Every month on the Surf Nation coaches newsletter, we aim to recognize one of our coaches who embodies our values, exceeds our standards, and leads by example on the sidelines and in the community.
This month’s coach is Brian Morris from Pima County Surf. Brian took some time to share his influences, views, and sources of inspiration with us recently:
Why do you coach?
My reason for coaching is the challenge of developing confident, creative, competitive, and smart players and the joy they express when succeeding inside and outside club activities.
Who were some of your first real influences when you started your coaching journey?
This is a tough one as my coaching journey began within the US soccer coaching pathway, and no mentors were coaching within this philosophy. I found a video series that Rick Flores (New Mexico State Technical Director) put together. I loved how he had limited instruction and started the soccer activities quickly. Coaching points within the activity have been very useful, and I model my coaching style to connect with players after him. I had the privilege of meeting him as he was the US Soccer Instructor for the C-License.
Is there a team (past or present) on which you model your playing style?
I model my playing style after the Spanish, possession (ability to keep the ball by playing in all directions to unlock defenses), and the Dutch (Total Football), which allow the players to be creative and play 1v1s and change positions based on visual cues.
Is there a player (past or present) that inspires you when you watch them play?
The player who inspires me the most is Andres Iniesta. His vision and ability to create opportunities made everyone around him better.
What’s your favorite book related to coaching?
My favorite book would be Training Soccer Champions by Anson Dorrance. The perspective of his players when talking about how Anson Dorrance was able to continue to develop and create competitive players using what he calls the Competitive Cauldron, which he states he got from watching University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith. This to me defines Anson Dorrance’s growth mindset by incorporating a basketball coach’s philosophy and creating a similar methodology for coaching soccer.
Which professional coach do you admire and why?
I admire Pep Guardiola, as he has had success everywhere he has coached. It is intriguing to me how he is able to change and/or modify his game model between all the teams he has coached. I currently use his 22-zone system in the 11v11 game model and incorporate the 5 vertical zones in the 9v9 game model to introduce positional awareness based on visual questions.
How would you describe the training environment that you look to create?
I would describe the training environment as a positive and competitive environment where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity. The training environment is full of competition, whether 1v1s, 3v3s, or team training when focusing on the 4 phases of the game (Attacking, Attack to Defend, Defend, Defend to Attack). Coaching is mostly done at the beginning of the activity so the players understand what it is I am looking for. Then, there is less coaching and more about self-discovery during play, where players are not afraid of failure.
What do you feel that Pima County Surf does better than anyone else as a club?
Interesting question. The thought that comes to mind first would be that I know all the club coaches. The other part that I believe we do better is that we are on the same page regarding player development, what development looks like, and how we as a club get there. There is a pride factor when coaching for Pima County Surf, and being a part of Surf Nation. Sarah and Sam do a great job showing support and aligning themselves with like-minded coaches. Positive cultures within a club start with the President and work their way down, so I greatly respect Sarah and her vision.
