth’s prestigious ‘Coach of the Year’ award in 2018, and he strongly believes in developing himself as a coach.
“It is important to develop and maintain knowledge, and through my passion for football, I am committed to being the best coach and role model I can possibly be. I have regularly participated in MWFA coaching courses over the years and have the FFA ‘C’ License. I also supplement my football knowledge by reading books and watching matches.”
John also believes that coaching with a positive approach is important.
“I encourage and support the players at every opportunity. Every player is different in terms of ability, confidence and personality, so I adapt my approach and communication to best suit each individual. This leads to a positive team environment in which every player can develop and reach their potential.”
John is also an CCC (Club Coaching Coordinator) and member of the Seaforth ‘Coaching Development team’, as he wanted to share his experience by supporting players and fellow coaches across the club. During the football season, he can always be found at Seaforth Oval running a session!
He also some advice for anyone, including parents, considering coaching a team.
“Coaching and developing players to reach their potential within a positive team environment has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life, and I actively encourage everyone to give it a go. It can be time consuming, but is definitely worth it!”
MWFA is looking forward to seeing John continuing to create positive football environments for both players and other coaches to develop.
Look out for more articles on other MWFA Future Coaches over the coming months.
