As Campbell fifth-year head coach Todd Clark prepares for his team's 2010 campaign, he does so holding one of coaching's most prestigious honors-the UEFA A coaching license. With the university's permission, he has pursued the badge over the course of several years and now has added it to his various badges and diplomas from the Scottish Football Association, Irish Football Association and National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Question: Describe the process of how you obtained the UEFA A badge.

Todd Clark: I took some teams several years back to do cross community work during an intense period of "the Troubles" in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. We worked with the YMCA and used soccer to try to work with both Catholic and Protestant communities and through those three trips I met a variety of people in the game. After I finished my licenses here, I took a short weekend course in Scotland and Belfast around recruiting trips and met people that led me to believe the UEFA license might be useful for developing as a coach. The UEFA badges are offered by a number of European nations so the approach is different in some ways from our coaching courses here in the USA, although I would say my USSF, and particularly NSCAA courses had prepared me well.

Q: How long did you spend working towards the badge?

TC: The entire process typically takes four years to complete if you include both the A and B licenses. Due to the cost and other commitments, mine took six years. Each year of the training demands at least 7-10 days in residency doing assessments, lectures, and match analysis. Additionally, we had to complete several computer-generated projects as well as a full year of training sessions, several tests and essays. Then you have to turn in various projects, training logs, and take part in assessments with your home club or some other national or similar team. I had to return for assessments in Europe because the Irish Football Association was the governing body. Each of those trips took several days.

Q: How is the UEFA badge different from similar badges in the US?

TC: It really made me consider the overall process of not only coaching but managing a team. I would say that is one of the big differences of the UEFA badges compared to USSF or NSCAA- having the UEFA badge makes others view you as a manager, not just a coach. Their programs speak to the types of tasks that entails like coaching, communication, psychology, nutrition, physiology, and even budgeting and media relations.

Q: What was the most rewarding thing about the experience?

TC: The best part was just completing it and being deemed by others as capable of interacting with world class professional and international athletes. To listen to or even be asked to give input by someone who has competed at the absolute highest level is humbling and exciting at the same time.

The other thing that I look back upon and appreciate is that I was able to work in Northern Ireland during an incredible time in history. When I first visited ten years ago, "the Troubles" were still very much a part of everyday life with paramilitaries and soldiers still having an impact. However, during my final trip Belfast was a vibrant city; there was no presence of soldiers and very little evidence of the terrorism or other things of the past. During one of my trips there several years ago, the IRA announced a ceasefire that has held and been something many would have never thought possible. I've really come to love the country and the people as a result of my time there and their hospitality.

Also, being in Europe while the USA was playing a world power like England in the World Cup was an incredible experience. While many still view the US and our brand of soccer as second tier it was an amazing experience to wear a USA top in crowds and be so proud of our nation in a game I love.

Q: What notable teams or coaches did you work with while attaining the badge?

TC: Over the four years and six trips I had to take to Belfast to complete the badges I was able to meet players with virtually every major club in the English Premier League and Scottish Premier League including Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Rangers, Scotland and several current and former international players from England, Scotland, Denmark and Northern Ireland. Nobody knew who I was but I sure knew who a good many of them were! I was able to interact directly with the U16 men from Northern Ireland and the full women's team as they prepared for EURO matches. I made friends from across the globe, which is something I didn't expect from the start of the journey. All in all, I was treated incredibly well by many people from all levels of the game. The memories are incredible. I was blessed to meet at least one coach every trip to Europe who I stay in contact with on a personal and professional level.

Q: What are some differences you faced working with players in Europe versus
players here at Campbell?

TC: In most respects, the game is the same the world over. In my six trips overseas for UEFA work, I was the only coach from the US at all but one event and so the main difference was that everyone else came from a true soccer culture. In dealing with the players, the level was so high and they acted like professionals at all times-they were totally immersed in the game. Even when I trained the U16 boys' national team, all of them were on professional contracts in Scotland or England. I am not sure the average player here in the U.S. has the same understanding of the game on a tactical level since we don't get exposed to watching it as much.

Another major difference besides being the only American most of the time was that I never encountered another women's coach with the exception of the national team coaches from Northern Ireland (Alfie Wylie) and the United States (Greg Ryan). The women's game is years behind us here, in my opinion, but it's growing rapidly.

Q: What makes the badge so significant to you?

TC: It's encouraging to me as a coach to have succeeded through all the assessments, preparation and scrutiny. I knew that the UEFA license, particularly the A badge, would not be earned easily and that many others had failed. It was certainly scary for me to perform in that environment at times, but I learned a lot as well. Being away for the better part of two months would have been a waste had I not succeeded and the administration was kind to enable me to do it but my wife and children really made it work by sacrificing and allowing me to pursue things over the years.