Written by Thomas Scott

Luke Berryman, captain of the Dalhousie Tigers men's soccer team, makes sure to find time for his passion: coaching. It's what the third-year wants to make a career out of.

Berryman is fully engaged in coaching. Berryman has been doing it since he was a child, assisting his dad in coaching his sister. He would help by setting cones for drills.

“Being involved in any way always felt right and natural,” says Berryman.

Berryman has been coaching at Halifax City Soccer since 2021. The 2023 U SPORTS student-athlete community service award recipient began as the program lead. The striker has already made his way up in the club and is now the grassroots coordinator, overseeing children aged 4-11. He plans practices, places players, coordinates with other coaches and communicates with parents.

Berryman’s skill for coaching is rapidly improving and has not gone unnoticed. Mike Whyatt, the master coach developer at Canada Soccer, sees great potential in Berryman.

“Luke is one of the most promising coaches in the country, truthfully. I have spoken to many leaders in the game about him,” says Whyatt.

Whyatt’s reasoning for why Berryman is a young, promising coach is he is highly personable. He has a taste for making practice effective, engaging, and enjoyable.

“I think what you see with Luke is he's genuine, and he’s empathetic. He's very in tune with what the game is about and should be about,” says Whyatt.

Berryman wants the children he coaches to love the game like he does. Learning how to improve each player fascinates Berryman.

“I love that they're learning and enjoying the game. I want them to want to keep playing no matter what level they play. I just want people playing and enjoying the game,” says Berryman. “I love the player development side of coaching.”

Kieran Collins, director of operations at Halifax City Soccer, says Berryman’s passion and motivation for soccer and coaching will make him successful.

The way Berryman can engage with players and know what they want is one of his greatest assets, says Collins.

Collins says Berryman can look at the bigger picture in each situation and not give an initial reaction.

“That ability to not always emotionally react to the situation you're in is very important because it brings a calming sense to the environment that you're in for everyone involved,” says Collins.

He is a calming presence for the Tigers and creates a welcoming environment.

“He takes accountability for everybody and speaks up for the people on the team who are too shy to speak. He brings this team together as one,” says Wilfreid Kindo, a teammate of Berryman. “He welcomed me and the new rookies.”

Receiving the AUS and U SPORTS student-athlete community service awards this year, engaging as many people in the game of soccer as possible is close to Berryman’s heart. The third-year psychology major began a project through his local YMCA to reduce barriers and make soccer more accessible to new Canadians and African Nova Scotians. Over 100 children have received grants to register and play club soccer this past summer because of Berryman’s initiative.

“Getting recognition is something I was never thinking about but extremely grateful for it,” says Berryman. “If anything, I hope it serves as a spotlight for other young people involved in sport to see that they can make a meaningful change in their community through the game they love.”

Playing for Dal has helped Berryman immensely. Learning how to deal with various staff members, coaches, and players has given the captain an appreciation for everyone’s role in an organization.

Balancing his time as a student, an athlete, and a coach comes from Berryman's passion for soccer.

“I don't know exactly why the passion is so strong, but playing soccer is all I have ever wanted to do since I was a kid,” says Berryman.

Berryman will continue to chase his dreams of coaching and building his life around soccer.

“This is what makes me happy. I want to continue to pursue soccer and see what else the game of soccer can give me. It’s already given me so much joy, friendships, and experiences, and I feel like there’s a lot more left,” says Berryman. “I want to continue to figure out how I can build my life around the sport.”