Coaches Corner | Dave ‘Mini’ Buck

Dave is the coach of the Women’s Championship team

How did you get into coaching football?
I have always been passionate about football and have always had a voice on the pitch, so I just thought my natural progression would be into coaching. I enjoy competition and am always thinking of ways to make us better and to understand what the opposition is doing, every game is a new challenge and I still have a lot to learn.  I’ve been involved in coaching ladies in one form or another in Dunbar since 2006 and have enjoyed every minute as every player has always shown 100% commitment.
 
What has the focus for your team been during the first few weeks of the season?
The focus for the team has been on ensuring we are playing as a unit with good structure and making sure we get off to a good start. There are only 15 games in the All Age Women Championship, so only one or two slip ups can be afforded in the season if you are going to have a chance of winning the league.

How many seasons have you been with the club?
I think I joined the club in 2004, so this would be my tenth season at the club.

What excites you the most about Season 2015?
I’m excited about the 2015 season because we have very good 1st & 2nd grade ladies squads at the club, and over the years this is what we’ve been trying to achieve – depth at the club.

It’s great to see some of the quality we have attracted. My goal has always been to see both sides take out the league, although both sides will meet strong opposition from both UNSW & Coogee. As we continue to get stronger so do they, so every season is a challenge to stay on top.

This is also the first time at the club we have had 4 ladies teams, which is great as this will only make our 3rd grade side stronger with more support and depth. The goal in a few years is to win every league – that would be amazing!!!  The 1st grade ladies are going for 5 league titles in a row which would be a great effort by all involved.

I’m also excited this season by the quality of coaching we have at each grade, and how well each coach is working together under the supervision of our first female director of football, Maggie Thorarinsdottir. We also have our first stand alone female coach at the club in Sophie Imbert, we are surely building the foundations for ladies football to continue to be strong at the club for many years to come.

In short, I’m excited by a lot.
What do you or would you want your players to say about you?
I would want my players to say that I’m very committed to them and always try to be fair to the best of my ability and for the goodness of the team, as at the end of the day this is social football.

Any standout coaches in your life who helped shape you?
I haven’t really worked under many coaches as I’ve been coaching 1st grade for a while, but I did coach under Mike Dixon for a few months and I thought he was an excellent coach both tactically and in all his preparation. He showed me that although this is social football it is important to still plan.