I love Lerche Njang’s passion for sports.
McElwain: What inspires your writing?
Coach Lerche (photo, LinkedIn)
Lerche: I read a lot of articles about football. Sometimes I do not agree entirely with what’s written, and that made me think about putting my opinions out there for people to read. I love to interview sports/football people, too, and to hear their stories.
McElwain: What’s your advice to aspiring writers?
Lerche: The first thing for me is enjoyment. Then, it’s essential to be knowledgeable about what you’re writing. Get facts together before you write. Doing that builds trust with readers.
McElwain: Where do you see yourself in the future?
Lerche: My main area is coaching football/soccer, and I want to be known as a great coach. Youth development is my focus, and I want to credit The Sports Column for promoting my work. Eventually, I’d like to write for top sports websites and, possibly, launch my platform.
McElwain: Sports are on a hiatus due to COVID-19. What will the ‘new normal’ be when the pandemic is over?
Lerche: Things will go back to normal slowly. For coaches, we know that a lot can be done virtually with our players to keep them in shape, teach skills, and have them watch/analyze videos of past games. Using technology, we can also have one-on-one chats with players.
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McElwain: Name your top three favorite sports moments.
Lerche: Here they are. (1) Liverpool winning the Champions League against AC Milan in 2005. (2) Germany 7:1 win against Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi, and (3) France winning the World cup. I’m not French, but that was the team I supported from the beginning.
McElwain: Will you be coaching when sports return?
Lerche: For sure. Coaching football/soccer is my work. I already have plans on how to approach it when we resume. I also know that it will be a process before things return to normal on the pitch.
