The Peak

Koch returns to sidelines at alma mater

By Matt Lee, Associate Staff Contributor

The Peak sat down with former Clan soccer star, Alan Koch. He has returned to the hill for coaching duties with the program that launched his pro career.

The Peak: Give the SFU students a little bit of background information about yourself.

Alan Koch: Born and raised in South Africa. I’ve been fortunate enough to play the game all over the world so I’ve lived in six countries as both a player and a coach. My family immigrated to Canada in 1996 and that’s when I came over to be a student-athlete at SFU. I’ve played professional in South Africa, Germany, and in Ireland.

*P:* Why did you decide to come to SFU in the 1990s?

AK: My family immigrated to Canada before I made the decision [to come to SFU]. I was offered scholarships from schools all over the States. Keith Watts, the coach here at the time, contacted me in Germany and my parents came by and met up with him and they loved it here and I decided to come play for a great program at SFU.

*P:* You were born and raised in South Africa. Talk about the impact the World Cup of Soccer in 2010 will have in your home country.

AK: It’s going to be fun. The country needs a bit of an economic boost and I think the World Cup can do that. It’ll be good for people to not only watch the football but to see what South Africa’s all about. It’ll be nice to showcase our country.

*P:* What inspired you to get into coaching?

AK: I had to stop playing when I was 25 due to a minor heart problem. I went in for a medical and wasn’t able to renew my contract. I came back and [former SFU soccer head coach] Dave Elligott offered an assistant coach [position]. Eight years later, here I am.

*P:* How much of an influence did your SFU coach Keith Watts have on you as a player?

AK: He had a big influence, on and off the field. He built a great program which we have here to this day. He’s a true gentleman, and I think players who played for him learned a lot and also how to conduct themselves off the field.

*P:* Who are the best players you’ve played with in your career?

AK: I grew up with a friend of mine in South Africa, George Koumantarakis, who played for South Africa in the ‘98 World Cup. Quinton Fortune, who played for South Africa and Manchester United, was on my youth national team.

*P:* Do you have a most memorable soccer moment?

AK: [laughs] There’s the highs and lows in this game, from playing in a game in Africa where you have bags of urine thrown at you from hostile fans to playing in Europe and having people sing your name. I look back fondly at many moments, that’s for sure.

*P:* Do you have a most embarrassing soccer moment?

AK: My first game in Ireland. I literally got to the country and this was at the stage where FIFA had the rule that if you wore compression pants under your shorts they had to be the same colour as your shorts. We were playing the Cobh Ramblers and I ran on the field as a substitute with 20 minutes left and the ref came and sent me off . . . I went in front of the main stand, crouched down, took off my shorts and compression shorts and put my shorts back on and gave my compression shorts to an old lady sitting in the front row.

*P:* Any pre-game rituals as a player or coach?

AK: Always used to put my right sock on before my left. I always tie my boots finely. As a coach I don’t really have any deep superstitions.

*P:* Who is your favourite team to play against?

AK: I love the annual battles with UBC, just for crosstown bragging rights. Love the games against Seattle University and Concordia University, because of our historical battles. Anytime you get to the postseason, those games are pretty heated as both a player and coach.

*P:* What’s the relationship with your players like? Are you a hard-line coach or more of a player’s coach?

AK: Probably better if the players answered that [laughs]. I think somewhere in between. I’m still a young coach so I can still relate to the players that way, but there [are] sometimes you have to distance yourself a bit.

Koch leads his team into battle against Evergreen University at Terry Fox Field on Monday night. The Clan, with an 8-4 record in 2008, are hoping to build off the success they’ve earned on their home pitch, following the dominant 4-1 victory over Trinity Western on October 8. Check out athletics.sfu.ca for the score and game recap.