Sam Gevaux hails from England and has spent the past two and a half years at North Toronto Soccer.
He started as a head coach for boys’ ODPL teams before being promoted to Talented Pathway Manager and head coach of the Female High Performance program, preparing players for university and college.
He has a BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching degree from Leeds Beckett University in his home country, in addition to a master’s, and a UEFA A License and Canadian A License as well as experience at academy level in the UK and in high-performance universities and clubs in Canada.
Sam has continued to dedicate his time to the development of players, not just on the soccer field but as people too.
“The last few months have been great,” he said. “We finished the end of our preseason with our League1 Ontario U19 Reserves team winning the FTFxVSC Showcase, which is one of Canada biggest recruitment events, and followed that by heading down to the US for day trip events playing against NCAA Division One and Two universities.
“We started both the L1O U19 and U21 seasons in May, which have been really positive, but there’s still plenty of work to do to ensure that we are in a good position to make play-offs in the first week of August.
“We have a training model that aligns with the club’s game-model and performance ideals, but within that coaches are free to choose how and when they impact certain moments of the game and how they create learning moments through various activities.
“There is a lot of variation in what we do; some of my recent sessions have been about breakdown habits and principles, positioning to support defensive transition should the ball be lost, as well as the counter-focus of an organized defensive block.
“All the preseason preparation and trips are paying off with performances on the pitch. Another positive is players that went through some ups and downs in preseason, after support, reflection, and review, are starting to see consistent positive performances.”
The L1O women’s U19 and U21 teams both sit top of their respective tables and Sam will aim to call time on his time at North Toronto with silverware, before going cross-country to make his impact in British Columbia.
But trophy or otherwise, Sam has plenty to take away from his time at North Toronto Soccer.
“I have had the opportunity to experience always working collaboratively with the individual and team in mind. Managing, prioritizing, and delegating tasks as part of a collective team, and supporting others effectively, is something I have improved in over the last two and a half years and it’s something I look to expand upon in my next role.
“My experience at North Toronto has been fantastic; it’s a club that I really love and am very passionate about. There is a lot of great work that goes on both on and off the pitch and I will be a keen supporter from afar as the club continues to progress, expand, and grow, which they will do under the leadership of Billy [Wilson], Nic [Hurtado], and Marc [Maunder].
“While winning titles is nice, I will look back fondly on those games and moments. I really hope that the players I have had the opportunity to work with over my time in North Toronto go on to impact at the next level and go on to be successful, thriving members of society.
“There are so many players that have stood out to me in my time at here. The special thing about the club is that you get to know every player in some way, and that cultural piece is something I haven’t witnessed in many other clubs.
“I had such a great time working with the boys’ 2006 and 2007 groups, as well as the girls’ 2005 and 2006 teams; I certainly wouldn’t be where I am in my coaching journey without these last three seasons in North Toronto.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a small part of supporting your development throughout my time at the club. Believe in yourselves, and I am really looking forward to continuing to see you flourish in your sporting journey.”
