From Player to Coach: Randy Bardock Coaching Journey

For more than 46 years, Randy Bardock has dedicated himself to coaching. His journey began while he was still in high school, helping a friend coach young hockey goaltenders at a local elementary school. Seeing the excitement and confidence coaching brought to those young athletes sparked a passion that has guided him ever since.

While Randy has coached a variety of sports, soccer became the main focus of his career. His experience has taken him from community programs in Lethbridge to provincial, national, and international levels, including 30 years as head coach of the University of Lethbridge men's soccer program. Today, he continues to give back through youth soccer, coach education, and coach development.

Over the years, Randy's coaching philosophy has evolved from focusing primarily on the technical and tactical side of sports to recognizing the importance of relationships. His guiding principle is simple: "Connect before your correct."

As a transformational coach and servant leader, Randy aims to empower athletes to make decisions both on and off the field while developing values such as hard work, honesty, loyalty, gratitude, selflessness, and family.

For Randy, some of the most rewarding parts of coaching happens away from the scoreboard. He takes pride in watching former athletes become coaches themselves, seeing lifelong friendships develop through sport, and hearing a heartfelt thank you from a player after their final game.

As for new coaches, Randy encourages them to embrace learning, seek guidance from experienced mentors, stay connected with other coaches, and keep athletes at the center of their decisions. "Coaching is a roller coaster," he says. "Don't get too high when the positives happens, and don't get too low when the challenges occur. Most importantly, enjoy the journey."

Randy's contributions to sport were recognized with the Lethbridge Sport Council's 2025 Coaching Excellence - High Performance Award, honouring his leadership, dedication to athlete development, and lasting impact on sport in our community.