Minor sports can be about learning to have fun participating in a physical activity, but some parents are concerned minor soccer in Corner Brook might be losing the competitive aspects that are also fostered.
Chris Grant grew up through the system to play soccer at the most competitive levels available locally.
Now, he wants his two sons to also learn the skills needed to be the best players they can be.
He fears their ability to develop those talents has suffered a setback with the loss of Robert (Rocky) Mitrovic, who had served as the Corner Brook Minor Soccer Association’s technical director for years until his resignation this year.
Originally from Serbia, Mitrovic is a former professional soccer goalkeeper who achieved his FIFA national B coaching certification in 2017.
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“I’ve heard some people say that his coaching style was a bit too challenging for some of the kids, but I liked his style,” said Grant. “The kids were learning discipline and, if you’re going to play competitive sports, you need that sort of stuff to take it to a higher level.”
Grant said opportunities to have world class-calibre coaches like Mitrovic are rare and the local minor soccer association should be doing what it can to retain that level of mentorship for their young players.
He recently penned a letter to the minor soccer association’s executive, asking what efforts were made to retain Mitrovic and what’s the plan to replace him.
“I don’t know what happened,” said Grant. “Maybe he just wanted a tougher challenge somewhere else, but I’m just wondering if there was anything they could have done to keep him here. If I was on the executive, I would have tried to do what I could to get him to stay.”
In a recent interview with The Western Star, Mitrovic said leaving Corner Brook was a hard decision for him to make, but that he wanted to pursue a new challenge and start a new chapter in his life.
He did not reveal any specific plans for his immediate future, other than saying going to Ontario was a possibility.
Tracey Drover, a soccer coach who also has boys in minor soccer, is also lamenting the loss of Mitrovic.
“They say everyone is replaceable, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find somebody with his expertise and charisma,” said Drover.
She agreed with Grant that teaching kids to be competitive soccer players is important and has been dealt a blow by his loss.
“I know when I play something, whether it’s cards or chess or soccer, I want to compete and the end goal is to win,” she said. “This is what we need and what we’ve lost by not having someone with the talents of Rocky coaching our kids in Corner Brook.”
Grant noted the loss of Mitrovic is the latest in a series of former professional soccer payers that Corner Brook once had, including Ian Marshall and Bruce Grobbelaar.
“I know they’re trying to hire a new technical director and there are some good coaches around, but most of these local coaches are tied up with their everyday jobs,” said Grant. “We want someone at that (elite) level.”
David Crabb is the treasurer of the Corner Brook Minor Soccer Association and a coach too. He said there was no pressure put on Mitrovic to leave Corner Brook and the decision was all his.
He said the effort to recruit a new technical director is ongoing and advertisements have been circulated throughout the Canadian soccer community, but he wasn’t aware of any applicants coming forward yet.
He said the challenge of attracting someone, even someone local, is that the job is not year-round, lasting from April to November.
The spring program has begun and the summer minor soccer season starts June 2.
For the time being, Crabb said the coaching is being handled by himself and a few other local coaches who have the experience and qualifications to do so.
“We may just continue to use these same people this year,” said Crabb.
