Coupeville Sports

Nick Dziminowicz

His skills are almost as impressive as his last name.

New Coupeville High School girls’ soccer assistant coach Nick Dziminowicz has a resume bursting with excellence.

A former elite-level player himself, he’s made a smooth transition to coaching in recent years, first on the East coast and now on Whidbey.

“Nick offers cutting-edge soccer training techniques and drills that I have already tapped into,” said Wolf head coach Troy Cowan. “He is going to help me transform CHS soccer into something special!”

Dziminowicz, who coaches the North Whidbey Soccer Club Academy and a GU10 select squad, worked with the CHS players when he ran a summer clinic that many of them attended.

When Gary Manker stepped down as Wolf assistant coach, he jumped at the opportunity to add to his job duties.

“At those practices, the girls looked like they were having fun playing together and I saw plenty of skill and a lot of potential,” Dziminowicz said. “So, when Troy told me the assistant coaching job was available, I jumped at the chance to work with the team.

“I wanted to be a part of the Coupeville Lady Wolves program and to be able to help these players reach their fullest potential.”

In his younger days Dziminowicz played 15 years at the select level or higher, finishing fourth at the national championships with his club team while competing in an age division three years above their team.

As a high school player he was a four-year varsity vet at a 6A school in Virginia and was selected to the All-District team while helping lead his squad to a district title.

Like most top-level booters, Dziminowicz spent a lot of his younger days playing club soccer, lacing up the shoes for a Region 1 Premier League team, the Annandale Hawks.

After a brief stint as a college player, he transitioned into coaching, working five years for HP Elite and Beyond in Virginia, where he worked with a wide variety of players.

“I think my biggest strength as a coach is having both played and coached at a high level in a part of the country where soccer is played and coached differently, because I can bring a different perspective to developing these players,” Dziminowicz said. “I used different methods for player development as well as different playing styles and perspectives back on the East Coast that I can bring to the team.

“Also, having gone through the same experiences as the players, I think I will be able to relate fairly well to them, which would help me better explain concepts Coach Troy and I are trying to instill.”

A goalie for two years during his playing days (he was a midfielder otherwise), Dziminowicz will be working with Wolf goaltenders Mckenzie Meyer and Lauren Grove, but he plans to spread his knowledge around.

“Along with improving the girls’ technical and tactical ability, my main focus will be on movement on and off the ball as well as developing a possession-based playing style,” he said.

Dzmininowicz is a big fan of the philosophy espoused by Johan Cruyff, a legendary former Dutch professional player/coach.

“He said “when you play a match, it is statistically proven that players actually have the ball three minutes on average … so, the most important thing is: what do you do during those 87 minutes when you do not have the ball?

“That is what determines whether you’re a good player or not.”

While the Wolves are far from the level of a team like Barcelona, they can emulate the style played by the pros.

“When they play, you can see how true this quote is,” Dzimininowicz said. “Their fantastic movement on and off the ball is what allows them to play one-touch soccer and move the ball so quickly.”

He and Cowan are working together to teach the Wolves a quicker-paced game, one which will allow players to be better prepared for possibly playing beyond the high school level.

But he doesn’t want his proteges to miss out on the fun side of the sport.

“After the girls’ first season with me, I would like them to understand the possession-based style of play and why it has become so successful in European clubs as well as other top-tier teams across the world,” Dziminowicz said. “Without a doubt, the lady Wolves have the skill and understanding of the game to be able to adopt this style of play.

“I would also like the girls to understand that I do still want the season to be fun,” he added. “Many of my best memories from high school are the bus rides to and from games, going out together after the games, and playing pickup every Friday after school.

“I want the girls to know that I like to work hard during practices, but also be able to enjoy ourselves and have fun during the season.”

In his time on Whidbey, and with the Wolves, Dziminowicz has come to see a different side of the fan experience, and it’s one he’s embraced.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the Wolves soccer program and I’ve had a lot of fun working with the girls so far,” he said. “I like that the lady Wolves soccer program has so much support from the school and the community.

“That was something that wasn’t as important when I went through high school, so I’m very happy to see that people really want the team to succeed.

“I’m very passionate about the game and helping players reach their fullest potential,” Dziminowicz added. “This way they can enjoy soccer as much as I do and go on to play competitively in college and beyond, become soccer coaches themselves, or even just stay lifelong fans of the game.”

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