Coach Jermaine Watts was one of the founding coaches at Soccer Kids NYC.
He was invited to a Q&A where he took time to tell us more about his background.
Coach Jermaine Watts was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica where he played on the U17 Jamaican National Team. He moved to the United States in 1995 and attended St. Olaf College where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and then an MBA from Florida International University. In addition to working in finance, Jermaine is a Head Coach at Soccer Kids NYC.
Tell us a little about your background
I grew up in Kingston, Jamaica with my mom, my dad, my two older brothers, and my younger sister. My parents encouraged us to run track and field and play soccer. I played my high school ball at St. Georges’ College and represented the Jamaican National Under17 soccer team. While playing competitively in high school, I was able to maintain very good academic grades; which would earn me the opportunity to attend college in the US. Once I made it to the US, I was determined to succeed. I quickly learned that here in America, nothing comes easy and in order to make it, you must work very hard. In Jamaica, there are few opportunities. But in America, there are a plethora of opportunities (both in academia and sports). As a kid growing up in Jamaica, you want to enjoy your childhood. But once you hit the age of sixteen and in your final year of high school and the anxiety builds as you prepare for the CXC or GCE exams, you start to think about your future. You start considering your options – should I work, go to college, pursue a professional sports career or…? When it comes to having a tertiary education, the US offers much more opportunities. For me growing up, UWI (The University of the West Indies) was one of the few Universities in the Caribbean that offered undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degrees.
You played soccer at a high level in Jamaica and in college in the U.S. What did it take for you to achieve that?
For me, the one constant was the support I received from my family, friends, and coaches. Skill and talent can take you so far. It is the constant reassurance and support that you receive that enables you to persevere through the hard training and sacrifice that it will take to make you a champion.
How do you balance working in finance with coaching soccer?
It’s quite simple actually. When I was in prep school in Jamaica (the equivalent of elementary school in the US), my teacher would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I would say, “a bank manager,” only because I wanted to be like my dad. He wore a business suit during the work week and a sweatsuit on the weekend. He worked finance during the week and coached us in soccer and track and field on the weekend. He sacrificed a lot of his time so that we could have fun and develop our craft. So for me, watching my dad my whole life, it comes easily to balance both finance and coaching.
How do kids inspire you?
I have a daughter who keeps me young at heart. Kids in NYC come from different cultural backgrounds. They each bring something new to life in general – these kids will be our future leaders. Especially the kids I coach – I learn so much from them each week by asking open-ended questions and I am just amazed at their smart and creative responses. This inspires me to try and incorporate some of their input during class as a point of reference when creating new soccer drills. Even their parents offer great advice from time to time and we try to incorporate some of their ideas where we can. We are constantly growing and adapting.
How are youth sports in NYC different from where you grew up in Jamaica?
Youth sports are well developed in the US and there are many sports programs available to children. In Jamaica, there are fewer sports programs. For example, the most popular are track and field, soccer and cricket. But in the US, the list goes on.
Do you still play sports yourself?
I still play recreational soccer here in New York. In high school and college, I played mostly as a right-back or right-winger. But now I mostly play in the sweeper (central defense) position.
How is Soccer Kids NYC different than other sports programs?
Well interestingly enough, I sort of bumped into Soccer Kids NYC when I registered my daughter Mia for soccer classes with Coach Noe Canales. I quickly noticed his fun and high energy coaching style, as well as how much he and the coaches genuinely cared for the kids in Mia’s class. There are a lot of things that make Soccer Kids NYC different. One example, Soccer Kids NYC serves children with special needs by mixing them together in the same classes as other children. This makes all kids equal and parents don’t have to deal with the stigma that comes along with having a child with special needs in a separate class or a class labeled other than Soccer Class.
Another great example is during the outdoor seasons. When a family joins the program if their child is really loving the experience, Soccer Kids NYC allows the families to come to any other class of the same age group that has space available, for free. We have kids showing up to soccer two times a week and unlike other programs that charge parents a second registration, Soccer Kids NYC does not charge parents for the additional class. From an economic standpoint, I thought that this was fantastic. But then Coach Noe explained how this approach rewards kids for loving the sport (by allowing them to come for multiple coaching sessions when available) and does not punish the parents by making them pay more money for a second registration. This is aligned with the program’s mission and it all made sense to me. The program is really generous to families and it’s no surprise that the program maintains a 99% retention rate. As a parent, I wanted my daughter to be part of this culture that values respect, hard work, caring for one another, and having fun. Now as a coach working with coach Noe at Soccer Kids NYC, I am able to work with my daughter as part of a larger program doing something similar to what my father did for us. Mia continues to be part of Soccer Kids NYC and loves coming to class every week.
What are the particular challenges of doing what you do in NYC?
Back home there is a lot of playing spaces for kids. While the fields are not as developed as they may be in NYC, they do offer sufficient and inexpensive modes for playtime. But in NYC, playing space usually comes at a premium. Each season we keep our fingers crossed hoping to have available space to coach our classes. But considering the value that Soccer Kids NYC brings to the communities, it’s a win-win situation for everyone having the program in their neighborhood.
You must have lots of great stories from your years working with kids. Tell us about one that inspired you.
When I began working closely with coach Noe as an assistant coach, he would always point out which child needs some space to warm-up, extra attention, etc. He will remind me that, “each kid learns differently” and we needed to be flexible in our coaching approach to fit each style. But he never compromised on one important factor: that ALL kids in our Soccer program need to LEARN HOW TO LOSE. That hit home for me. Especially growing up with the mentality of always winning. In one class, during a drill, a child had such a hard time whenever the soccer ball was taken away from him (he was visibly upset). Then I would ask, “Coach Noe what do we do in this situation?” With a big smile on his face, he responded: “Coach Jermaine, he is learning that it is OK to lose the ball!” Next was the scrimmage game and I noticed Coach Noe putting the child on a team with one less player. Before I asked the question, Coach Noe responded, “He is learning that it is OK to lose a game. Then he will learn to understand his feelings better and respond appropriately to them. This will help him at school. No worries, I spoke with the parents prior to class about today’s learning.” This was a great learning lesson for me as a coach. This taught me the importance of communication with the parents (before and after class), the tremendous role that we as soccer coaches have to play. We have to teach the sport, teach character-building and teach a child how to be resilient at a young age all in a very positive and nurturing environment. As I reflect on such experiences and I see that the child is still working with Soccer Kids NYC, I can’t help but feel that he will help his teammates to understand that it is OK to lose. I strongly believe that this sort of teaching will help our children be better prepared as players and students.
What’s the best advice you got from a coach?
Keep going…
What is your most treasured sports possession?
I would say that my proudest “moment” has to be representing the Jamaica National Under17 soccer team and donning the Jamaican National colors of black, green and gold.
Do you enjoy any other American sports?
Besides playing and watching soccer, I enjoy watching track and field events and basketball (the NBA).
What is your favorite sports venue in New York City?
Madison Square Garden.
Do you have a favorite sports book?
Sir Alex Ferguson’s autobiography (both of them actually)
Favorite sports movie?
Victory
Best sports memory?
Watching my brother, Marvin, compete for Jamaica in the 800 meters event at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Australia. He made his family and country very proud.
Coach Noe Canales 