Cultivating Fun Environments: An Interview with Sam Foote — Volunteer Spotlight

When Sam Foote steps out onto our field to start coaching, he reminds himself to stress the importance of playing freely and having fun rather than always trying to learn something. Having been too harsh on himself when he was a young player and understanding the physical and mental toll that can take on a person, Foote knew he wanted his approach to coaching to be different than his playing.

“I try not to be super rigid and let the kids express themselves through their play,” he said. “When I was younger, I took soccer a bit too seriously and I hope that the kids can learn to take joy in playing and growth, to not be too hard on themselves.“

Foote, an assistant coach for our U10-U13 boys, finds himself coming back to KSC year after year. He’s a huge soccer nut and loves playing and being around the game. However, when he first joined us in 2015, it wasn’t solely his own decision to do so. Rather, it was after he got a lot of push from others at KSC to join them.

“A friend of a friend knew had volunteered with KSC and they kept pestering me about it,” he said. “I was like ‘I don’t know if I want to volunteer.’ I ultimately decided to try it out after eventually being worn down and I ended up really liking it.”

Since making his decision to finally join our organization, Foote has grown fond of our community and has become a familiar face for many KSC players, coaches and families.

“I like seeing the kids and how much joy they have being here playing with their friends, becoming more confident,” he said. “Being a small part of that is awesome. The sense of community at KSC has also kept me around. Even in the years I wasn’t necessarily volunteering as a coach as much, I still kept in touch and always felt really welcomed by a great group of people caring for each other.”

Foote genuinely believes that he’s learned much more from the kids than what he’s taught them. Through them, he’s gotten an even greater appreciation for soccer and seen just how amazing of an impact “The Beautiful Game” can have on a group.

Now, when someone asks him about volunteering at KSC even just a little bit, he tells them to not hesitate and go for it.

“It’s an amazing organization,” he said. “I’ve met some truly awesome people and had some incredible experiences through this organization. I would say to anyone thinking about it, even just a little bit, to give it a shot. Volunteer for a season and see how you like it. I can’t imagine you will regret it.”