AAU’s football club starts their competitive games this fall under fresh leadership, as they welcome alumni Matyáš Kousek and Ethan Fite as their new coaches.
Kousek brings years of coaching experience, from training players at football academies in Prague to leading a 16U girl’s team in Sweden. Now back at his former university, he steps in as head coach ready to lead the team forward.
“The club president and the captain reached out to me because they knew I had experience, and that I’d worked with a lot of people already,” Kousek said. “I said yes, under the condition that [Ethan] becomes my assistant.”
Fite, a former AAU player, is stepping into a coaching role for the first time, attributing his motivation to his lifelong love for football.
“Matyáš asked me if I wanted to join him, and I was like, ‘You know what? Why not?’” Fite said. “I’ve followed football all my life, I’ve played it all my life and I just love it. And I’m learning a lot [about coaching] from him.”
Having graduated just over a year ago, both Kousek and Fite recognize the importance of maintaining professional boundaries, especially given how close in age they are to some of the players.
“Very early on, even before I took the job, I set a very clear boundary that yes, outside we are friends, but when I’m on the field it’s coach-player, and that’s all it should be,” Kousek said. “That also meant I told them that nobody is going to be in a more favorable position just because they might have been good a year ago. I started with a very clean slate.”
Communication, they say, is the foundation of their shared coaching approach.
“While that boundary is set, they also know that if anybody has an issue, they can bring it up,” Fite said. “It also helps that we have extra open communication with the club president and captain too, where they feel comfortable to speak on behalf of the players or to give ideas. I think the dynamic there is really healthy and it’s only going to grow more healthy as we get to know the guys.”
Fite added that their different communication styles on the field help them connect with their players in complementary ways.
“He’s very direct and passionate, and while I’m also passionate, when it comes to the dynamic with players I tend to be a bit more quiet,” Fite said. “He will hype people up and scold people if he needs to, but all in the right moments. The mixture of that works really well because people respect him, but they’re also motivated by him.”
Both coaches emphasize getting to know their team and using their own strengths to bring out the best in each player.
“What Ethan is really good at is that he sees little details, especially when we run games or drills, that I perhaps don’t see,” Kousek said. “He is also very active with helping around with the little things… issues I may notice 30 seconds after they come up he notices ahead of time. He makes my job ten times easier than it should be.”
For Fite, it’s Kousek’s experience and deep knowledge of the game that make him such a strong head coach.
Fostering a unified team mentality is at the forefront of the coaches’ goals for the season, as they hope to build camaraderie both on and off the field.
“You don’t necessarily have to become best friends with everyone, but I want to hear them say ‘I’ve connected with these people,” Fite said. “I hope the players can latch on to this and use it as a sense of pride and motivation.”
Football has long held personal significance for both Kousek and Fite, and they aim to pass that same sense of dedication on to their players.
“Passion is a big thing for me,” Kousek said. “My ultimate goal is that they’ll say proudly ‘I was a member of the AAU football team,’ because it will stand for something: hard work, passion and determination.”
While expectations are high, the coaches stress that consistent effort is what matters the most.
“We definitely expect a lot from them, but it’s all for the right reasons,” Fite said. “So much about your mentality in football also helps with your mentality in life. The more we can teach them to have the right mentality, to be strong, to be disciplined, to be tough…and try your hardest. If everyone gives 150 percent that’s what matters to us.”
For now, their focus is on leading the team to victories through its first season of competitive play.
“I’m just super happy and grateful to be in this position coaching,” Fite said. “I’m excited for the future.”
Kousek agrees, emphasizing a one-game-at-a time approach.
“Our minds are set at AAU, that’s our main concern,” he said. “Winning our Nov. 11 game, we will have another game after that and can be promoted to a higher league. All of the players were instructed to put [Nov. 11] in their calendars as the day we beat Pilsen.”
One of the pair’s biggest goals this season is building a stronger school spirit around football and increasing fan turnout at each game.
“If the fans can truly show up for AAU, we can build a community around this,” Kousek said. “My hope is that the first competitive game we have in Prague we can have at least 100 people show up, hopefully more in the future of course.”
Fite echoed optimism in increasing the support for the football team.
“I’m confident that this can happen at AAU,” he said. “We’re both alumni, and one thing I love about this school is how connected everyone is. The ability to get a lot of fans to be there and be passionate would not only help AAU in general but obviously would help the football team to such a high degree.”
Kousek’s final message encouraged any students interested in playing to join the team.
“If you’re interested in any way in joining us, please do, we’re welcoming to everyone,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, your gender, how good you are, whether it’s your first day training or if you’ve played for ten years. We welcome absolutely everybody and would love to have you.”
The AAU football team will play its first competitive game at 7:30 PM on Nov. 11 in Pilsen. Students and fans can follow @aaufootball on Instagram for updates and upcoming fixtures as the team prepares to represent their school with pride.
