Coach Howes is a teacher of IGCSE and IB mathematics here at ISS.  He has taught a variety and math and physics courses and is enjoying his second year at ISS.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and physics and a secondary education teaching certificate from Northern Michigan University.

Football has been a passion of Mr. Howes from a very young age.  He was born in Peru and spent time at the International School of Buenos Aires during grade school.  It was in Argentina, watching Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta where he first learned to love the game.  After returning to the states, he played through middle and high school and joined the Northern Michigan University Men’s soccer team and the Marquette Men’s International club.   He has coached players of all ages and is looking forward to his first season with the ISS Vikings!

Coach Miller is in her second year of teaching middle and high school art, as well as advising the high school yearbook class and coaching the Varsity Girls Football team.  Maren participated in football at Wayzata High School and was the captain of her U-17 and U-18 traveling teams.  Maren graduated from St Olaf College in Northfield, MN with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art.  After being involved as a freshman in the Manitou singers, Maren played on the St Olaf Women’s football team her sophomore year.  She continued to play intramural football for the remainder of her time at St Olaf.  She went on to complete her K-12 art teaching licensure and reading endorsement through Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN.  Before coming to Norway, Maren coached for 3 years with the club team, Minnesota Thunder Academy. She has a Minnesota Youth Soccer Association “E” License.

I got my university education in three countries: Belgium, Spain and the UK. After a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in French and Spanish language and culture at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and the University of Salamanca (Spain), I took a Master’s course in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the same university in Leuven, while I was completing my teacher training degree. A couple of years ago I also took a Master’s course in International Education at Oxford Brookes University.

I love languages and history, but for as far back as I can remember, football has always been my biggest passion. My earliest football memory, at the age of seven, is watching the Europa Cup I (the predecessor of the current Champions’ League) semi-finals in 1978 on TV, when Club Brugge, the team from my Belgian hometown, beat Juventus by 2-0, only to be beaten 1-0 by Liverpool in the Wembley final. As a child and young teenager I played for the youth teams of Club Brugge, later on I also played on my school team and as an adult I played in a non-professional league for five years.

My coaching career started at ISS, ten years ago. I have been coaching the JV girls (3 years), the JV boys and Varsity girls (both second season now) teams. For the past 4 years, I was also ‘oppmann’ and assistant coach for my son’s Viking team.

I think it is fair to say that I find nothing more relaxing than watching a good game of football. And while coaching is not as relaxing ;-), I love spending time on the field with young people willing to learn and practice the game I love.

Mr. Taylor is a veteran cyclist in Sandnes Sykleklubb and is a member of Norges Cykleforbund. He takes part actively in races in the local region and further afield with Trondheim-Oslos and Birkens being some of the highlights. Next year he has entered the Tour detape. 

Football is his other passion and being born in London, he was born a Tottenham supporter. Providing you are not a Chelsea or Arsenal supporter, you should have an enjoyable training experience.

In his younger years, the days when there were no distractions such as computers and video games, he played football until the sun set, played in all his school teams, was captain of his university Fifers team, and joined local clubs in Helsinki, Tallinn and Bergen.

Danielle May is from Boston, MA., U.S.A. Before arriving in Norway, she was the captain of her adult co-ed team in the Boston Ski and Sports league. She grew up in a suburb of Boston where she played soccer since the age of five. She was part of three state championship teams throughout her youth soccer career and was captain and M.V,P. of her high school team. She has coached in the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association and at soccer camps in the New England area.

To be continued...

To be continued...