Welcome to another edition of my player profile interview series where I talk to players and coaches past and present about their lives in football. To say that I am excited to share this latest interview with you all would be a massive understatement. My guest today is Hector Cano from Texas in the United States of America, Hector is a now retired U.S. Military Veteran who not only played football to a very decent level during his active service but also began to catch the football coaching bug too. Hector’s story is amazing and as you will read he has had many life experiences that he kindly shares with me.
For this interview I must thank a former interviewee, Skylar Skelton for putting me in contact with Hector – enjoy!
Name: Hector Cano
Age: 43
Place of Birth: El Paso, Texas – USA
Currently Living: El Paso (Soon to be living in San Antonio, Texas)
Occupation: Educator and High School Soccer Coach
Previous Clubs/Teams Played For: U.S. Air Force & U.S. Armed Forces National Team & Semi-pro in Italy (Ghedi Club de Calcio & Vicenza Calcio Club)
Position: Midfielder/Goalkeeper
Previous Clubs/Teams Coached: Semi-pro in Italy (Vicenza CC), NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer (U.S. Air Force Academy) Multiple youth clubs in Colorado & Texas, & High School Soccer, most recently at Ysleta HS in El Paso, TX, but currently transitioning to a new school & role at Saint Mary’s Hall in San Antonio, TX (Ironically, this was the school I was at before leaving San Antonio for El Paso 2 years ago)
Current Club/Team and Position: Will be the new Director of Soccer & Head Varsity Women’s Soccer Coach at Saint Mary’s Hall.
Other Interests Outside of Football:
Spending time with my family, traveling, & being outdoors.
Reading; I’m an avid reader with a consistent desire to continue developing as a coach & the physical & mental components of athletes. As a retired military veteran (U.S. Air Force), I am continuously reading & studying new ways to help further the leadership & character development of the student-athletes I work with.
I’m also the Founder & Host of a Podcast: The 50/50 Podcast in an effort to help unify the High School Soccer community in Texas, emphasizing connecting student-athletes and their parents with college coaches and demystifying the recruiting process. In addition, The 50/50 Podcast covers the Texas club and college soccer scene.
Preparing for plans to start my Master’s of Science in Sports Psychology either this fall or next spring. At Saint Mary’s Hall, my role as an educator will also be the Director of Sports Performance & Athletic Mindset (A first, in the history of the school).
GT: First of all Hector, a massive thank you for agreeing to this interview. Before we talk about your life in football I have read with interest that when you were younger you were a very accomplished boxer and you had a go at qualifying for the Olympic games. Just how close did you get to reaching the Olympics?
HC: I was a quarterfinalist at the National Championships, but ultimately unsuccessful for the 1996 USA Boxing Olympic Trials.
GT: Still quite an achievement to reach the quarter finals at the National Championships – Was Boxing your first sporting love or was it a mixture of Boxing, Football or any other sports at all?
HC: Thank you. When I look back on it, yes a big accomplishment, considering I started competing late (about 14 years old). Like many American youth in the 80s & 90s, I was a multi-sport athlete growing-up (unlike specialization now), but yes, both Boxing & Football (or Soccer as they call it here) were my first loves.
I just dived into competitive boxing late due to the number of other sports I was playing. Although I grew up around the sport & I had learned to box at a younger age, I never intended to actually compete. I just intended to learn. I was attracted to the amount of discipline needed to train as a boxer.
GT: I think there is an old saying with regards to Boxing which states “Boxing is the hardest game” and how true that saying is! You talk about the discipline side of Boxing and how much you were interested in that side of the sport – does discipline play a large part in how you deliver your coaching methods today in the world of football?
HC: Absolutely! I believe it’s a big part of why I chose to make the military my career after High School. Discipline says a lot about the character and integrity of a person. There’s a quote I have adopted and share with all my teams and what I strive to teach my daughters at home: “You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined.” ~Robson Crew.
GT: What a wonderful quote – simple but very effective! Talking about the military, did this career choice eventually give you the opportunity to play football at a competitive level for the first time or did you play the game at any other level before joining?
HC: I played growing-up, but youth football in the U.S. back then wasn’t what it is now. The opportunities for today’s youth are so much better. Then when my amateur boxing career took off & I realized I had an opportunity to possibly compete at the highest level internationally, I had to make a tough decision to focus on boxing. This is the primary reason why I had to pass on a High School career and ultimately playing College Football here in the U.S.
But during my Active Duty military career, I was afforded opportunities to compete for both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Armed Forces Boxing & Soccer teams. First, boxing where I won the 1999 Air Force & Armed Forces National Title, but then broke my hand in multiple locations, essentially ending my boxing career for good. Then, while stationed in Europe, that’s where I finally had a chance to return to ‘The Beautiful Game’ and fell in love with it all over again; playing for Base Varsity Teams and Air Force Team, eventually playing in the Armed Forces European Leagues & semi-pro (Non League) football in Italy & Germany, but mainly in Italy.
GT: To say you have had some amazing life experiences would be a huge understatement! First of all I would like to touch on something you have mentioned with regards to the Armed Forces European Leagues. As the old saying goes “you learn something new everyday” and to be totally honest with you this is the first time I have heard about this level of football. I have to say that I am intrigued by it and would love to hear more from your time playing at that level – what were your highlights from this period of time?
HC: I have been blessed to say the least, I have had a chance to travel, see the world, and it never felt like work as I was surrounded by so many good people and people who looked out for me.
The Armed Forces European Leagues was more of a pre-9/11 moniker for competitive league play of Base Varsity Teams primarily in Western Europe. Due to the dramatic operations tempo and significant changes to budgets immediately after the events of 9/11, this was significantly impacted. While I know they still have competitive matches to this day, I don’t know to what extent.
GT: Thank you Hector. You have also mentioned that you played at non league levels in both Italy and Germany. Now, I love non league football here in the UK and I would be very interested to hear about your time playing at non league level in Europe. What was the overall standard like and did you learn anything from this period of your life that you have been able to take with you into your coaching career?
HC: It was relatively short lived due to a few injuries, but I had the time of my life being part of only a handful of Americans on the team. The culture was great & what I learned is that League or Non-League, people are passionate about the game, competing, and supporting it. Due to the amount of time I spent around coaches/mangers because of injury, it was here that I first started to get the coaching bug. A fire or desire to want to further learn the game and coach was ignited.
GT: And that leads me nicely onto the next question – is this where you started seriously thinking about becoming a coach and what did you learn from the coaches you were around at that time? Do you also have a desire to coach in Europe at some point in the future too?
HC: It was the first time I thought of the possibility of seeing the game not as a player or supporter, but as a coach. It awakened a new sort of passion as it relates to the game. Because I was side-lined due to injury, I spent so much more time helping coaches and had the opportunity to get a ‘sneak peak behind the curtains’ if you will. What really intrigued me was that they were open to my feedback and would routinely ask questions like “Have you ever thought about coaching?”
To coach in Europe would be a dream. While the desire is there, it’s a tough industry and it definitely tends to be even tougher for American Coaches. But needless to say, if afforded an opportunity, it would be a dream!
GT: I’d now like to talk about your time coaching in the U.S. Air Force Academy please. How did this opportunity transpire for you, was it a position you had to apply for and if so what was the criteria?
HC: So the position at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) was a bit of happenstance. I was initially selected for what was called a Special Duty Assignment as a Senior Academy Military Training Instructor, where my role was to oversee the military training of cadets and cadet-candidates.
Upon arriving at USAFA, I was contacted by the Head Women’s Soccer Coach there, Larry Friend. Having been aware of my background I was asked to take over the women’s programme first at the USAFA Preparatory School. The Prep School is a 10-month post high school graduate programme that is a transition year for high school graduates preparing to enter the academy itself. Many student-athletes in transition attend the Prep School and we compete essentially at a Junior College level and against major Division I college club teams.
Whilst there, I began working closely with Larry and the rest of the Division I coaching staff, primarily as a recruiting coordinator. I eventually joined Larry as his staff, first a Director of Soccer Operations, and then an Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator.
It was a great four-year period where I was able to live out a dream invoicing at the collegiate level, all whilst still in a military active duty capacity. It was here that I gained a real love for uniqueness of the college game and what it represents. To be able to do it at one of the most highly respected and special institutions in the world that is the U.S. Air Force Academy, was a blessing for my family and I. NOTE: While Active Duty, the military when only let you do it for a four year maximum as it is what’s called a “Controlled Tour.” After that, you have to return to the regular active duty force.
GT: It certainly sounds as if you had a wonderful time working in football in the U.S. Air Force Academy – it would be very interesting to know what a typical day would be like for you during your four years there?
HC: Controlled & Dysfunctional Organized Chaos is what I often called it!! (Laughs)
Because of my role as a Senior AMT there, our role in preparing cadets to become future officers never delivered a dull moment. Every day was different. Whether it was military training, academic, discipline, or Athletics. The tempo was constant as something was always going on and changing at the drop of a hat. Our football training routine, whether in-season or out of season/pre-season, was usually the most predictable. We ensured it remained that in an effort to bring a level of normalcy to our cadet-athletes.
It was truly an assignment of a lifetime! USAFA is truly a special, special place!
GT: After this special time in your life what was your next move with regards to football – I imagine that it was quite a sad day for you when your time came to an end working in the U.S. Air Force Academy?
HC: It definitely was, but I also viewed it as such a blessing to be able to do that and work with the boxing programme at USAFA. That’s definitely not the norm during a military career. It was also tough because other college coaching opportunities had surfaced, but my time in the military still wasn’t over.
Some amazing photographs supplied to me by Hector from his time at the USAFA and in Colorado – Picture 1 (Top Left) West Point, New York: At a military training conference and visit to the U.S. Military Academy – This photo shows Hector standing in front of the Hudson River. Picture 2 (Below Picture 1) Photo taken from Pikes Peak Summit: 14,200 ft One of the “14ers” in Colorado. Picture 3 (Below Picture 2) Showing Hector at the top of Eagles Peak with one of the teams he coached – the picture also shows part of the Cadet Wing at USAFA in the background. Picture 4 (Bottom Left) Hector posing with one of the cadets who was a Falconer at USAFA. Picture 5 (Top Right) Hector after a training session at an impressive looking indoor facility at USAFA. Picture 6 (Bottom Right) At the top of the aforementioned Eagles Peak, which is on the grounds of USAFA. Approximately 9,800 ft above sea level.
GT: You speak about other opportunities arising but due to your military involvement you couldn’t take these opportunities. What were the opportunities that came your way and when did your time in the military eventually come to an end?
HC: I was blessed to have some coaches contact me about applying for Head Assistant positions at other schools once they knew I was leaving USAFA. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t possible due to my military service.
After that, came an assignment to Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. Ironically, about a month after arriving, I was asked if I was interested in retiring early. During that time the Air Force, and much of the military was downsizing and I was eligible because of how close I was to retirement and my record. So on Christmas Eve 2013, my wife and I made the decision to submit paperwork to initiate the retirement process. On May 22, 2014, I had my retirement ceremony and officially became a military retiree on August 1 2014.
It has gone by fast and I really do miss military life. Seven years later, I’m still learning how to be a civilian again and figuring out what to wear everyday!
GT: So going slightly away from the subject of football and for somebody like me who has never been in the military, what is it that you miss the most from being in the military?
HC: The Brotherhood! My Brothers & Sisters-in Arms. Being associated with so many world class individuals who are humble, hardworking, servant leaders and willing to give the ultimate sacrifice if necessary.
No BS social agendas, color of your skin doesn’t matter, where your from doesn’t matter. It’s a big melting pot of those willing to raise their hand and take an oath. Being a part of the less than 1% willing to give so much of themselves for something so much bigger than any one of us.
It’s a mentality that doesn’t go away when you stop wearing the uniform.
GT: Beautifully wrote, I can see how much your career meant and still means to you. So, after your retirement what did life bring for you next both in terms of an occupation and of course football?
HC: Thank you, I appreciate that. Upon retirement, we moved to San Antonio so I could complete my Master of Science in Sports Management & Administration from the University of The Incarnate Word, while my wife started her career as an investment manager with USAA.
During this time I also started coaching for a local club and then dived into the High School Football environment for the first time, as I accepted an Assistant Coach and Goalkeeping Coach position at Saint Mary’s Hall, in San Antonio.
GT: I find it very interesting to read about you being a goalkeeper coach as I was a goalkeeper myself in my younger years. There is a saying that goes “to be a goalkeeper you have got to be crazy” do you think that true – I know I do.
HC: As they say here: Goalkeepers are a different breed!
GT: We are agreed then. What happened in the intervening years between then and your latest venture today? I’m guessing plenty of coaching and building upon your experiences?
HC: Absolutely!! I attended large amounts of coaching education courses in advancing my careers by receiving licenses through the U.S. Soccer Federation & United Soccer Coaches (formerly National Soccer Coaches Assoc. of America).
I also chose to focus on coaching exclusively at the High School level where I became the Director of Soccer & Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Saint Mary’s Hall, in addition to being promoted to Assistant Athletic Director.
We had great success winning multiple Bi-District & Area Titles, a Regional Title, & an appearance in the 2017 TAPPS State Semi final.
Then in 2019 we moved to El Paso in an effort to help my family. Whilst there, I took over the Head Women’s position at Ysleta High School, a school not known for having much soccer success and routinely at the bottom of the table. It was a complete rebuild and implementing a completely new culture and mindset. However, as a testament to these great young leaders, they completely bought-in & we made a major programme turnaround; coming within 2 games in my first year and 1 game in my second year, of qualifying for the state playoffs.
But perhaps what I’m most proud of was that they really captured the city’s attention because we had 7 girls receive 47 offers to play at the collegiate level, with 3 currently playing College Soccer (This is definitely not the norm at Ysleta HS)
GT: What an amazing job you and the players did at Ysleta High School, a period of your coaching career that you must look back on with immense pride! OK, so I know that you are just about to embark on a new venture, can you tell me more about this please in what must be exciting times for you?
HC: Yes, very proud of the leaders I had the privilege to coach from Lady Indian Soccer (LIS). They were proud that everything begins and ends with mindset.
I guess in many ways you could say it’s a bit of a homecoming as I am returning to Saint Mary’s Hall, in San Antonio. Just like Ysleta, which is the second oldest public school in El Paso, Saint Mary’s Hall is among the oldest in San Antonio, except it is a private school that competes in the Texas Association of Private & Parochial Schools (TAPPS).
While I will be returning to previous positions on the pitch of Director of Soccer & Head Women’s Soccer Coach, off the field I will be serving as the Director of Sports Performance & Athletic Mindset (DSPAM), the first of its kind at Saint Mary’s Hall. I’m very excited for all of it, but especially this!
GT: And I really wish you all the very best in your new venture Hector. From speaking to you during this interview I am sure you will grab this opportunity with both hands and enjoy a successful time. You really have been a great guest to interview and I thank you very much indeed for taking the time to talk to me. To finish I would like to ask you one more question if I may – if you had to give one piece of advice to a young up and coming coach trying to make their way in the game, what would it be?
HC: Thank you so much Gareth, the honour has been all mine and I can’t tell you how much it means to me for you to entertain an American Coach for an interview. The one commodity we can never get back is time, so I am always aware of that and try to be respectful of other people’s time. I can’t thank you enough for the giving of your time. Thank you.
As for what I’d share with a young up and coming Coach…………. I would advise them that coaching truly is not a job or a career, but a calling. It’s definitely not for everyone and like anything it will require sacrifice. Your heart has to be in the right place and do it for the right reasons. It’s about outcome, not income. The outcome being the tremendous impact you can have and help shape and mould young people’s lives. We must always be aware of that and never lose sight about the big picture…it is about so much more than wins and losses. It is true when they say that more than seasons, wins, and losses, players look back and remember how a coach made a player feel – that can last a lifetime and it has the power to change a life. “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” -John Wooden.
GT: I would like to again thank the absolute gentleman that is Hector Cano for taking the time to speak to me about his amazing life and football journey to date. It has been a real privilege for me to speak to somebody who is so enthusiastic about what he does and I wish him every success for the future.
You may remember that earlier in the interview Hector spoke passionately about his podcast – The 50/50 Podcast. Since talking to Hector, I have listened to one of his recent episodes and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I would urge other football enthusiasts out there to take a listen too. Here is a link to the 50/50 podcast twitter feed where you will be able to find more about it – @50_50Pod
Gareths Football Travels 