Coach Matt is legend on his home Turriff
There are all kinds of dangerous addictions out there for 16- year- olds. Thankfully for Matthew Sim, coaching isn’t one of them.
Because the kid from Turriff United is hooked. Five nights a week, four or five different teams, goalkeepers, even refereeing, the Aberdeenshire teenager has already racked up six different qualifications on his pathway and has a seventh to come over the holidays.
But it’s one thing taking a football team – another thing doing it well.
And judging by the incredible 70 nominations he received in this year’s McDonald’s/Sunday Mail Grassroots Awards, Matthew is doing both.
When you’re worth mounting a campaign for, then you’re getting something right for the kids and parents in your community.
The 16th season of our annual campaign to shine the spotlight on Scottish football’s unsung heroes is in its last week of nominations, so you have one last chance to tell us about the men and women who are the beating heart of football in your area.
That’s what the people of the little town 40 miles north of Aberdeen set about doing for their favourite son in a category first introduced for the Year of the Young Person in 2018.
Matthew said: “I played football as a kid but when I got to 14 me and my pals came up with the idea of summer training and I took us for it at a public park. That was my first step.
“Then one of their parents mentioned it to someone in the ladies’ set-up and they asked me to come along and do their training as well, then the girls’ teams, and it blossomed from there.
“I’ve coached the Under-17 boys most of the season as well but I had to stop to focus on my exams for a bit – and I’m a referee. I do get the odd minute to myself but I like to plan all my sessions in advance, I like to be organised.”
He’d have to be – combining his extracurricular commitment to the club that’s the beating heart of the town with his education takes planning. But it’s win-win for the coach as he plots a path he wants to follow beyond his school days. He said: “I’ve done half a dozen qualifications so far – three for the younger age groups, one for the older ones, one for physical prep for adults, and a goalkpeeing one. I’m booked for a children’s award course in August too.
“It’s my passion – I enjoy coaching more than I ever did playing.
“The satisfaction comes from seeing players develop, seeing them improve after a session. And it helps on the CV at school. I just got a part-time job at the local sports centre and they said the confidence that I’ve taken from
coaching shone through at the interview, which is nice. I’m going to college in Aberdeen to do exercise and fitness as well, that’s the route I’d like to go down. I love the gym.”
Matthew has agreed to take the club’s Under-19s for the season ahead but it’s with the gi rls’ section that he’s expecting to have his work cut out.
He’s taking the Under-11s and Under-13s and he said: “We’re expecting a bit of an inf lux because of the World Cup – we’ve got 50 at the moment but that will go up.
“Kim Little’s from not far from here, along the road in Mintlaw, and Rachel Corsie’s an Aberdeen girl, so there’s plenty of local inspiration for our
girls.”