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Ex-Stones skipper switches sports
Former Maidstone United captain Steve Watt is turning his hand to a different sport - coaching American football.The game may be different but the principles of coaching remain the same for Watt who managed Margate and Maidstone, the latter in a caretaker capacity, before leading Hythe to the Isthmian South East play-off final.
Steve Watt gets his point across as part of the South East Legion coaching team. Picture: Countrywide PhotographicHe still has plenty to offer in football management, should the opportunity arise, but right now he’s loving his work as part of the coaching set-up with the South East Legion.The under-19 side won their league unbeaten last season.And Watt, who is one of the defence coaches, is thoroughly enjoying transferring his skills to a different sport.His son, Riley, is part of the Legion side, while daughter Alba plays flag football, the non-contact version of American football.Their involvement took him along to Kent Phoenix - of which the Legion is a part - and months later he was invited to get involved on the coaching side. He’s already completed one coaching course and is set to take another. “Me being me, I do find it hard to say no, particularly a sport I love and was intrigued by,” said Watt, who is a huge NFL fan.
Steve Watt, second left, and his fellow South East Legion coaches. Picture: Countrywide Photographic“Although I know the sport well, I’d never coached it before, so I needed to make sure I knew what I was talking about.“I’ve loved it, absolutely loved it.“I’ve always been of the opinion that if you can coach, you can coach near enough anything.“One of the biggest challenges is getting your ideas across to players and getting them to carry out what you want them to do.“How you deliver that to players entails knowing how to speak to certain players, knowing what certain players need and knowing how to break down certain things. “With the American football, it’s a lot more individual in terms of my role.“I’m not the manager, I’ve got a certain group of players I work with on the defence and I’ll do drills with them and coach them and help out the head coach on defence.
Steve Watt, centre, is coaching American football with the South East Legion. Picture: Countrywide Photographic“It’s very much learning as I go along but I do pick up things quite well. “I’m not bad at coaching, and I’ve really enjoyed this year, so much so that I’ve done a coaching course and I’ll be doing another one before the season starts.“The guys at the club have been a great help.“It’s so easy to say yes because of how nice they are.“They’re brilliant people to work with. “It’s been a smooth transition because of how easy they’ve made it for me. They’ve also trusted me to do it.“It’s been really enjoyable and I’m looking to seeing what happens this year.”Watt moved into football management after a playing career that started at Chelsea and took in the likes of Swansea and Barnsley before enjoying success in non-league.
Steve Watt, seen here with son Riley, captained Maidstone to the Isthmian Premier title in 2015. Picture: Martin AppsHis finest spell in management came when Hythe defied the odds on one of the smallest budgets in the league to make the play-off final three seasons ago.The feeling that comes from winning games has followed Watt into American football. “When you see the season we had last year, we went undefeated in our league and unfortunately lost in the play-offs,” said Watt.“I always thought how would I feel because it’s a different sport but you get the same buzz from it.“You see the hits and the effort that’s being given, not to say it’s any more than a game of football because each sport gives their all, but you see the way these boys train every Sunday for three hours and what they put into games.“The swings of the pendulum are a lot more drastic than a game of football.
“There’s nothing better, whether it’s football or American football, than when you see these kids and the joy they get from winning because they’re the ones who put in all the hard work. “In terms of what’s being asked of them physically, it is a lot of work. I wish I could have played it.”Watt hasn’t worked in football management since leaving Hythe towards the end of the 2023/24 season.He’s open to the right opportunity but it’s yet to come his way.“Never say never but my phone’s never rung,” said Watt. “So you can say, ‘yes, I can see myself getting back in’ but until someone picks the phone up and asks you, it’s not going to happen.“If there’s ever a job I get texts, not from people at the club but players and other people involved in football, saying ‘why don’t you go for it?’“I’ve done that, I’ve put a CV in somewhere and you get nothing back.“I think we did a good job at Hythe and that hasn’t been deemed good enough for any job in football since I’ve left. “So it can be a little bit disheartening, not that I think anyone’s got a right to be given a job, it’s not that at all.
Steve Watt celebrates Hythe’s Isthmian South East play-off semi-final win at Ramsgate in 2023. Picture: Ian Scammell“But one thing I’ve learned is clubs in general know who they’re bringing in when the manager’s going out.“I do miss it, I do want to get back into it, and if the right job came along, I would put my name in the hat.“But last year I got a bit disheartened where you see jobs come up, you’re told to put your CV in, so you do, and you don’t hear anything back.“Or you go for interviews and you know someone else has got the job because football’s such a small world and people talk.“I still think I’ve got a lot to offer, but that’s my opinion - a club needs to think that.”Kent Phoenix train every Sunday at Shepway Green in Maidstone.Sessions run from 10am-12noon for flag (ages eight to 15) and 10am-1pm for full contact sessions with the South East Legion (ages 16 to 19). All equipment is provided.Simply turn up or, for more information, visit the website kentphoenix.org