Ross recruits wanted for US venture
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A FORMER Ross County player who who has been plying his trade in the United States for the past decade is returning to the Highlands to scout out talent keen on following his footsteps.
Graham Munro, now a coach with Boston-based Massachusetts Premier Soccer (MPS), is holding a recruitment day at Borough Briggs, the home of another of his old clubs, Elgin City, on Friday, October 7.
There, he’ll be on the lookout to recruit youth coaches from the Highlands keen to cross the pond for a fresh challenge.
Graham, who was a skillseeker with Ross County when the club won the division three title in 1998/99, still retains strong links with the area.
He told the Journal, "Since I joined the organisation in 2007, MPS has expanded in and around Boston as well as launching successful franchises in New York, Florida, Maine and New Hampshire. As we continue to grow and expand, we are looking for motivated coaches to join our staff as we continue to offer the most professional development focused environment for young players."
He added, "I am looking forward to returning to Elgin in October and facilitating career opportunities in the US for coaches. I would recommend any aspiring football coaches to come along to our interview date as we look forward to increasing our contingent of staff from the Scottish Highlands.
"MPS dedicates resources to bringing in the best staff while providing on-going training and education for all staff. We offer the exclusive opportunity to join one of the leading soccer organisations in the US. We also offer the opportunity of combining a passion for coaching youth soccer with an administrative experience to help forge a career path in the US."
The recruitment day includes a presentation of the organisation, an on-field coaching assessment and a face-to-face interview with all candidates. The standard profile of an MPS coach is a college educated individual with a coaching license from the UK and a minimum of one year on-field experience.
Graham, who also played for Brora Rangers and Elgin City before he emigrated to the US, grew up in Saltburn where his parents Alan and Mandi still live. He played for the Invergordon Academy senior school team which reached the semifinals of the Scottish Schools Cup in 1998.
He moved to the States in 2002, having accepted a scholarship at Binghamton University in upstate New York. After graduating in 2006 with a BA honours in English and Journalism, he moved to Boston, where he accepted a job coaching youth soccer at MPS.
Last year Graham was joined by two young players from Ross-shire. Neil Fraser, from Alness and Alan Duff, from Tain, both played for his under-17s team. Alan has since followed in Graham’s footsteps and is set to start a college soccer career at Binghamton University.
To register to attend the staff interview day please contact MPS staff recruitment director Andy Prosser at aprosser@mpsbr.com
For more information on Mass Premier Soccer visit www.masspremiersoccer.com
