Paul Ballard (soccer)

Paul Ballard (born May 17, 1983 in New Westminster, British Columbia) is a Canadian soccer coach. He is currently the head coach of the women's soccer program at Bishop's University. His coaching career followed a five-year run as a professional soccer player internationally. Since retiring from his professional/semi-professional career, Paul has developed a passion for coaching and mentoring athletes through transformational servant leadership.

Paul Ballard
Personal information
Full name Paul Ballard
Date of birth (1983-05-17) May 17, 1983
Place of birth New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Defender
Number 22
Youth career
2003–2006 Trinity Western Spartans
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007 Vancouver Whitecaps Residency
2008 Aziz Kara
2009 Cleveland City Stars 15 (0)
2010–2012 Abbotsford Mariners 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 October 2009

Ballard is an evangelical Christian who works for Athletes in Action, an organization whose mission is to convert people to Christianity through sport. He is the National director of Soccer at AIA.[1]

Career

The main mission of Ballard's career is to "spread the Kingdom of God", which means to convert others to his faith.[2] He does this through "mission" work in poor areas of the world, and by coaching youth.

Ballard received his, UEFA A coaching license from IFA in 2018.[3] He is currently the director of soccer at Bishop's University and the head coach of the varsity women's soccer team.

Ballard started his coaching career in Langley with the Langley United Soccer Association, where he was awarded the Fraser Valley coach of the year. He was also an assistant coach with the Trinity Western Men's soccer team from 2012 to 2016.

University

Ballard played college soccer at the private Christian university, Trinity Western, where he was a four-time Canada West Conference First Team All-Star, a two-time All-Canadian in 2005 and 2006, and the Trinity Western University Athlete of the Year in both 2005 and 2006. He graduated with an undergrad degree in 2006. He completed his master's degree in leadership in 2017 at Trinity Western University.

Professional

Ballard began his professional career playing in Vancouver Whitecaps developmental program, with Vancouver Whitecaps Residency in the Pacific Coast Soccer League.

After spending the 2008 season playing in South Africa with F.C. AK in the National First Division, Ballard joined the Cleveland City Stars of the USL First Division on April 20, 2009.[4] He played 15 games for Cleveland before being released at the end of the season when the club folded.

Having been unable to secure a professional contract elsewhere, Ballard signed to play for Abbotsford Mariners in the USL Premier Development League in 2010.[5]

From 2010 to 2012, Paul played in the NIFL Championship 1 in Northern Ireland with H&W Welders and Dundela FC. Due to multiple serious knee injuries, Paul retired from professional soccer at the end of the 2012 season.

Honors and awards

Terry Fox Secondary Wall of Fame 2009[6] Trinity Western Men's Soccer Wall of Fame 2016.

Personal

Ballard and his wife, Roslynn have three girls: Sienna, Amelia, and Evangeline.

Ballard is an Evangelical Christian who works to spread the word of God through sport. Paul's faith influences his coaching career.

"We envision AIA Soccer giving an athlete the opportunity to make a difference in his world, even though it may not be at the professional level, but rather to influence his team for the gospel,” Ballard says."

Paul uses his coaching career as an opportunity to convert his players and staff to Christianity. His staff is mainly made up of other evangelical Christians from Trinity Western University, and they see it as their service to God to serve Paul in his mission to convert Quebec.[7]

One of the reasons Ballard moved to Lennoxville, QC was to evangelize the "least reached people"[8] in North America, referring to people reached by his mission to spread the Kingdom of God.

"Paul and Roslynn look to advancing the ministry [in Lennoxville, QC] through the coaching of the Bishop’s University Women’s Soccer team. Quebec has been classified as the least reached people group in North America."

References
  1. "Eastern retreat introduces Paul and Roslynn Ballard". Athletes in Action Canada. 2018-03-21. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  2. "Influencing a Nation Through Soccer". Power to Change. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  4. "Clevelandcitystars.com". www.clevelandcitystars.com. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2010-05-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Building the Kingdom Through Soccer". Power to Change. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  8. "Canada - CLA". www.clachurch.com. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
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