Doug Kurz of Hamlin says he has “… a 64-year-old body with a 10-year-old mind.”
That’s good, because he continues to coach soccer in the summer for Hamlin Recreation after doing so for decades.
In all, Doug has 41 years of coaching to his credit, beginning on Long Island after college (he is a graduate of the College at Brockport) and then five years coaching for the Greece Soccer Association after he returned to this area to be married. He has been coaching in Hamlin for 34 years.
Doug is now coaching his second generation of young players, many of whom have parents he also coached when they were kids.
“I call them my soccer grandkids,” Doug says.
Lisa Schlieter has known Doug for 30 years and now has a daughter who plays on his team. She says she didn’t have much confidence when she started playing soccer. “My older sister and all her friends had Doug as a coach,” Lisa says. “I remember being so nervous because my sister and her friends were so good. Years later I learned why – after having Doug coach me, I learned skills and techniques that made me a better player.”
This year, Doug coached both a boys and a girls team, but he says he especially enjoys coaching the girls and hopes to stay with the team he coached this year.
“They learn and play well together,” he says. “They are good friends. It’s a family … I’m trying to stay with them. The girls love to get out there and have fun.”
Doug has seen the Hamlin Recreation soccer program change over the years, particularly as travel teams have grown and the recreation teams have shrunk.
“We used to be the only game in town,” he says.
Currently, Hamlin Recreation is part of the Monroe United Recreational Soccer League (MURSL) which includes teams from nearby towns like Chili, Gates, Spencerport, Hilton, Kendall and Churchville.
MURSL works to unite club and town soccer programs from Monroe and surrounding counties and focuses on fairness, character and good sportsmanship.
The teams practice during the month of May and play in June and July, Doug says.
“Those months rejuvenate me every year,” he explains, and says coaching provides him with much pleasure. He enjoys working with youth, particularly since his own children are now grown.
“It keeps you young,” he says. “You can’t help it, it’s infectious.”
Doug says he has never considered himself a great coach, “I just enjoy the kids,” he says. “I work to understand each one and teach them the basics and a love of sports.”
Doug demands a lot from his players and they respond. He says people on the other side of the field might think he’s the worst coach in the world … because he rarely stops yelling during games.
“My parents (of team members) know I don’t yell at them,” he explains, “I yell things to the kids, I need to be heard. That’s how they learn.”
He teaches young players to understand the game of soccer and, “Most kids come away loving soccer their whole lives. I demand an effort,” he notes, “I never demand perfection. We’re a team and all the members of the team have to do their job.”
Doug’s coaching style empowers his players for other facets of their lives and builds their sense of accomplishment.
“I like to feel I teach them they can accomplish anything they put their mind to,” he says.
He also likes to build self-confidence and self-assertiveness amongst his players – something that will serve them well as they enter the adult world.
“I love to get meek players and turn them into tigers,” he says – particularly the girls. “I tell them don’t be afraid of the world – you control your own destiny.”
Lisa Schlieter says having Doug as her coach taught her self-confidence and “… to never give up … to be a team player in all aspects of life. I was very difficult as a kid, many people probably would have just ignored me, Doug made me a better person.”
Lisa says Doug and his wife, Nancy, continue to be there for her even after 30 years. “He dedicates his life to others and I just want to say thank you. I know Hamlin is a small town, but the people who live here have huge hearts and one of those residents is coach Doug Kurz.”
Fortunately for the young people of Hamlin, Doug has no immediate plans to retire. He hopes to continue coaching, “… as long as this body holds up,” he says.
