(Note: This feature story was done through International Soccer Network, or ISN. You can visit their website at isnsoccer.com and can follow them on Twitter @ISNOnline as well. I am a contributor to their site and elated to bring you this feature.)
An internationally-capped senior women’s player for the
Czech Republic, a club head coach in Australia, and the most recent USWNT
Under-20 Head Coach, Jitka Klimkova has seen more places, than many footballers
will even dream of in their careers. Also having previously serving as the U19
Head Coach, Klimkova has been at the helm for plenty of international matches,
including the 2018 U20 World Cup in France, for the red, white, and blue. Now,
she will be joining Internationals Soccer Club, located in Medina, Ohio, adding
to their already impressive stable of coaches.
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| Klimkova serving as coach for her Czech youth side. (Credit: Czech FA) |
Zdravko Popovic, founder of Internationals, gave a brief
origin story, “It started back in 1976…I came to the United States to the
University of Akron, one reason led to another and I ended up staying in the
area.” Hailing from Serbia, Klimkova highlighted how, hailing from a similar
region of the world in Europe, she shares many cultural similarities with the
founder. To Popovic, Klimkova is another stellar coach in what already ranks as
an outstanding cast of brilliant minds of the sport. He states, “To me, our
coaching staff is not only [the] most knowledgeable, but they are most
passionate and caring towards the athletes as a human being.” Additionally, he
highlights their teaching ability, saying, “You’re not going to win each and
every event, but in every event, there is a life lesson.”
The connections made with ISC stem from another well-known
name in the youth ranks of the USSF, already established Internationals coach
Keri Sarver. Klimkova herself stated that Sarver is “probably the first reason”
why she linked up with Internationals. Sarver, who serves as the Girls’
Director of Coaching, established a connection with Klimkova when working
together with USSF. Sarver, herself, would even take over the mantle of the
Under-19 Head Coach position after Klimkova was given the U20 job.
When discussing their relationship, Sarver says, “We
connected instantly and shared a similar philosophy for the game and for
teaching the game. We also have very similar personal values as well so it was
easy to work together, collaborate and challenge each other.” Based upon
spending long hours of coaching and preparation together, Sarver stated, “I
knew that she was the perfect fit for the Internationals based on her coaching
style, values, beliefs and the amazing way she connects with people.” Given her
ability as a coach and as a personal-connection maker, it seems clear as to why
Sarver considered her friend and colleague a perfect fit.
While her knowledge of Sarver was a driving force, it was
not the only one. For the newest member of the coaching staff, it was a
“no-brainer” to join Internationals because, as she put it, “I want to work
[with] such a great club and I want to be around such great people.” Of course,
the soccer itself was a key reason for joining the club in its own right. She
said, “I saw the Internationals teams playing at many, many events, and I really
liked the style of play and I understood that [we] had very similar styles of
play, we have very similar values for the players – how to coach them and how
to develop them.”
Popovic takes pride in the approach to coaching his staff
has top-to-bottom. He would state, “The habits, the culture, that we respect
and nourish. The discipline that we have, the respect that we have, it is
instilled at a young age.” He compared it to building a house, in which the
base foundation is the fundamentals of the young athlete. With an emphasis on
that, the players learning under the tutledge of expert coaches can continue to
grow and improve off that understanding.
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| Klimkova overseeing a Czech youth match. (Credit: Czech FA) |
When asked about what about the younger athletes is so
endearing, Klimkova highlighted the different skill set as a coach that the
position takes. “It's a different approach,” she said. “You have to really
focus a little bit on different topics. It's not much about tactics but more
about how we can make them better technical players and making better decisions
more...in [a] small field.” In what she called “a lot of fun”, she enjoys
helping develop the players of tomorrow, today. Popovic made sure to emphasize
he feels the kids that work with coaches like Klimkova and Sarver, among others
at Internationals are, as he put it, more blessed than they may currently
comprehend.
As an ex-international player, Klimkova understands just how
key that has been to her understanding of coaching as a whole. “It's a big
advantage,” she said of her playing days at such a high level. “You play
soccer, you understand, you have a passion there…Soccer is my passion and I
just wanted to be involved in soccer for the rest of my life.” With such
dedication, and a work ethic that Sarver described as “incredible” with her
ability to prioritize and plan for the long-term, success stems not just from
being a player for her, but from working hard in every facet of her career.
When talking to those who know her best, there is nothing
but praise when speaking about Klimkova. April Henrichs, one of the most
decorated figures as a player, coach, and technical director in the history of
the USSF, said, “Jitka is a great hire for the Internationals - she brings a
wealth of experience working with players from her club in the Czech Republic
to coaching the U17s in New Zealand, the U13 to U20 national-caliber players in
the U.S. national team system and coaching professional players in Australia.”
As so many have spoken of, Henrichs also highlighted the
personal fit, saying, “She also shares the same cultural values as the
Internationals - develop individual players to player together for the team -
truly teaching the game and most importantly prioritizing player's development
over climbing the coaching ladder.” Sarver, too, highlighted this, saying, “She
cares deeply about the players she coaches – not only on the field, but on a
personal level as well.” A love for the game and a love for those she is
helping push along to be the best they can be has been crucial in her
development as a coach. When all is said and done, Popovic described having a
coach like Klimkova involved with Internationals as “priceless”. Not simply for
the players, but for the club itself.
Special thanks to the Czech FA for their pictures, and Jitka Klimkova, Keri Sarver, Zdravko Popovic, and April Henrichs for their correspondance on this piece. You can follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for all things soccer (primarily Liverpool and AFC Ann Arbor) related, as well as college basketball (primarily Michigan).
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