On the ball

Broker Ariana Leroux never intended to become a soccer coach, but now it’s an integral part of her life outside the mortgage world

On the ball

When she signed her daughter up to play community soccer four years ago, Edmonton-based broker Ariana Leroux never imagined she’d be asked to coach the team. Despite her athletic past, Leroux had no experience with soccer, but she nonetheless launched herself into the new activity full force, taking a series of coaching courses to provide her with the skill set required to wrangle a team of young players.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, that bunch of 8- to 10-year-olds will eat you alive,” she says.

Beyond the team’s success – the girls have won gold, silver and bronze in numerous tournaments – what keeps Leroux coming back is the satisfaction of seeing the players develop their skills.

“I like watching the kids learning to work as a team,” she says. “Seeing the kid who has never kicked a ball progressing to the stage when they score their first goal is so satisfying.”