As well as coaching the 13s and player/coach for the Ladies team, Donna manages the overall coaching programme at the club which supports the technical development of all the players.

Last year we talked to you about your vision for the club…can you remind us what the plans were?

We felt that the youth teams would benefit from there being a consistent coaching philosophy throughout all the age groups. We wanted the girls being taught the same good habits at all levels and to get as much time with the ball at their feet and play with smiles on their faces. I wanted to bring a quality and consistency improving technical skill, as well as a community inclusion, to the coaching set up.

Are you happy with the progress?

Absolutely….In fact I’ve been blown away by what the club has achieved. The first sign of a strong club is numbers. Steve and I believe we have selected the right people for this to be successful. When we started to get involved at Jeanfield we were running with only two age groups. The 2013 season is now completed and we have a staggering number of over 80 players registered, which is fantastic. Everyone knows that Jeanfield Swifts are a very welcoming community club, run by good people, who will look to develop players of all abilities.

Secondly it’s been a joy to watch all the coaches buy into my philosophy. It is clear to see at training that every age group is ensuring that the ball is out and players are being developed, regardless of what age and stage they are at individually. Coaches are working to overall coaching plans and are also now working with individual player development plans.

When I watch all our age groups I’m delighted at the attitude of every team to work hard and improve with every session.

So you see the numbers increasing and the coaching philosophy followed. When will we see the technical improvements showing through?

I’m already seeing it. The younger teams at 9s and 11s are playing some fantastic football and getting some very positive feedback from parents and opposition coaches. I think it is the strongest we’ve ever been at these age groups and Paula Strathie should be commended for her the great work she has done there.

The 13s are very well represented at Advanced Training Centre with 3 players selected and another 3 for the Regional squad, and they are bringing that positive experience back to the team. Seeing so many now at that level is helping improve the perception of the club in general. We’ve also had the great news with my own daughter Rachel gaining a place at the SFA Performance School in Dundee. Rachel is a natural talent and fully deserves her place and she is flourishing, but again she is showcasing the club at the same time.

I’m also delighted with how the 15s have developed this year. It’s a challenging age to work with. They’ve finally had some consistency in their management team and Andy McLeish, Steve Wylie and Cheryl Cromb have done a great job. They’ve really benefitted with Ladies player Cheryl adding her coaching input, giving them a structure to work from and also acting as a great role model to them. She's been great for the team and done a fantastic job with them. I know how much the team, Andy and Steve love having her with them.

Three are at the Advanced Training Centre and we actually now have 5 players from the under 15’s acting as coaches/assistants to the younger youth teams which helps develop the community feel, the emphasis on role models and back again to that consistency. I would like to think that we are not just making these girls coaches but creating confident and responsible people as well.

And you’ve also had a bit of success this year?

Yes, the Ladies completed a tremendous season by winning the 2nd Division and gaining promotion to the 1st Division. I always believed we could win the league and I’m delighted that I was a part of helping the ladies achievements. Again this is a great development story. Don’t forget that the Ladies were bottom of the league 18months ago before we took them over and we’ve won that league with a squad made up from players who Steve and I have nurtured from the previous under 15’s and 17’s adding a couple of experienced players. It is actually a very young, home-grown squad, and again this goes back to getting the consistency of coaching once we got them as they moved from 15s to 17s. The Ladies are now technically and tactically aware and have the right mind-set. They’ve shown that Jeanfield Swifts are winners and have hopefully inspired the younger girls to want to be the best they can be.

So Donna, with all these plans in place, you’ll be having an easier time of it in 2014?

No way! No time to stop and think as a player and a coach I am always looking to improve and educate myself and the club. Plans for 2014 are already in place and I’m delighted that we are adding 17s to the club next year. We are growing as a club and we want to improve every team at every level so that will take a lot of hard work from all concerned at Jeanfield.

Having a 17’s team will now mean we have a complete pathway from Soccer School 9s right through to the National 1st Division, so players will no longer need to move away from Perth to achieve their personal goals - this has always been my dream since I arrived. There have been, and still are, players from Perth or the surrounding areas that travel to play for other teams…they don’t have to do that now and that message is getting out there. Indeed, this year, we have had 3 or 4 quality players return to the club in the older age groups as they now realise that Jeanfield is a credible option.

I want to see the Ladies compete and survive in their first development season in the 1st and therefore consolidate a place for Jeanfield Swifts at that level for the future. I’m expecting to see the technical development of all age groups continue and I think the next target is to give each player the tactical knowledge and right mind-set they need to succeed in this very competitive game we play and to see if we can get one of our players challenging for international honours.

And Donna, one last question……will there be more videos?

I never like to make any promises…. but one thing I can certainly assure you is that there will be plenty more Jeanfield videos coming your way in future !