Warrnambool Wolves' senior players Dan Lim and Sam Boyle have always loved soccer but now they are developing a strong passion for coaching.
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Lim, 17, and Boyle, 20, are part of the Wolves' coaching program, which pairs emerging coaches with experienced mentors to develop as they lead the club's junior sides.
President Brett Gasper said the program was something he wanted to start doing three years ago when he started in the role.
"I thought there were areas that we could get better at and hopefully set ourselves up for the future," he said.
"We're hoping that these guys go on to be coaches longer term, whether that be in juniors or they step up to the senior ranks as well.
"We've got a similar thing at the moment with our mini roos and we've got a lot of our juniors coming down on a Sunday morning to give back and help out.
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"It's not unusual to see half or two thirds of our under 16 squad helping out the real little ones and it has been a real successful program for us.
"It has a long way to go and as the numbers grow we are going to need more coaches and a lot are going to come from within."
Boyle has been in the program for three years now, progressing from taking the under 12s to now leading the under 16s alongside Gasper.
"The coaching side I love. I love teaching the kids from when they are young to they are older," Boyle said of his experience stepping into the caper.
"It is just a great experience for me as a senior player teaching the skills that I have learnt to these guys. It is a really good thing to see the coaching side of it. It is really rewarding."
Lim is in his first year of coaching and is leading the under 14s alongside experienced mentor Phil Cooke.
"It has been good being able to come in from the juniors and it has been pretty fun to get going with the senior coaches," Lim said of his first year as a mentor.
"I have always loved playing football so it is wanting to bring that to the younger generation and keeping it going."
Cooke said Lim had grown significantly since starting in the program.
"He is one of those people who is like a sponge and listens and as soon as he listens that is all I need because all I'm doing is giving him enough of a push to empower him to be a coach," he said.
"He is fantastic and is a fantastic kid and the whole premise of what we're doing is to teach him enough so that I can go in the background and he does what he does best.
"He instinctively knows what football is but coaching is an art and as soon as I give him enough he is off and away."
Gasper said Boyle, who has aspirations to lead his side to a league title this season, had shown a strong desire to keep coaching and improving.
"Sam has ambitions to coach further at the club and seeing his progression over the last two years since he has been under 12s coach and this year he wanted to coach the bigger kids," he said.
"He continues to work and it's great to get kids that are passionate, that love the club and want to give back.
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"It's the same with Dan, it's young people wanting to put time back into the club and it doesn't just help the kids but I think it helps them with their own game.
"They can learn and understand what goes into running training sessions and stuff like that so I think they benefit from it."
Boyle and Lim agree coaching has helped both their games.
"I have looked at the game differently and coaching the kids then me getting coached by my senior coach I look at it as both are the same," Boyle said.
"I'm teaching my kids to do this and now he is teaching me and it's really weird looking at it but it's a good thing to look at because I know I'm teaching the kids the right thing.
"I can see a lot different (on field) and when I think of things to bring to the training and I put that into my game as well for when I play on the Sunday so it has helped a lot with my own playing as well."
Boyle's under 16s side is undefeated and plays Portland Panthers this weekend while Lim's side also has an unblemished record and plays Warrnambool Rangers.
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