Kitchener TFC is proud to announce that Academy Director Mario Halapir has been appointed as Club Head Coach. Mario has spent the past 10 years working with and developing our Elite Academy athletes, and we’re excited that he’s moving into a role that will allow him to bring his expertise in player development to our Rep category. Mario will hit the ground running in his new role and immediately start working with our U9-U11 Rep teams, with a plan to engage older age groups in the near future.
Mario is a leader in player development and coach development, choosing to focus on the development of the whole athlete –tactically, technically and emotionally. He has served as Academy Director since 2014 and been involved with Kitchener SC in some capacity for 37 years – as a player, volunteer and coach. In addition to his current position, he’s also the coach of the Laurier University men’s team, where he was OUA coach of the year in 2008. In 2015, Mario was an integral member of the coaching staff for the North American Champions K-W United, playing in the PDL – part of the United Soccer League system that is considered the top U23 men’s league in North America. Mario has his Provincial and National B license, and there are currently over a dozen players he’s coached playing professionally in Europe, MLS, USL and CPL. Additionally, he has also been involved with MLS franchise Toronto FC. Before focusing on coaching, Mario played in the Canadian Soccer League.
With this appointment, Kitchener TFC is poised to be a leader in our community on holistic player development as we strengthen our player pathway.