After enjoying aggressive faculty, semi-professional {and professional} soccer, former St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ nationwide soccer star Desmond ‘Des” Victor Morris says he “succumbed to the subsequent finest ‘substitute’”, teaching soccer, recognized additionally as soccer in the remainder of the world.
“It was a straightforward segue as a result of the truth that it was simple for me to make use of the identical life classes realized in soccer, which I utilized to teaching,” Morris, who represented the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Youth and Nationwide Soccer groups from 1977-81, advised Caribbean Life solely. “I took the identical strategy to teaching as I did with soccer.
“First off, I wished to be the most effective that I might be at teaching,” added Morris, a Connecticut resident, who additionally captained Group SVG (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) to a few Caribbean Cup Championships in Brooklyn from 1993-1995.
“Subsequently, I went out to hunt as a lot information, theoretical and sensible expertise that I may get,” he continued. “Because of this, I realized from the most effective – from coaches, similar to Alf Galustian, Charlie Cooke/Coerver Coaches, Jan Pruijn and Prof. Julio Massei.”
On account of his “boundless ardour” Morris – who represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines in World Cup Third Spherical qualifiers versus Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras from 1993-1994 – mentioned he spent a whole bunch of hours coaching, studying and really being mentored.
“Mainly, I coach as a result of the truth that I need to affect younger lives and assist them to make use of soccer to enhance their lives,” he mentioned. “I do that by the superior information that I’ve accrued.”
Primarily based on his expertise, Morris mentioned he has developed a curriculum, “which may be very distinctive,” referred to as “Touchmasters Soccer Coaching System” (TSTS).
Through the years, Morris mentioned this method has helped over 180 college students to get Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation (NCAA) Division 1 scholarships and a number of other gamers into the Main League Soccer (MLS).
Most just lately, Morris mentioned he turned a scout for New York Metropolis Soccer Membership (NYCFC).
Moreover, he’s a soccer advisor, counseling, mentoring, coaching and evaluating younger gamers, 16-19 years.
“I assist these gamers to navigate their careers,” Morris mentioned. “Whether it is skilled soccer, I might help them to go to Europe, the place there are extra alternatives. Whether it is faculty, then I assist them to navigate which colleges are applicable, based mostly on their soccer and tutorial stage.”
He mentioned he continues to educate as a result of he impacts lives and helps younger folks to comprehend their desires.
“It’s exhilarating, refreshing, inspiring to see younger gamers ‘get it’, which means, they’ve a stable basis of the 131 technical foundational abilities they should grasp, along with the bodily, tactical and psychological parts the place they should excel,” he mentioned.
As well as, Morris mentioned he continues to educate as a result of “it’s wholesome and has nice bodily rewards.”
He mentioned his mission is to assist Caribbean gamers by providing “pathways”, which embrace instructional and soccer alternatives – skilled or faculty.
Morris mentioned he additionally continues to educate “to comprehend a dream of serving to my nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to get to the subsequent World Cup 2026 USA.”
Presently, he’s a scout for the MLS staff NYCFC.
He coaches at Kennedy Catholic Excessive College in Somers, NY and conducts “high-end non-public teaching classes everywhere in the US.” He has additionally labored for the LA Galaxy.
Morris mentioned he has “a relationship” with Arnstadt Academy in Germany, the place he evaluates world soccer expertise and gives a pipeline into this academy.
At this academy, he mentioned gamers are educated, evaluated and have entry to tryouts with skilled German groups.
Among the many gamers who Morris mentioned he most just lately impacted are: One participant from Guatemalan Nationwide Group, three gamers to Arnstadt Academy, and an unidentified participant “who simply scored the objective within the MLS semi-final, performs Columbus Crew.”
Morris mentioned a few of the faculties his college students have attended embrace: Renson Haynes, Central Connecticut State College, Brooke Knowlton, Boston School, Hannah Cerrone Boston School, Brown College, College of Santa Barbara California, Maryland College, Duke, Davidson and Wilmington,
He mentioned one among his finest college students, recognized solely as “MD”, coaches at NYCFC. He coached MD for 10 years.
“All of this data, knowledge, community of coaches, TD’s together with FC Barcelona and private contacts with over 10 MLS, 2 EPL coaches, is what I carry to any nationwide staff or soccer group,” Morris mentioned.
Morris – the founding father of the Volley King and co-founder of Tremendous Stars in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with Eddie Robinson – holds a Bachelor of Science diploma, with a serious in bodily schooling and Spanish, from Davis and Elkins School.
He has additionally obtained the Nationwide “A” License in teaching from the US Soccer Federation.
Morris is multi-lingual, with native fluency in Spanish and English, in addition to conversational abilities in French.
His schooling has enabled him to create the Touchmaster System, a way he makes use of in his teaching curriculum.
Morris mentioned the vast majority of his profession has been spent teaching each in the US and the Caribbean.
He mentioned his teaching success stems from a notable athletic profession. As captain of Group St. Vincent and the Grenadines within the Brooklyn-based Caribbean Soccer Cup, Morris mentioned he obtained three championships, made the Lanzera All Star Group and competed within the Caribbean-American Cup Match.
He’s one among three brothers who performed for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nationwide Soccer Group of 1979; the others are Stanley “Luxie”, presently a St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sports activities Ambassador, and Alexander “Pete” Morris.
Morris mentioned the brothers have coached, led camps and educated 1000’s of younger women and men in soccer during the last 30 years.
He mentioned he has led quite a few groups to championships and mentored over 50 college students to obtain full scholarships to Division One colleges.
Throughout his time as an educator, Morris mentioned he helped to formulate a bodily schooling program at Stanwich College in Greenwich, CT.
Whereas a lot of his time is spent teaching on the soccer subject, Morris mentioned he all the time leaves room to present again to his local people and abroad.
As a Good Will Ambassador, Morris mentioned he conducts teaching clinics in locations, similar to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to crowds of over 8,000 college students. He additionally gives these youngsters with computer systems, soccer gear, clothes, toys, amongst different issues.
Morris mentioned Touchmasters Worldwide has carried out 20 giveaways since 2003.
He mentioned he has used his distinctive and profitable teaching model, worldwide expertise, information of soccer and educating abilities to create the Volley King, a product line geared toward enhancing a person’s kicking approach, in addition to enhancing their objective scoring.
As a poet, as nicely, one among his a number of items contains “Expensive Dad,” written on Dec. 6, 2001. It reads, partly: “Expensive Dad, I miss you so unhealthy/ Typically it actually makes me unhappy/Expensive Dad, the stuff you taught me/I by no means had/Makes me glad/
“Expensive Dad, the recollections of you/Your spirit lives through/Josyl, Denzie, Brianna, they love you/Expensive Dad, Pete, Des and Luxy too/We love you/Syl, Stacy, Sonia, Sherry and Mommy/We do/Expensive Dad, we’ll always remember you,” it provides.
Morris mentioned amongst his short-term objectives are to: Coordinate worldwide soccer showcase; conduct one other Soccer Giveaway in SVG; Develop Touchmasters Worldwide Academy; and establish younger gifted feminine and male footballers for “the subsequent stage” by serving to gamers from the Caribbean to get soccer scholarships.
His long-term objectives embrace: Beginning a semi- professional soccer membership within the Caribbean; teaching a Caribbean Nationwide Group for qualification within the subsequent World Cup; coordinating the group of an all-island Youth League in SVG; promote the Volley King line of merchandise; assist to enhance SVG’s rating by lifting the usual of excellence; introducing competitors between US and Caribbean membership groups; and emulating Jamaica and exposing SVG gamers to NCAA Division I and II faculties by “creating a greater pathway and assimilation into faculty life by tutoring.”
Watch Touchmasters Soccer Clinics on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PxFDcQXcTl0?si=W_6EXl1JF3XSf9G0; and: https://youtu.be/UvzF3zNoPaQ?si=_2KH4KJekmefeAp5
Morris could be reached at (203) 496-9904.
