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With the Coach: Rohan Pirali
Pirali aims to build Vanier's men's soccer team
John Meagher
The Gazette
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Rohan Pirali coached the Dollard U-14 AA girls team in 2010. (Gazette file photo)
With the Coach is a weekly series featuring a conversation with a local coach.
Coach: Rohan Pirali, 50-yearold Dollard resident and technical director of Dollard Soccer
Team: Vanier College men's AAA soccer team
Years coached: 16
Playing experience: Trinidadian pro ranks
Best coaching tip: Stress team play.
Rohan Pirali is the new head coach of the Vanier College men's soccer team.The longtime soccer coach is looking forward to a new challenge at the CEGEP AAA level.
Have you ever coached at the CEGEP level before?
Pirali: No. I haven't, but I have been coaching AAA-calibre players for a while now.
Are you staying on as Dollard technical director?
Pirali: Yes. You have a certain amount of time you have to put in as the technical director. But the passion and knowledge you have as a coach you always want to pass on, especially at a competitive level. When I saw the Vanier position become available, I said there is not much out there right now at, say, a high-end for someone like myself. So I said, "Let me take a crack at this." I know from looking at their record that they had a tough season last year. I think they finished in last place.
How do you plan to turn the program around?
Pirali: All coaches would like to get an ideal team, but I see it as a challenge. You have more to gain from a team that has to go up. Even if it does not go well, at least you can say you gave it your best shot. If you take a top team and you do not perform well, people will say, "Hey, he's a bad coach." Most of the kids who are coming into play at college level have played AAA at the club level. Having coached with the Lakers U-17 boys and girls in AAA, I dealt with those (type) of players before.
Are you actively recruiting players to Vanier?
Pirali: I don't think we're there yet in Canada where we're aggressively recruiting players. It's still more of a player choice. There are three English schools in Montreal - Vanier, John Abbott and Dawson - and a player chooses where he wants to go, even though you may say, "Hey, come play for me." It's more academic than soccer. So when you arrive there (as a coach), what you've got is what you've got to work with.
What type of players are you hoping to attract to Vanier?
Pirali: What I hope to see are soccer players who are able to play as a team. If I can get a group of guys like that, then I can get them to play soccer. If you have a bunch of superstars doing their own thing, you won't have as much success. I hope I get established players, not house-league players. (Laughs.) I know we'll get AAA players because there are so many AAA players club players out there now from other regions.
How is Dollard Soccer doing these days?
Pirali: We're doing fine. We had one AAA boys' team and they got demoted last year. But we're hoping to move some others up this year.
There was talk that Dollard might merge with Pointe Claire and Dorval?
Pirali: That was the talk going around and it kind of makes sense.
Will the merger go through?
Pirali: Well, talks are still going on.