The PFA’s Footballers in Spotlight series continues with Wellington Phoenix attacker Stefan Colakovski, who discusses the launch of his football coaching program ‘Colakovski Football’ and how diving into coaching has helped him with his rehab from a season ending knee injury.
In December last year, Stefan Colakovski received the shattering news that he had torn his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).
Colakovski had ruptured the ligament at training for the Wellington Phoenix, after making six appearances as a substitute for Giancarlo Italiano’s side, following his move across the Tasman in the off-season.
This meant an arduous stint on the sidelines was on the horizon for the talented young attacker, who had just come off the back of his best season of his young career with Perth Glory, where he bagged six goals in 22 appearances.
However, instead of wallowing during his rehab, the 24-year-old turned his attention to another passion of his: coaching.
This is where Colakovski Football was born; a school holiday camp where he would impart his knowledge on the next generation of young footballers.
The first of his school holiday camps for 7-13 year olds kicks off on April 8 and runs for three days based at his junior club Pascoe Vale’s homebase of Hosken Reserve in Victoria.
Ahead of its launch, Colakovski spoke to pfa.net.au about his passion for coaching, how it’s helped him during his rehabilitation and what he hopes to achieve through his school holiday program in the latest edition of the PFA’s Footballers in Spotlight series.
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Q: “Where did the idea of Colakovski Football come from? Has this been something you’ve always wanted to get into coaching and running clinics?”
Colakovski: “Funnily enough, when I was 15 and I was playing at Pascoe Vale – before I joined the Melbourne City Academy – I was holding little training sessions. It started out with my little brother and my cousin, because my uncle asked me ‘can you coach my [son]?’ And I’m like: ‘Yeah, why not?’ It started out with two of them, and then within about a month, it turned into a little group of ten kids. These kids would have been seven, eight years old. This is where it started almost 10 years ago.
“I’ve always had an interest in in coaching, but after I joined Melbourne City it’s been pretty hectic trying to make it as a professional footballer, so I didn’t really focus on coaching too much, or even think about it. In the last couple years, I’ve had it in the back of my mind. I’ve completed my C License. I was supposed to do my B License last year, but because of pre-season and stuff, I couldn’t get around to it.
“Long story short, coaching has always been something that interests me.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I think once I’m done as a player, I definitely think coaching is something that I’d like to pursue. As much as I’d like to say, when I’m done with football, I’m done, I don’t think I can stay away from the game that easily. Now that I’m doing rehab in Melbourne, I’m like: ‘You know what? This is a good chance to give back to the community that I grew up in.’ and give back to kids.”
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Q: “Why did you decide to launch it now? Was it a case of the stars aligning and that you’re back in Melbourne because you’re rehabbing and even though there’s no ‘perfect time’ it worked out, since you have the time on your hands?
Colakovski: “It was a little bit like that. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to be coaching, but I’d much rather be in Wellington and be fit and playing. But after doing my knee, knowing that I’d be out for quite a while… and then being in Melbourne and having all this spare time gave me the chance to give this a go.
“My priority is still my rehab, that’s still my job, that’s still what I want to do. But I thought, rehab can only take three-four hours a day, and then there’s still all this extra time where I’ve got spare time to plan, make and design a camp or training sessions that I want to put on for kids.
“The way I look at it, it’s a way for me to stay involved with football while I can’t play. Like I said before, it’s me giving back to the community, but mainly I want to stay involved in the game, and I like coaching, and I like being around kids, so I can tick all three boxes while going through a s*** situation with my knee, but not making it as negative as it might be.”
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Q: Has this helped keep your mind busy? Because it’s such a debilitating injury, you’ve got so much time on your hands. This obviously weighs on you mentally. But has this helped just to have something else to focus on?
Colakovski: “Yeah, 100%. I’m on my laptop writing up sessions, things about mental strength and the importance of diet and sleep and all that. It’s definitely keeping me busy. Even advertising it and planning the social media, all those things are keeping me busy, which is exciting because it’s not that I would be down in the dumps, but if I didn’t have this, or if I didn’t have anything else to focus on and my sole focus was on my rehab and my knee, then you can easily fall down a rabbit hole and start to feel sorry for yourself.
“It’s not that I think I’m that sort of character, but it is pretty easy to go down that hole. It definitely is good for me mentally to keep my mind on football, but in a different aspect and even just learning new skills in terms of, coaching different drills and all sorts of different stuff, while preparing for the clinics.
“It definitely helps with the mental side of things and coping with my injury.”
Q: “Your posts on social media talk about mindset. There’s still a lot to do with being on the ball, making sure the kids are having fun, tactics and everything. But how important is the mindset side of things? Because a lot of players do talk about, once they get to the professional level, you have to have the right mindset. What are you hoping to impart on the kids from a mindset perspective?”
Colakovski: “It’s massive [mindset]. I’m not going to sit here and say I’ve got a PhD or anything! But in saying that, I do believe that I’ve gone through quite a lot. I’ve got a bit of experience in in the professional game and I’ve had experiences and so many difficult moments already my career.
“I’ve gone through battles like everyone does. I’m not saying I’m any different to any person going through their own personal battles in their day-to-day life, whether it’s work or family or anything.
“Even just society in general, I think it’s so important for kids from a young age to learn the importance of being resilient and coping through tough times and keeping a positive mindset and looking at the positive things in life. I’m going through an injury, but I’m trying to twist it and make it a positive and look at the positives.
“The mental side of things is massive for me and I think the kids, and the next generation getting toward these things can set kids up for success.”
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Q: “You’re hosting the clinics at Hosken Reserve and your family is very involved at Pascoe Vale. How good is it to have that support at Paco? You spoke a lot about giving back to the club that gave so much to you when you coming through the ranks, but what does it mean to have that opportunity to return back to where it all started and give back to the kids?
Colakovski: “Paco is my family club. My old man is there six-seven days a week, cutting the grass or painting something or just helping out, coaching whatever. My brothers are there. My whole family’s been there for years, and that’s where I grew up.
“The club gave so much to me, and still to this day, there’s constant support from a lot of people connected to that club. So for me it’s a chance to give back. I’m very grateful to be able to host it there, but also to give back to all the kids at Paco.
“But the clinics are for everyone, and for those who also play in the local area. It’s great to have somewhere in the north-west where I’m able to host something for kids where they don’t need to drive an hour to get an experience like this.
“I’m very grateful to Paco, like I touched on, but to give back to the community is the biggest driving force behind this.”
Click here to sign up for Colakovski Football’s School Holiday Camp on April 8-10.
