Feature Stories

Katie Dempsey Settles In To New Juventus Post Road Role By Andrew Hush
June 16, 2005
Two months after beig appointed Director of Coaching for Juventus Post Road FC, Former Boston Renegades player and KNVB licensed coach Katie Dempsey is starting to settle into her new role. In addition to heading up a group of thirteen team coaches, Dempsey is also responsible for formulating and implementing policies to promote the club’s player development efforts. Furthermore, Dempsey will continue to serve as head coach for the clubs U11 and U14 Girls teams.

A native of Natick, MA, Dempsey attended Marian High School, where she excelled as a standout defender. In addition to her tremendous athleticism, Katie’s natural playing ability led to a place on the Spirit of Mass MAPLE side and selection for ODP and all-state teams.

Growing up, soccer was a big part of Dempsey’s life. Competitive from a young age with two older brothers to keep up with, Katie believes she has benefited from the athletic background of her family:

“My Dad played soccer at Lincoln Sudbury and I started playing soccer on boys teams because there weren’t girls teams back then.”

At Franklin Pierce college Dempsey was part of coach Jeff Bailey’s all-conquering team that won three Division Two national championship three times in four years (1996, 1997, 1999). Individual accolades came with team success, as Dempsey was named to the NCAA All New England 1st team in 1999. She also set a school record with a remarkable 41 assists from her right back position.

Although Dempsey went on to play for the Boston Renegades and Springfield Sirens, her soccer career took a different route following her graduation from Franklin Pierce. With a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education under her belt she took the chance to combine her two loves by accepting the post of assistant coach on Jeff Bailey’s womens team.

“My background in education helps a lot in coaching,” she explains. “The key is to keep things simple, break them down and emphasize one thing at a time.”

Emphasizing skill work for ages 7-12, Dempsey believes that the time for focusing on winning and losing should come later in a child’s soccer development:

“The tactical part of soccer should be incorporated at age 13 or 14. Before that, it’s the skills that are essential and coaches should focus on this over and above the relevance of winning or losing.”

After leaving Franklin Pierce, Dempsey served on the coaching staff at the Inter Bandits and Aztecs clubs, as well as coaching in the Massachusetts ODP program, before landing the Director of Coaching role at Juventus Post Road. Since her appointment she has implemented a number of new initiatives, designed to offer the total educational soccer experience to players and their families. Among these moves are:

• Parents Night- To exchange information with parents regarding club policies • College Night- To help parents and players understand the college system and help them plan and organize effective marketing/recruiting to Division 1,2 and 3 schools • Free Foot Skills & Striker Clinics- Offered on Monday to all players • Free Goalkeeper Training- Offered on Monday 4-5pm, 5-6pm and Friday 5-6pm • Registration Night – Offered after try-outs for all teams to organize and order club gear, fill out paper work, roster and passcards. • Evaluations for both players and coaches • A commitment to hiring top quality coaches and clinicians • New, top-of-the-range uniforms for 2005-06 season • Strength and Agility training for all teams

A further aspect of her position requires Dempsey to provide tactical support to coaches on formations, game and player strategies. Each coach is required to fill out a weekly Match Analysis form containing feedback on areas focused on in practice, as well as game reports and, where applicable, individual player assessment.

“One of the issues I am focusing on is communication,” comments Dempsey. “The programs that I have identified as essential will be built on strong communication between coaches, players, parents and the club. As we grow, effective communication channels are the keys to success on the field.”

As much as Dempsey is committed to overseeing the smooth implementation of these programs, she is determined to continue coaching herself. A role model for the young girls she takes charge of, she is determined that they benefit from having positive female examples to look up to in soccer:

“I have hired Katy Spencer to assist with the U11 team and Meg Welcome to assist the U14 team. We have all played soccer at a high level and that enhances our ability to work with the girls. When I was growing up, parents coached and most had never played soccer. This generation has the benefit of experienced women players as coaches.”

A natural coach who simply loves working with young players, Katie Dempsey’s philosophy is simple – stay positive:

“Players respond best to positive encouragement. My coaching style is to emphasize and enhance the strengths of each and every individual player.”