Dwight Hornibrook, director of soccer at Halifax County United, has been around all levels of soccer, ranging from High School, College, and Professional. He began coaching in 1987 with the Canadian National Team, where he served on World Cup, Olympic and U-17 National staffs. Dwight then settled on the college side, where he was the head coach of Houghton University men’s (Western NY) for the next 9 seasons. He then moved on to SUNY Cortland and spent 8 years as the men’s head coach. Dwight then shifted to the women’s side and served as an assistant on the Cornell University staff for 5 seasons before coming the head coach in 2017, where he spent 3 seasons. Dwight recently moved back home to Canada, where he assumed the role of Director of Soccer of Halifax County United.

Coach:

Dwight Hornibrook: Director of soccer at Halifax County United 

Topic 1: Journey into Coaching:

Dwight grew up playing soccer and eventually went pro. After, he was offered a position on the Canadian National team staff. From then on, Hornibrook held various positions for different teams and which now landed him a director position with Halifax County United.

Topic 2: Successful Teams:

Dwight talks about how each team has given him a lifetime full of memories. His greatest satisfaction of coaching is knowing the players have had a learning experience and have gained life lessons from playing the game. The connection and love of the game is what makes each team unique and special.

Topic 3: DA Termination, Canada’s System

Dwight talks about some of the disadvantages of the structure of DA, particularly with the amount of travel required for some of the teams and expenses required to participate. He also mentions how this will reemphasize the fact that great talent can still come from non-major talent markets, and slimming down the elite pool will bring out better competition.

Topic 4: College Recruiting for a Canadian Player:

The recruiting process is not much different for a Canadian player. Dwight talks about how Canadian athletes can do to stand out via email. He also mentions the high level of University play north of the border.

 Topic 5: Staying in Shape:

We discuss ways players should be accountable and creative during this time at home. Dwight also emphasizes the importance of recognizing why we play the game, how much we love and miss it so we can appreciate everything when it is back.

Topic 6: Greatest Soccer Moment:

Dwight's favorite soccer moment came from the 1980 Canadian University national championships, when his team (University of New Brunswick) won via PKs in his hometown.

Coach Hornibrook's experience and wisdom of the games truly showcases his passion for soccer. We hope you enjoyed this new perspective. Check out our other blogs below! 

Full Transcript:

CHRIS GORDON  

everyone thanks for joining us for another edition of exact club experts. Today we are joined by a very special guest. He is our first guest north of the border and the new soccer director at Halifax County united, located in Nova Scotia, Canada. Welcome on coach white hornibrook. Coach shared some great stories and insight on his journey into coaching and what led him back home. We also talked about the Canadian soccer development system, and also about using our passion for the game to keep us motivated through this time at home. You can check out our entire conversation at our blog, exact sports comm slash blog or on social platforms, exact sports on Instagram and Twitter and exact soccer on Facebook. I'm excited to share it with you guys and I hope you enjoy.

CHRIS GORDON  

All right, great, thanks for coming. I'm good to have you back in the fold here with exact on a different side of the border now. So for those that don't know who you are, give us a little bit more background on who you are, how you got into coaching and how you came into your current role.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Well, so it's a very interesting tale I, I was born in Canada played all my youth soccer here play college soccer here, was involved in the professional game, years and years and years ago. And then opportunity came for me to join the Canadian national team staff. And so I spent seven years as a high performance coach in the Canadian sports system, and was on staff for our World Cup team, the 94 qualifications, was involved with our u 17. national team. We hosted the World Cup in 1987, and then ran what we call High Performance Center, which in essence would be a development Academy in today's jargon for seven years. And at that point, that would have been 1994. I got the opportunity to really shift gears and then spent the next 25 years started in 1995 till just this past January, coaching college soccer in the US, and I was at three different schools started off in the NAIA at Wheaton College, which is in western New York. And then I took a position at SUNY Cortland, in Cortland, New York, which is in the state school system at Division Three level. And then I finished off at Cornell in the Ivy League. So and that was with the women's team. So I've really had quite a, an interesting and diverse 25 years but it's been really, really amazing. I've learned a lot of blood, my interaction with exact and other people who are really in it to give the players the best opportunity. And, but I did feel as you know, within the last couple of years, I started to feel like okay, I've I've had 25 great years, I've seen and done a lot. I've had experience to work at some amazing schools with some amazing people and I kind of had this. I don't know what you'd call it, but I just kind of had this urge to go home. And so I played and coached in Nova Scotia for a few seasons. And an opportunity came up to take a position with Halifax County United Soccer Club. And so I thought, you know what, you know, these opportunities to sort of do what you've dreamed of doing in the last part of your career don't come along very often. So I signed a contract in January and here I am.

CHRIS GORDON  

I don't know it's quite the journey. It's cool to to go back home and do what you love. And, you know, you've obviously worked in a lot of different backgrounds with some pretty high level teams and been coaching for a long time. So I guess if you had the pin, your most rewarding coaching experience doesn't have to necessarily be the most successful. Kind of where would you What would you say that that was over the

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

That's a really hard question for me because, you know, I've gained so much out of so many things. My when I, when I think about it, I wouldn't say there's just one moment that stands out. I think what I take the greatest satisfaction from is actually knowing that the players are having a great experience. They're there in a process that's teaching them about discipline and life and doing something they love to do. And you know, sometimes even the alumni events are phenomenal. We see people come back and have been together for a long time and they just embrace each other and they embrace the moment where they can go back and think about all the amazing things that happened to them during their careers. And so yeah, you can look back at wins and winning championships and milestone games and but I think at the end of the day, I was A long, long time ago, Chris, when someone asked me what the game is all about, and they said, it's about people. So, you know, I think, obviously the exact you guys embrace that as well. My highlights have really been just about seeing people be really excited about being part of a team, making great relationships, getting a great education, and then and then coming back and being part of sort of that family again, and, and, you know, and just understanding the importance of the game and their teammates in life. Because I think at the end of the day, that's really what it's about. It's just about the connection, and the love of the game and the love of the people in the game. And that's what I've always tried to do win Lose or Draw is just try to be there for the players. Even on days, they didn't like me very much, you know, you know, it's not in a popularity contest. I'm there to try and educate people and give them the best I can and that's that's what I've tried to do.

CHRIS GORDON  

Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think, you know, being around soccer, through exact, I related to To my experience playing hockey, right, it's it's all about the connection, the the community that you form through the game. And I think it's a very tight knit group, especially on the soccer side, you know, hear from coaches tell stories about their experiences. It seems like everybody is a tight knit group. And I think that's what makes the game so special is the connection to form and, you know, the stories you're able to tell down the road. So that's, yeah, it's a cool way to think about it. So I guess one hot topic here in the States, obviously, we've heard that the development Academy has been terminated. And club teams are kind of forced to, you know, make a decision on where their players are going to be playing over the next year. Obviously, being in Canada is a little different system there. So can you talk about some of the the differences between the academy system in Canada as opposed to us and you know, your version of it They're

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

so well, one of the things I would say is that in essence, I think both systems try to accomplish the same things. And they try to put the best players playing against the best other players. The biggest disadvantage for both sides of the border is that the geography makes it really difficult. So the regional leagues in Canada are a big deal. We just don't travel as much nationally as a lot of the DA or the CFL teams would in the US. Part of that is that I just don't think the clubs in Canada have the resources to do that, like in this part of the country where I am, which is in Atlantic Canada, there are academies, but they're not going to be traveling to British Columbia, maybe once a year for a national event and maybe one Academy wins the regional championship will go because there just isn't the financial strength in the system to be able to do that. And then in Our big population centers like Montreal and Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton. There's a lot of really good players who play in just within a two hour radius. You know, so Toronto has five, 6 million people. There's some incredibly good players there and really good teams and Toronto FC has an academy, but there's also clubs in the Ontario Provincial league that are very, very good. And they all have their own club system. And they play most of them played a provincial league that requires less less financial investment. And I think that's probably one of the biggest differences is that the kids in the US are traveling way more and spending a lot more money all over the country. And honestly, when when I heard about the DA, situation, I thought you know it, people look at return on investment as a big factor, right. And I just think it tried to do something that impressive Support would be a good idea. But I don't think in reality it was going to work. Just because of the investment and how the teams were being picked to go into the Development League. I think it was more about who can afford to be in the Development League, which is not is not the criteria that in the end of the day you're looking for, but I sincerely believe that the best players are going to come out of environments that may not be just about having the best players being the best players. Like if you're some if you're truly an elite athlete, you were born that way. Right? If you're, you know, a phenomenal athlete, you can be in a development system up until probably 14 or 15 years old is not highly highly, highly competitive, but you're still going to be recognized as a superior physical specimen. And if you have the mental strength and the technical ability, then you know, when you're 1415 years old, that's where I think you you create an environment where whether it's through the MLS or through the women's national team program, those players are centralized. And they have to compete, you know, at 1516. They have to become young pros. And honestly, I think that's the way the way forward is, is they don't need to have 70 da teams, they need to have seven high performance centers, or use them as MLS teams for the boys and say, Okay, this is truly elite, and truly going to create the environment. And we don't need to start that when they're 12. Because it really is, it really is for just a very, very few special athletes.

CHRIS GORDON  

Yeah, if the objective is watering down the town,

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

if the objective is to produce national team players, even if you look at an A Premier League team or Bundesliga team or Syria team, even in their academies, there might be one or two kids that will actually play for the country. Right, they're going to have a lot of good pros, eventually. But when you take a look at what an elite pro looks like, you know, you could have 30 players, and maybe two of them are going to get full international cap. Some of them may play for their country at you 1719, whatever. But getting to that top level.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

It's really rare, as you know.

CHRIS GORDON  

Absolutely. Yeah, that makes sense. It's an interesting perspective on it. And, you know, the Canadian side, the Canadian soccer has been, it's improved a lot over the last few years. And I think our coaches have recognized that but it still doesn't get the recognition it deserves sometimes. And I think for the players that are playing Canada that do want to go on to play at the college level, I think it's sometimes difficult for them to to get exposure to coaches. So I guess my question is, you know, for those players that are looking to play college in the States, you know, what advice would you give them today? Try to get attention at a college coach, how should they go about doing that?

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Well, I don't think there's any difference between whether you live in Canada or in the US, I think it may be a little bit more difficult in Canada in some ways just because of exposure, as you said. But you know, players have to be proactive, they have to reach out to university coaches that they think would be a good fit for them. And they have to have a realistic viewpoint of their own ability level. So if you're a national team player, or you're in the national team system in Canada, you're clearly going to be a division one athlete, even if you you know, I'm sure you want to be I mean, you should reach out to a broad, broad cross section of schools. So when I talk to people out here about whether they should look at the US or not look at the US and I said, Well, what are your goals? Do you if you just want to go to the US to play in the US? I think that's a mistake. I think you have to very can be very, very targeted in what you want to achieve. And so you've got to know I want to study this. And I found 10 schools that offer this some of them are division one some of them could be Ivy League, some of them could be really good Division Two scholarship and granting schools or they could be elite division three schools. And so I just say you need to be do your homework, contact the coach, go to a camp. Get yourself in front of the coaches that you want to see you. And don't just sort of throw your hat in and say, Well, I hope something transpires positively I think you need to do a really good job on the front end saying these are the schools that I think are the best choices for me and invest yourself in being recruited by those schools. That's my that's my first comment. The second comment for Canadian players is our top universities in Canada are at the division one level. And so you can play five years here as well. So you may not have the, quote, US experience which a lot of people think is better and sometimes It is, but but the top Canadian universities produce a good a good level of play. The NCAA is machine, obviously, and it does an incredible job of marketing and promoting its product. Canadians by nature a little understated, you know, just in general. And so, you know, it's not for everybody to take that leap across the border. It's, it's, you have to know what you want, you have to be driven to get there. And you have to say, No, I think this is what the experience I want. But you have to do your homework and say, all right, everyone's thinking about scholarships. And I'm going like, it's a really rare thing to get a scholarship to play soccer anywhere. So you know, you need to sit down and be educated, number one, and then you need to be targeting the places you want to be number two, and then you've got to recognize there's a lot of competition at every level. And so you've got to be really, really good to get where you want to be.

CHRIS GORDON  

Yeah, and I think it's all about kind of finding the right fit and really figure out what to expect Do you want and that's not just on but off the field. You know, a lot of our players, you know, they get this D one mindset that,

hey, I need to play D one. But they're not really thinking about well, if I play the one, I might not step on the field for two years.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

That's not a good situation.

CHRIS GORDON  

So that could really deflate one's confidence if they wind up on the team and not plan at all. And you know, that kind of gets to my next topic here. And it's more about the mental side of the game, how important that is. And I know you've coached and played on some pretty successful teams over the years I know you won a national championship playing you coached in the national tournament several times. So can you talk about, you know, how the mental side of the game that has become such an important factor in today's day and age and you know, how you attribute that to your successes?

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Well, I think number one, you know, if someone talks to me about a player Who is driven, then that will be evidenced by their habits. And so when you talk about truly striving to be outstanding in anything, there's a resilience and there is a commitment level that is superior. And if it's matched by the talent, then you have a chance. There's a lot of people that are highly motivated, have great dreams, great goals, do everything that they can possibly do. But for one reason or another, they're just not at the level that they need to be to actually play at the D one level. Right? If that's if that's the only reason you're playing is to get to the D one level. Then I would say someone needs to sit down with you and say, Okay, look, here's how I coached the d3 level. I coached some amazing players at the d3 level. I coached in the NAIA, I had a player in the NA the year, second year I was in the NA and a player who had been on trial. Whatever 10 for a month, you know, in the year before he came to the NA he is he marked Ryan Giggs in a preseason game for Manchester United. And obviously, at the D one level, you've got people who have, you know, made an exceptional sacrifice and made an exceptional commitment, and they have the physical ability to do it. But to me, I don't think you You shouldn't align your status in life with what you accomplished on a soccer field. And that that probably is the most important thing to me is that you've got a beautiful gift. Just to think about playing college soccer is an amazing opportunity, regardless of the level and you owe it to yourself, to put yourself in a situation that you can be happy in. So your relationship with the coach, the type of players, you're going to be around the people you're going to be friends with for life and we talked about this, you know, you want to come back to an alumni event and say these people I love, you know, I spent four amazing years with them and we had some great moments. We laughed and cried together and we won some games. We lost Some games, but we're going to grow old together, right carrying with the same things. So when you when you take that big picture perspective and you say, go somewhere where you can be happy, don't just measure it by stats or status. That to me is a mistake. You want to set yourself up for a life experience, not just for four years of saying, well, I played at the D one level, but I only got 30 minutes of playing time a year. That's not the experience I think you should shoot for. I think you let yourself down when you when you look at it that way. And for me as a player and a coach, I mean, I was lucky enough to be in a group of players that were all the same. We were driven. We had the physical ability and we you know, to win a national championship at any level, you have to have a lot of luck to right. It's not just about oh, well, we were better than everyone else. Well, we weren't. We just want it the right time. No, it came together for us. We were healthy. We were driven. We had a lot of seniors. We had a coach that knew how to get us ready to play and whether it was winning at the college. level are playing at a high level beyond that, or dealing with national teams. It really is about forging unity within a group. And so you want to be part of a program that you get a sense of real unity, and commitment. And so that's why it's so important to these college visits that you go on, get your finger on the pulse of what the program is doing and how it's being run.

CHRIS GORDON  

Yeah, I think all those factors contribute to success and, you know, not just on the field, but off the field, if you're not happy in your environment, you're not going to do well in the classroom. It's just this kind of way it is. So I think that kind of going back to what you said, you really gotta have a good idea of what you're getting into before you make that decision. And yeah, that's gonna kind of lead to success on both sides of it. So

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

and there was a time and i think you know, this, Chris, I'm sure you know this because I mean, there was a time not too long ago, and I might still be the case that there were more transfers in Division One women's soccer than any other sport

CHRIS GORDON  

High School. All NCAA?

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Yeah, people were getting commitments way too soon for the wrong reasons. And you know, it ends up going, Okay, I'm not happy here I made a mistake Where you go? Yeah. Now it's the I

CHRIS GORDON  

know, they put some new recruiting rules and, you know, regulations in place to try to curtail that, but it's, you know, everyone's still trying to, to get a leg up on your competition and, you know, get those early commits. So it's, you know, it's unavoidable to a sense, but it's, you know, hopefully getting a little bit better.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Yeah, I think the rule the rules, the last year I was at Cornell was better because we really couldn't communicate with people until after they were pretty much done their sophomore year, and it really was a better system for everybody. And you know, who knows what they want from their ninth grade?

CHRIS GORDON  

Yeah. It's hard. It's hard to know what you want when you're 1617. So let's make that decision when you just finished your PhD. Freshman year it seems unfair. Yeah, it is. Alright, well, we'll end this, these questions with kind of something obviously that's on the forefront of our minds. Even in Canada. Obviously, we're at home right now. We're not on the field players. We're still trying to stay involved with the game. And I know that's difficult when you're not on the field with your team. But can you talk about some ways that you're working with your clubs, your coaches to keep everybody engaged? Not just physically but mentally?

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Yeah, the physical parts the easy part, right? We send out programs we have something we call fitness Fridays, where all our triple A teams which is our performance standard, players have to send in my boys team, I'm coaching a you 17 boys team every Friday, they have to send me a time to mile time. And then I asked them to be creative and send me two videos one of them create, they create their own dribbling circuits. They have to dribble through cones or boots or rocks or Canada hockey pucks. And so, you know, I say yep, you've got it, you've got a, there's certain criteria for the dribbling circuit that has to it has to be in there to make sure they're using both feet that they're turning multiple times in different directions. And then a joke no juggling a juggling video where they have to use their head every third touch. So they can do whatever they want but they have to juggle they have to pick and go thigh head but they have to touch that the head piece because the force the ball to go a little higher, which it happens in the game. So that's one thing is that we interact with them and force them to use their their technic technology skills to respond and holds them accountable. Some of the clubs in our area have actually done zoom training sessions where they have the coach in front with a ball and they're doing a combined fitness technical work. I've sent a lot of information out about Technical Training and I encourage them to work on mastering the ball, obviously, in all different ways. Whether it's juggling or dribbling or turning or striking off walls, I mean, we just really encourage them to get out there. And but probably the most important thing we've done is I've created a survey around about performance anxiety, and also about why they play. Because so this is, as you know, is a huge deal for not just the kids, but for us. There's a pretty big vacuum in our lives right now that we are trying to cope with. And I think it takes you back to a place where you go, I really missed this. And I know I want to figure out what it is I miss. And I want the players to be able to articulate that. So I had a 10 question survey that went from Why do you play to what can coaches do to help you enjoy your experience more to do feel tension, when you when you train and play and you have a special strategy for alleviating that anxiety. So some really interesting questions. And so I'm doing putting together sort of a spreadsheet of what the responses are and for each of the questions, and then I'll use that, to coach my coaches say, look, this is why you you don't make your success, but winning and losing because the players aren't players, at least half of the players have said, I'm only I really want to play because I love my team. And I love my friends and I want to play with my friends. You know, that's really even at our highest level where a lot of these kids are going to be good college players know it's about the relationships, it's about the community. And yes, we want to be good, but we want to do this with our friends and our teammates. So it's a really interesting moment. So we're trying to interact with them from head to toe, to say, Okay, tell us what's going through your head. I communicate with my staff. I communicate with my we have I have 40 sometimes coaches in our program, probably a dozen that are in our higher performance level. And so, you know, there's a progression of how we challenge the players at every level, because there's a different level of commitment. But I think it's really important to try and just keep the game fun, keep it part of your life, know why you're doing it. It's a really big challenge to go from having a coach telling you what to do everyday to having to be self disciplined enough. And as a society, we've never really lived through this kind of a trauma before it's it's, it's very unusual. And so it's going to force us all I think, to be a little bit better at self awareness, self governing, self discipline, and being strong enough, the end of the day, being strong enough as a person to say, okay, you know, and from 1940 to 1945. Our forefathers were told to go away from home and fight a war we're told we're being told to stay home And survive. So it really does test you. And I think we just have to be there for the kids and the families to say, right. We believe this is an important part of our life, we're going to make the best of it. And we'll come out better in the end.

CHRIS GORDON  

Yeah, I think like you said, it's a time to self discovery. And, you know, I've talked to a lot of coaches about the similar, similar topic. And I think the message has been, you got to keep a passion and joy for the game. And I think those that are those that really do love the game and want to continue to get better are going to come out on top of this as better players, because they are going to have a leg up on on those that have kind of just posted through this time. So it'll really show kind of everybody's true colors in a sense, and, you know, hopefully these players will have a better appreciation for the game when we are back on the field.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

I think that there's a lot of anxious, anxious people. And you know, there's definitely some mental health skills that people have to develop into of managing anxiety and dealing with worry dealing with what ifs. And and I think part of that is just being active physically. Because obviously getting the endorphins flowing through our body is a big deal for us. And so having a set of habits that allow you to have that endorphin fix every day is an important thing and you need to be on the ball every day, you need to set little targets. And so having training goals, whether you're doing push ups or jumping jacks or sprinting up a hill or juggling a ball, like learn to set little achievable targets and chart them. And, you know, you can look back over the if we're not on a field again for another six weeks. Do you have a little journal that says, Yeah, on the first day, and I said, How many juggles Can you do just with your left foot? Don't know what the ball touch any other body parts. Start just your left foot and turn it every day. Make it a good To get one more each day, don't quit until you got at least one more. And that I think that's a really good habit and something that players have relied on coaches too much to guide their path. And I think people who really excel, whether it's at the highest level or not the people who develop this habit of setting little standards for themselves every day to achieve they have to trust that process because that process is way more important than the product.

CHRIS GORDON  

Definitely, yeah, measurable goals. I think we don't have that. You know, we have a journal that can't that that kind of maps out a three month plan, six month plan, 12 month plan, I think, you know, using that to help motivate you to get to that next level is is definitely gonna help so

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

the last exact camp I was at Chris was in New Jersey in December. And you know, I often get asked to stand up in the room in front of the room with older the older coaches because I'm one of them. I just talked to people Kids and say, Look, you know what? If your team is training three times a week, if you're not doing at least that much on your own, then you have no chance. Because the ones who are going to be successful have that set of habits and that set of mental and you talked about mental discipline, mental toughness is on the days, you don't feel like going out and running. You go anyway. Because you've got this vision for yourself and your self belief that you go, right. I'm going to get there I got to do

CHRIS GORDON  

my hair, you know, I'm in the same boat right now I'm training for a marathon are definitely days that I do not want to get out there and run five miles, but uh, this is the time where I can I don't have much of an excuse. So to

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

get yourself ready for that marathon, you let me know when it is and we'll have a cheering section for either at the end,

CHRIS GORDON  

because I'm gonna need all the motivation I can get. All right, well, I just had some fun questions. What kind of think a little further back to your playing days or even worse. Coach my first question is, you know you've you've definitely coached up the ladder in your career and probably been in some pretty cool atmospheres. But if you were to choose one playing or coaching what was the coolest atmosphere you've ever played, and

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

I was definitely the home the the national championship game in 1980. We played on a frozen field on November the 15th, in front of 3000 by birthday, is it well, happy birthdays? Remember. I think you know, something about college soccer that's just incredibly special. And when you have a chance to win, kind of the big prize at home, and you just remember the sound of that final whistle going, and people just tear it out of the stands. And people go nuts. You know, it was the first time our university had ever won a national championship in any sport and never won another one. And soccer they came second or third a couple of times but when you see how unique that experiences and you remember that moment is hearing that final whistle and remembering all the effort that you put into it and coming away and saying, Okay, well this is once in a lifetime so yeah that that atmosphere was amazing

CHRIS GORDON  

that that's that's gonna be hard to top. Alright so being being a guy from from Canada I have a feeling how I know you're going to answer this question, but I'm going to still answer you still asking anyway. If you had to choose between 100 degrees or 30 degrees, what would you rather coaching 30. That makes sense. I just spoke to someone from Southern California they said on the call.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Now you can always run yourself into being warm. You know.

CHRIS GORDON  

It's hard for me to I still don't even know how I decide. It depends on if it was raining or snowing and it was 30 degrees. You know, Chicago connection cold days, but we also use the need. So I still don't know how to answer that question.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Yeah, well, I played I played in some really hard games, you know, in other parts of the world and it wasn't because I was Canadian that it made it difficult because everyone was dying. But, you know, when you're playing in 100 degrees, it's just it's a brutal thing playing in 30 degrees, you know, you can run and you can stay warm through running and but I don't know, that's, that's my bias.

CHRIS GORDON  

All right. Last question. It might cause I think a little bit further but you've been asking our coaches for their Mount Rushmore of soccer players. So here to name for on your top 450 players you've coached played with or just, you know, admired over the years, who would your top four be?

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

My first soccer hero was Pele and I met him and that was just as impressive I was so lucky. It was just such a chance thing, but it's too long story to tell you but I had a one on one with Pele and his bodyguard for about 10 minutes one time. Wow. It was incredible. So yeah, Pele is there for sure. I did a camp with a guy named Gordon banks who played for England, the 66 World Cup team. And you know, when I think of people who have had an influence on me, having a week with Gordon banks, who made an amazing save on Pele in the 1970 World Cup, as a goalkeeper. He was he was a really inspiring man. So I would say Gordon banks sure my age now. So I'll pick a midfield player. And I'll pick a defender.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

midfield player. I love Roy Keane.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

I think Roy Keane was a soccer warrior and I I think you know, when Alex Ferguson somebody came in to buy Roy Keane one time from the Italian like if it was your Ventus you said, you can't you could take any other player, which included Beckham, Ryan Giggs. But Roy Keane runs this team. So I would say Roy Keane would be my third and the fourth

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

What's his name? Italian defender.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Shoot aims gone.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Left back played in the World Cup. Oh goodness, I can't remember the name that's embarrassing.

CHRIS GORDON  

I'm trying to like do a quick Google search here as you're as you're thinking about it, but I'm not I'm not it's gonna be Yeah.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

It's too It's too hot. So I will say Socrates from Brazil he was a magic player and just so good and so calm and I think he played on probably the best Brazilian team you couldn't have you couldn't have a Mount Rushmore without a Brazil

CHRIS GORDON  

protection second you got a phone call and the the

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

bigger one Yeah.

CHRIS GORDON  

Did Mount Rushmore wants to compare that with some of our other coaches? All right.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

I mean, how can you have a Mount Rushmore but totally and all messy on it? But

CHRIS GORDON  

yeah, we I just spoke to a coach and he put Ronaldo on it. So I haven't had one foot both on it. It's always been one or the other. So So is this interesting to hear that that point of view to who? Who's better? That's all another debate.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Yeah, picking four players is a pretty tough choice. Especially when you're my age, you've seen, you know, 4550 years of amazing players. So it's hard.

CHRIS GORDON  

I just looked up that Italian left back. Was it Maldini?

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Yes. Yes. Maldini? Yeah. At

CHRIS GORDON  

least there's a couple that I thought it might be, but all right, well, that's a good Mount Rushmore, we'll put that one in the bank and see how it compares with our other coaches.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Okay.

CHRIS GORDON  

All right. Well, that's all. I think that's all I have, Dwayne, it's been great. Catching up and, and hearing about how you're spending your time right now. We hope that you get back on the field your player soon and in hopes to get too involved with exactly again in the near future.

DWIGHT HORNIBROOK  

Thank you, Chris. It's been a pleasure.

CHRIS GORDON  

All right. Take care. See ya. That's all for the conversation today. Thanks again to coach white morning book for joining us. Coming up on exact club experts will be talking to more coaches and hopefully getting any questions you have answered. As we were all waiting to get back on the field. Against to see all of our interviews or if you have any questions you'd like answered please visit and shout us out on Instagram or Twitter at its exports, Facebook exact soccer and our blog exact sports comm slash blog. Thanks for joining us again and we hope to catch you soon

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