Hyundai NTC strength and conditioning coach Callum McCaskie is heading to the United States after landing a full-time position in Major League Soccer.
Callum, who has been involved with Football West’s NTC for Girls Program since 2019, is joining Columbus Crew where he will work in the sports science department with the first team including Socceroos defender Milos Degenek.
“It’s very exciting to be working in another country, experiencing another culture and meeting new people. There’s so much happening in sport in America, and to be able to work full-time in a football environment there is terrific,” he said.
“Columbus have a new head coach, a guy called Wilfried Nancy, so it’ll be good to go into a new set-up and not be the only new face. And Milos Degenek is there, so it’ll be great having another Aussie.”
Callum arrived in Perth three-and-a-half years ago from his home city Melbourne to do his PhD in Sports Science at West Coast Eagles, through Edith Cowan University. He joined the NTC Program for Girls almost immediately.
He said: “I co-ordinate the sport science and am in charge of physical development. The coaches are obviously in charge of the football stuff, the technical and tactical development, and I’m employed to enhance the players’ physical capacities. I co-ordinate the fitness testing, liaise with coaches and make sure the players are fit and strong across all four teams.
“We have GPS units and track their performances, so it’s all the running data, total distance, top speed etc. There’s so much data and it’s about trying to utilise it, optimise players’ fitness but also trying to mitigate injury.”
Callum, who also plays at Men’s State League side Curtin University, added: “It is always good when you see players you have worked with kick on to other things.
“I had a good season-and-a-half working with Leticia McKenna, who’s now doing really well at Melbourne City. Hana Lowry’s the same at Perth Glory, Isabella Wallhead too. Another who’s coming through is Ruby Cuthbert, who captained the Junior Matildas in a couple of games last year. In 2020 she was in the U13s and captain, now she’s into the 18s.
“And with someone like Ruby, we have her data from when she first entered the program until now. It’s good to see that development over time, and going forward with the program it gives us really good benchmarks for where players should be if, say, they are pushing for Junior Matildas … we can say, ‘well, this is where she was across the span of the program’.
“As for West Coast, because they are a professional club they have obviously got a lot more data coming through. A lot more sports technology. But it’s been a good mix seeing what happens in the absolute top level in Australia at the Eagles, and how can I strip that back and bring the best of it to NTC without going overboard. And I think the NTC players get a good feeling for the professionalism that will be expected of them when they go to the Australian camps.”
Callum will join Crew early next month as the team builds towards their first game of the 2023 MLS season away to Philadelphia Union on 26 February.
“It’s straight in and I’m really looking forward to it, getting to know the players and working in that environment,” he said.
“I’ve been doing my research about the city … there’s a brewery district and I’m into my craft beers, so I’m keen to have a bit of a tour of the brewery district. They’ve also got Ohio State University and college football is the biggest sport in Columbus, they get 110,000 to games. Crew’s main stadium has a 20,000 capacity and they sell it out.
“I’ll also take my golf clubs, although it’s snowing there now so I probably won’t get to use them for a while. My first job will be to buy some winter clothes when I get there, I don’t own much living in Perth.
“But seriously, this is an exciting adventure and a fantastic opportunity. It’s sad to leave the NTC. I made some good friends, and it’s a big part of my life. But I can’t wait to get over there and get started.”
Football West Football Development Officer Gareth Naven thanked Callum for his efforts with NTC.
“Callum has been an important member of Hyundai NTC and the coaches and players all value what he has brought to the program,” he said.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for him and I’m sure he will flourish. Everyone here wishes him well.”