By Ottawa Sports Pages, for Ottawa TFC Soccer Club
Ask Kousha Aminian for the key to successful soccer coaching and he’ll tell you it’s mini-putt and hotdogs.
There might be a bit more to it than that, but building connections and trust with his players is a fundamental first step, and that’s where those less traditional ingredients could enter the winning recipe.
“I’m a players-first coach,” says Aminian, who employs a fairly laid-back style to encourage his players to be confident and showcase their skills. “Establishing those strong relationships I believe is how I can get the most out of them.”
Aminian is coming off his best year yet as a coach with Ottawa TFC Soccer Club. The 28-year-old revelled in seeing his U17 boys’ team excel, with a lineup that included many players he coached before they began playing in the Ontario Player Development League.
The group shot up the standings and nearly won it all in their final youth soccer season, and star centre-back Elijah Roche was recruited to join Toronto FC Academy midseason. Roche said that his close relationship with Aminian helped him get to where he is today, and that he still remembers the first time they met at a tournament because his future coach bought him a hotdog.
In a similar vein, Aminian recalls a pre-season team bonding activity that fuelled the squad before all their battles and big wins.
The group was in Niagara Falls for a wintertime tournament when a blizzard hit. Their games were cancelled, so they instead devised a laser tag and mini-golf outing where the coaches “got smoked” competing against the players.
“At the end of the day, a lot of those moments kind of made it more than a team, almost like a family, and I think that went a long way,” Aminian reflects.
“It was a group of boys that I think anybody would have loved to coach.
“They were fantastic on and off the field.”
The “fun and challenging environment” offered in the Ottawa TFC Academy was of course another critical component, Aminian underlines, along with the culture crafted by General Manager Pavel Cancura, and followed by many current coaches who grew up through the OTFC ranks.
Among them was Aminian’s coaching colleague with the U17 boys, Brogan Engbers, who’s been a friend since they were both in kids’ goalkeeper training (which Aminian quickly abandoned in favour of a forward position and later defence). The pair are now both working to obtain their Concacaf B coaching licence as part of the first group in Ontario to take the new certification program that’s replaced the National B certification.
“Being a part of these players’ journeys is really special,” adds Aminian, who also coached Ottawa TFC’s U21 women to an Ontario Cup title last season. “We’re super proud of what the group achieved, and we’re excited to see some signings in the next little while as they settle on their future plans. It’s inspiring to see them achieving their dreams.”
Coach Kousha’s ’unconventional’ soccer path helps inspire young players
Aminian first joined Ottawa TFC’s root club Cumberland United 22 years ago at age six. He helped his Cobras team to an undefeated season in regional play to earn promotion to the former Ontario Youth Soccer League (now OPDL) before turning his attention to his studies and earning an accounting masters degree from the University of Ottawa.
During that time, the coach of Aminian’s champion team, Simon Birch, brought him in as an assistant, and “I’ve been hooked ever since,” he recounts.
Aminian now works full-time as a Chartered Professional Accountant during the day, and then coaches with Ottawa TFC’s after-school Academy. He also serves as Ottawa TFC’s U13-U18 Competitive Director, handling administration and program structure for a big portion of the club’s development pathway.
The product is a schedule that many would find tiring, but that’s not the case for the fullback who also dresses for Ottawa TFC’s men’s team.
“The players keep you so energized,” explains Aminian, who enjoys the balance between his accounting and coaching careers. “It keeps me refreshed and recharged because I’m approaching each with a different mindset.”
Soccer has been Aminian’s passion since he first started kicking the ball around, and he loves having the opportunity to now spread that to young rising talents. He often shares the story of his “unconventional” journey in soccer, from being on lower-level teams early on, to playing at the top youth level, to shifting focus to his studies, and then discovering a new path in the sport he loves through coaching.
“A lot of players kind of share that same story in a sense where they’re not the superstar OPDL player at U13,” Aminian indicates. “You kind of have to make them believe they can make it to that high level, and I think relating to a lot of the players through my own experiences helps.”
Presently, the Ottawa TFC Academy is putting in the hard winter work that goes into a successful summer. Aminian is now primarily working with the club’s U13 and U14 boys, who he’ll coach this coming season in the OPDL.
“I think they’re gonna turn a lot of heads,” he signals. “There are some special players and a lot of potential within these two age groups. Hopefully a few of them can join Elijah at TFC.”
Learn more about the opportunities available for the 2024 summer soccer season at OttawaTFC.com.
