For the past two years, Katie Rowson has been assisting the BVI Football Association with developing the sport. In January, she became the organisation’s technical director. She is from Lincoln, England and attended Manchester Metropolitan University. A former football player, she has traveled around the world coaching various teams, including in the Virgin Islands.
Tell me a little about the role of the technical director?
Have you ever been a technical director before?
I’ve never been called a technical director, but in terms of the role and responsibilities — yes. This is what I do. I am basically a sports development officer. I have done this in different clubs in the States. I have done this as part of different councils and schools in the UK. It has always been a position that I have taken on. This is a good one, because it is called a technical director. It is a pretty good title.
Coming into this job, what is the goal you most wanted to accomplish?
To make an impact.
Where has football taken you?
I am lucky enough to be here in the beautiful BVI. I have coached all over the States. I was lucky enough to get three months in Hawaii. I also had a brief but special time in South Africa, and I took a team to Belgrade, Serbia in 2009. So I have done a fair bit of travelling.
How would you rate football in the territory?
The enthusiasm is brilliant. What we need to focus on is our technical ability, and that starts 6, 7, 8, 9 years old. So when they get to 12, 13, 14 years old we can start introducing tactical awareness.
During recent years, women’s football has seen some growth in the territory. What have you done to contribute to the programme?
When I first came out here, I was the head coach for the under-20 women’s team that played in the World Cup qualifier in the summer of 2013. That showed that BVIFA wanted to grow the women’s game. They hosted a tournament and, hopefully, I had a little impact there. As part of the women’s committee we hosted a women’s World Cup league recently. We ran that over four weeks and we had more than 30 players. In September, we will be getting a nine-a-side league up and running.
Aside from coaching, you were a player too, right? What position?
My coach is going to be proud of this, because I played in any position that he told me to. It is all about getting on that field. But, predominantly, I played fullback or midfield.
I have played since I was 7 years old. But I didn’t get coached until I was 18. I got coached when I was at university. We were actually the champions of Great Britain in my final year and runners-up in my second year. We also competed in Europe and came in third, losing to Spain. I believe if I was coached earlier, I could have gone even further.
I watched a lot of football. I was a season ticket holder for Nottingham Forest Football Club since I was 7 through the age of 21. I think that is where the coaching comes from. I was lucky enough to watch the game every single week.
You said you were exposed to football at a very young age. Did you think that it would be a career for you?
I was 7 years old and it was the very first sporting event I went to. It was Nottingham Forest playing Queens Park Rangers and we won, 4-1. Just being in that environment where there are 30,000 people really had an impact on me. From that moment on I was hooked. It was always going to be football from that moment on. At the age of 11, I was coaching the primary school girls team.
When you aren’t coaching, what do you like to do?
I am a little bit of a geek: If I am not playing or coaching I am usually following football on TV or I am keeping up to date with college soccer in the US or clubs in the UK. I need to get out and about more. I am in a beautiful place, but I seem to find myself on a football pitch.
If the US had taken on England in the World Cup final, who would you have rooted for?
That would have been tough. I think I would have just wanted a really good game.
How has the recent FIFA scandal impacted you?
It has had direct impact on me and the BVI, because we were meant to send an under-15 boys team to the CONCACAF championships in August in the Cayman Islands. Unfortunately, it has been cancelled. We were one of 37 teams going to be there. The amount of work these players did made it tough for us to break the news to them. It was really disappointing. That is how it has impacted us.
What advice would you give a young person who wants to get involved with sports?
Whether it is football or any sport at all, watch it on television or live if you can. Get out there and get involved and enjoy it. Don’t try to be the best person out there at the time. Just try to be your best.
I see that you have a tattoo on your arm? Is it football related?
No. It is about following your dreams. It is a little quote that says, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life that you have imagined.” And I feel that I am pretty close to that at the moment. I am following the dream of being the best coach that I can be.
Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Todd VanSickle.
{fcomment}