Team Ukraine head coach Alfonsine Williams prepares to face Belarus in first ever game

2017/10/11 15:47:26

After a varied career in a number of fields – including a stint as an editor of this publication – Alfonsine Williams is enjoying well-deserved success in his real first love - American football. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Roger Kelly for American Football International, Oct 11, 2017

 

The national team of Ukraine will be playing their first ever international game this weekend, October 14 in Kyiv when they face Team Belarus and they are led by South Carolina State alum Alfonsine Williams.

 

This is a historic event so we asked Alfonsine about the game and how he ended up as coach of this brand new team. American football is a new sport in Ukraine and the national league has only been in existence for a few years. The game against Belarus, scheduled for October 14 in Kyiv is a first for the Ukrainian national team and their coach.

 

American Football International: How long have you been head coach of Team Ukraine?

 

Alfonsine Williams: This version of Team Ukraine is brand new, although it’s been in the works for a while. I was named head coach a few months ago, and have been preparing with the staff and the organizers ever since at a rapid pace to make sure we put a great football team on the field.

 

AFI: Tell us a little about your background in football.

 

Williams: I’ve been around the game my entire life as a student and as a player. My father had a brief stint in the NFL and in the CFL and was a high school coach in Maryland. Many of my memories involve breaking down film and being on the field with the players. I played my high school ball under coach Danny Hayes of Gwynn Park high school, and went on to South Carolina State University after that under coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough. I always considered myself more of a student of the game, and understood that the mental part of the game is just as important as the physical.

 

AFI: How long have you been coaching in the Ukraine?


Williams: I’ve been coaching just over two years now in Ukraine, both as an assistant with the Kyiv Bulldogs and now as head coach of the Kyiv Patriots and of course now with the National team.

 

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