Danielle Marie Leblanc loves being able to give back to her community, in whichever way she can. Since 2009, Danielle Marie Leblanc has served as a volunteer soccer coach in her town and is proud to announce her fourth anniversary of coaching. She has worked with the same team, the Pirates, each year during her coaching career.
As a former soccer player, Danielle Marie Leblanc enjoys all aspects of soccer. During her teenage years through early adulthood, Danielle Marie Leblanc played soccer at a semi-professional level. When she stopped playing, she wanted to remain involved with the sport, so she decided to give coaching a try. She explains, “Quitting soccer was a very tough decision, but I knew that I wanted to remain involved in the sport somehow- so I looked into coaching after I stopped playing.”
Danielle Marie Leblanc currently coaches a team for children aged 7 to 9 years old. Although the team name, the Pirates, stays the same, the children transition to a new team after the age of 9. Danielle Marie Leblanc says it’s hard to see the children leave, but, “It means I get to work with new kids each year, which is always exciting.” The Pirates is a recreational team for children in her town. They compete at the C level, meaning that they are a community level team. Danielle Marie Leblanc explains, “The Pirates isn’t a school team or a professional league. It’s a recreational team for local kids, which relieves the pressure of competing and allows them to really enjoy the game.”
Danielle Marie Leblanc’s team in the 2011 season was particularly successful, as they won several regional matches. She loves being able to teach her knowledge of the game to children, and is always proud of her team’s performance. “For being so young,” she explains, “We’ve had some really great players on the team.” Of course, the Pirates owe much of their success to Danielle Marie Leblanc’s supportive and informative coaching style. Coaching has been a rewarding experience for Danielle Marie Leblanc, and she is excited to continue in the future.