The Brock Badgers will hit the pitch this fall with fresh leadership guiding the University\u2019s soccer teams.<\/p>\n
Zack Wilson and Jordan Cardinale have been named the new head coaches of the Brock women\u2019s and men\u2019s soccer teams, respectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving Zack and Jordan at the helm of our soccer program is a pivotal moment for Brock,\u201d said Courtney Smith, Associate Director, Brock Sports. \u201cThey both come with unique skill sets that will complement each other and provide our student-athletes the best possible development and experience as varsity athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both coaches have experience leading high-performance programs and expertise in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference, understanding what it takes to be successful at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n
Cardinale has been the high performance manager for the Oakville Soccer Club for the past two seasons, while Wilson recently served as the associate sporting director for the League1 Ontario Simcoe County Rovers Football Club.<\/p>\n
Wilson\u2019s previous role as assistant coach of the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks women\u2019s soccer team has led him to see the importance of building relationships with the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no stone that will go unturned,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the community feels invested, they\u2019ll come out to our games, support our players and maybe even become future Badgers themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson was integral in building strong networks with Durham region community clubs, running training sessions and creating an invite-only prospect game that showcased the best the area had to offer.<\/p>\n
Cardinale spent last season as assistant coach with the Brock men\u2019s soccer team, learning and developing the program\u2019s emphasis on mental resilience and composure in key moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy coaching philosophy was profoundly influenced by Aleks Balta, last year\u2019s Brock\u2019s men\u2019s soccer coach,\u201d Cardinale said. \u201cI want to continue his emphasis on instilling a strong mindset in players and highlighting the need to \u2018win\u2019 in the moments between moments, focusing on consistency and not letting brief lapses dictate outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Cardinale and Wilson have rooted their coaching philosophies in developing the whole athlete.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned that the most impactful coaching is built when environments of trust, empathy and care meet opportunity,\u201d Cardinale said. \u201cRather than narrowly defining \u2018high performance\u2019 by results or elite outcomes, we focus on understanding each player\u2019s unique journey and creating processes and pathways that respect where they are at both on and off the pitch.”<\/p>\n
Wilson agrees, adding their focus as coaches will be on \u201cdeveloping not only skilled and competitive athletes but also well-rounded individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBrock University delivers a complete student-athlete experience \u2014 combining academic excellence, high-performance athletics and comprehensive support systems, and we want do our part in contributing to that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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