CREDIT: FANSHAWE ATHLETICS
Paul D’Hollander finished his 14th season with the Falcons with an OCAA Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year Award, an award he also won in 2008.

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association named Fanshawe's own Paul D'Hollander as the Men's Soccer Coach of the Year — an honour he was bestowed once before.

But D'Hollander offered me a big slice of his humble pie in our interview.

“It should say Fanshawe College Men's Soccer Coaches of the year, and not Paul D'Hollander,” he said. “You're only as good as the people you put around you, and I've been blessed to have good coaches [and good players] around me.”

He's proud of the work he and his coaching staff do. “We're developing young men to be better leaders and better players and better citizens,” he said. “Probably most importantly, we want them to have academic success.”

As with any season, D'Hollander and his coaching staff started off with goals — goals to win championships both provincial and national.

“We didn't accomplish necessarily all those goals, but it was a very successful season nevertheless.” He also mentioned that people don't go out seeking individual awards.

D'Hollander has been a coach at Fanshawe for 14 years now, but prior to that, he was a varsity athlete and exceptional student in this very same place. But athletics was the last thing on his mind.

“I had no intention of playing sports at all,” he said. “My intention was solely to get my diploma and to excel at my academics.”

Eventually a classmate coerced him to play varsity soccer, and from there he added badminton and tennis to his plate.

Nevertheless, D'Hollander has finished both a university degree and a college diploma all the while competing in varsity sports — an accomplishment he's proud of.

“I'm proudest of that balance between student success and achievement and also the balance in maintaining sport success as well,” he said. “The fact that education was so important to me probably translates regularly in my counselling and coaching and guidance to my players.”

D'Hollander stressed that one very important goal to him is to see his all players graduate.

“You're coming to Fanshawe College not to pursue a diploma in varsity soccer,” he said. “You're coming [here] so that your parents can see you walk across the stage.”

It's arguably the most rewarding part of being a coach for him. “I'm particularly proud of those who have fallen on their faces, have struggled, have gotten back up and have successfully graduated,” he said. “It's not about coaching awards; it's not about a guy getting the scoring championship.”

D'Hollander's hope of Fanshawe being the home of one of the premier soccer programs in the country is coming true. “Competing in the provincial championships ... [against Algonquin, Humber, Sheridan] — these are some of the premier programs in all of Canada. The fact that we're one goal away from winning an Ontario championship and competing in the national championships just shows you how close we are to being one of the top programs,” he said. “[It's] very gratifying.”

“The fact that we're right up there competing with the best ... tells me we're doing a lot of things correctly and also the fact that our players [are] graduating is wonderful.”