Meet Monica Rodrigues
22nd July 2016
Monica Rodrigues joined Drogheda Boys last season when she was added to Graham Campbell’s coaching team for our DDSL A U11s. It quickly became clear that Monica was a very talented coach, and we were lucky to have her.
Over the summer Drogheda Boys Director of Coaching Rory Kerr appointed Monica as manager of our DDSL U12s for the coming season. This appointment ensured Monica would forever be part of Drogheda Boys history as our first female manager.
We recently caught up with Monica to see how she felt about her new role within the club.
Hi Monica, good to see you. Congratulations on becoming Drogheda Boys newest and also first female manager. How do you feel?
I feel honoured and delighted to be appointed the first female manager of Drogheda Boys. I've been with the club since last year so I have had a chance to see firsthand the talent of the kids and the great support of the parents. The team I worked with last year preformed very well and I'm looking forward to building on that success in the year ahead.
Last season was your first with Drogheda Boys when you were part of Graham’s coaching team for the u11s. How did that come about?
I am very passionate about football and coaching, and coached many teams of different ages back home in Portugal. So when I moved to Drogheda last year one of my goals was to get involved with a great local club. After some time researching online I discovered Drogheda Boys. I went and met with Graham, liked the attitude of the club and the rest as they say is history.
Did you enjoy working with the team?
I found it very rewarding. I learned a lot working with Graham and the kids, and I hope I was able to bring something new to the club as well.
You recently brought the team back to your home country of Portugal for the Iber Cup. How was that?
It was a great experience for me, Graham, the kids and the parents. It was a chance for them to experience football at an international level. We couldn't have done it without the support of all the parents. I felt proud to be able to come back to my home country with a great young Irish team.
Tell us about your background in football? Where did it start?
I started playing football when I was 10 years old with a male football team. After two years I was selected to play with a big Portuguese club at national level and we eventually become national champions.I stopped playing football when I was 15 years old and started coaching when I was 17. Two years ago I started playing football again but I never stopped coaching during that time.
Have you seen much of a difference between Portuguese managers and the Irish in the time you have been here?
Everyone is different and it is not because of their nationality. All clubs have good coaches and bad coaches but I love Drogheda boys because it's a great club with great people who work hard to make it better.
What about the players themselves? You coached a very good team last year, but in general are the Irish kids as technically good as the Portuguese?
Like I said before – each person is different but in general I see better teams here in Ireland if I compare teams at the same level in competitions.
Just getting back to your brand new team. How has preseason gone so far?
I have a fantastic new team with lots of talent and potential but we still need to work hard if we want results. We've just completed the trials and for me that is the worst part of the season, having to send some kids away. If I could I would take all of the kids on my team.
What are your goals for the season?
Helping all the kids to reach their full potential and to see them mature as both players and youngsters is what is most important to me. I also hope to continue developing as a coach. I wish to thank Graham and Rory for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.