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USLX Coach Spotlight: Riverhounds' Nikola Katic

02/16/2018, 4:15pm EST
By COLTON CORESCHI - colton.coreschi@uslsoccer.com

U13/14 Girls coach hopes to provide the memory of a lifetime to players

Chosen for his proven coaching abilities and amazing work with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Nikola Katic will coach the U13/14 Girls team at the 2018 USL Experience, hosted by the United Soccer League's Phoenix Rising FC.

As a coach for the Riverhounds, Katic has led his players in competition at the SYL North American Finals, with the Riverhounds organization sending teams to participate in every year since joining the SYL.

At the 2018 edition of the USL Experience, Katic hopes to provide his players with the memory of a lifetime, and help his players learn while learning himself by seeing different ideas from different coaches.

The USL Experience provides top SYL players with some of the highest-level youth competition in the country while delivering a unique look into professional American soccer through the league’s relationship with the United Soccer Leagues, LLC, operators of the Division II USL, the new USL Division III, the Premier Development League and the SYL.

Nikola Katic

Pittsburgh Riverhounds - U13/14 Girls

Super Y League: You’ll be the coach for the U13/14 Girls team at the 2018 USL Experience. What do you hope to provide for the players under your lead?

Nikola Katic: I hope to provide the memory of lifetime for players at the USL Experience. These players worked so hard over the summer months as well as at the SYL Finals in Florida, and I just wanted to honor them by providing the most enjoyable experience. 

SYL: In the Super Y League, you coach the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. What has been your favorite experience coaching in the SYL?

NK: Obviously, my favorite part of coaching in SYL is the Finals. Since the Riverhounds started to compete in the SYL, we have made the tournament every year and hope to continue in that direction in coming years. The entire tournament at Finals is fantastically run. It provides an opportunity for coaches and players to spend a lot of quality time together, as well as meeting some of the other outstanding coaches from other clubs. 

SYL: What do you most enjoy about working in the Riverhounds organization?

The challenge to compete day in and day out, on and off the field. We in the Riverhounds club like to think of ourselves as one big united family. While we challenge each other every day, we are also a very close group of individuals that want nothing but the best for the club. 

SYL: What has been your overall experience as a coach in the SYL?

Coaching on its own is truly amazing. To be able to spend time everyday with players on the field is God’s blessing. Having SYL as a platform and as a league structure is awesome for coaches and players. Preparing the entire week for the upcoming match on Saturday in SYL is what I look forward the most. 

SYL: What are you most looking forward to in Phoenix at the 2018 USLX?

Meeting new players and coaches. Learning and evolving as a person and as a coach. 

SYL: The USLX can be a learning experience for coaches as well as players. What do you hope to learn from the coaches at Phoenix Rising FC?

I hope to learn more about players I will be coaching, hope to get challenged by them and to learn and see different ideas from other coaches that will be there. Honestly, I can’t wait for the USL Experience to start!


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