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| Kees, Neuqua set to sail in 2009
Barrington coach Scott Steib knows a little something about Tony Kees, the long-time head coach at Conant recently named the new coach at Neuqua Valley. “Those kids will leave that program having had the chance to play the most intelligent soccer possible,” Steib said. Steib and Kees have coached together, and the two were Mid Suburban League coaching rivals for a decade before Kees stepped down at Conant in 2007, after more than 20 years at the Hoffman Estates school. Kees took a position last year with the Chicago Fire Academy program, where a handful of Neuqua players were enrolled. Early this year, one of them informed him that former Neuqua coach Jim Johns had left the program. “I said, ‘Well I’m unemployed in the fall, maybe I’ll apply’,” Kees said. “It was tongue-in-cheek at first. I didn’t even think they’d want an out-of-building coach.” In recent years, out-of-building coaches fell into and then out of favor among high school programs far and wide. Their expertise was always well-regarded, but availability issues seemed to seep into the equation, and a trend of hiring out-of-building coaches began to fade. Kees lives in Elk Grove, 35 miles from Neuqua Valley, so his first goal was to assuage any doubts about his availability. He ensured athletic director Barb Barrows of the commitment level he’d bring to the program. Then, after his initial meeting with Barrows, Kees kicked off an internal dialogue. “I’d get up in the morning and ask myself ‘Do you still want to do it?’” Kees said. “After two weeks, I found out that I was getting more and more excited about it. I really wanted the job.” A second interview ensued, before Kees answered his phone one night and was asked if he could be at Neuqua Valley the next morning at 10 a.m. for a third meeting. “I thought maybe they were testing me, since I’m an out-of-building guy,” Kees said. “I showed up, Barb said they were ready to offer me the position, and I said ‘I’m in’.” Barrows was sold on Kees for several reasons. “One of the things I really like about him is that he wants to build a program from the top to the bottom,” Barrows said. “He wants to see the growth of the freshmen and sophomore teams.” “I’m looking forward to working with him, and I know that he immediately has the attention of our soccer community.” Steib and others echo one another when asked to describe Kees’ main strength as a coach. “He’s just meticulous. He’s a detail man,” Steib said. “He doesn’t miss anything. He’ll spend hours editing, like he’s doing it for the Chicago Fire. By the time he’s done, it’s like ESPN footage.” Jason Franco was Kees’ assistant before taking over the reins at Conant. “He is the ultimate in organization and detail, and he demands a lot out of his players,” Franco said. “His kids are always very organized, and that’s from the work he puts into it.” One of those kids this year will be Neuqua Valley senior Bryan Ciesiulka, who played for Kees on the Fire Academy team for two seasons. “He’s an unbelievable coach,” Ciesiulka said. “He loves the game, he’s really enthusiastic, and he pushes you hard to get the best from yourself. He always has a positive attitude and he’s a great guy to be around.” Kees is acclimating to his new coaching environment, and he’s glad to be a part of one of the most competitive areas for high school soccer in the state. “I knew it was a soccer hotbed, but I didn’t know the Naperville area at all,” Kees said. “I thought it would be neat to join a whole new group of kids and parents, in a new building, and put my energy into it.” “A lot of my colleagues asked me why I’m getting back into the high school game, but I’m still up for a challenge. And to get to work with kids six days a week and help build young men … some of my best moments and memories have come from the high school game.”
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