Parry coaches next generation
Keeper brings Championship experience to coaching
Not content with shutting out some of the SPFL Championship’s hottest marksmen, Neil Parry is coaching the stars of tomorrow.
The Alloa Athletic keeper, who is from St Leonards, has joined the set-up at East KilbrideYC.
Parry is passing on the tips of the trade to the kids who are in safe hands and the 33-year-old said:“It’s been good fun.”
Not many youth clubs can boast that they have one of the best goalkeepers in the Scottish Professional Football League in their ranks.
But that is exactly the case for East Kilbride YC after Alloa number 1 Neil Parry joined their coaching set-up.
The 33-year-old from St Leonards is statistically the best performing goalkeeper in the SPFL right now, with 60 saves in 14 appearances and four clean sheets for the Wasps in the Championship – even out-performing Rangers and Scotland keeper Allan McGregor.
And now Parry is passing on his advice to the next generation of shotstoppers in his home town.
East Kilbride Youth Club coach Mark Howarth pulled off the signing in the summer, convincing the Centre 1 tax office worker to train his goalkeepers every Wednesday evening alongside fellow Alloa keeper and EK resident Chris Henry.
The youngsters, aged seven to 16, find themselves in safe hands.
Parry is delighted to pass on the kind of advice and guidance that was not open to him when he was coming through the ranks at Claremont AFC.
He told the News: “When I was younger we never had specific goalkeeper training so I think it’s really good for them.
“We come in and do different drills with them and try and pass on what I’ve learned over the years and share my experiences.
“We try and keep it fun for them. We work on specific things like angles and decision making but the things we do vary between age groups because there are some boys who are more experienced.
“They take on board everything you say to them and the feedback we’ve had from Mark is that it’s really working because the coaches have seen improvements in their performance.”
The youngsters train at Whitemoss Recreation Area, which is handy for Parry and allows him to juggle his taxing day job and life at Alloa.
He said: “They train right across the road from me.
“I can get back home and just walk across the road, carrying the balls and the cones over. It’s ideal.
“At Alloa I train on Tuesdays and Thursdays so a Wednesday works out well for me.
“I’ve been doing it for six months now and it’s been good fun for us and the boys.”