Pittsburgh Riverhounds Feature -- www.riverhounds.com
Monday, December 23, 2013
PITTSBURGH -- After a playing career that saw stints with clubs such as the San Jose Earthquakes, Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn in MLS, and the Charleston Battery and Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Second Division, Justin Evans became the Riverhounds' head coach before the 2010 season.
Now, after leading the Riverhounds to the playoffs in three of his first four seasons, Evans is aiming to take the team to the next level. Before heading out for a short holiday vacation, he took a moment to answer seven questions.
Q1. What is the best advice you have for young soccer players that are looking to take it to the pro-level?
JE: In the words of Jimmy V, "Don't give up, don't ever give up!" Along the way to my professional career, I played with and against players that were technically better than me. However, early on in my life, I decided that I wanted to play pro soccer and I just stayed focused on my goal and never gave up striving to do better every single day which ultimately helped me to become a pro. To realize your dream, you have to first believe it yourself, secondly don't let anyone or anything get in the way of your dream, and lastly work hard towards your dream every single day.
Q2. Do you have any quotes or sayings you try to live by?
JE: Yes, I love quotes. I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking and these three quotes keep me grounded and help me stay positive in my thoughts and actions.
"The danger in life is not in setting your goals too high and never being able to achieve them, it is in setting your goals too low and achieving them" -Michelangelo
"All that we are is a result of what we have thought." -Buddha
"I try all things, I achieve what I can." - Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Q3. What are your plans for Christmas?
JE: Christmas is certainly a time for family and I look forward to spending quality time with my family over the Holiday Season. I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday season.
Q4. What are two things that you want to do in 2014? (Personally & Professionally)
JE: One thing that I would like both personally and professionally is to bring the USL Championship to Pittsburgh in 2014! Selfishly I would like more dates with my wife.
Q5. What was your first job? How old were you?
JE: My first job was working for my Uncle at his italian ice stand. I was 13 years old and I was in charge of the stand in Baldwin during the Summer. It was fun, very interesting and taught me a lot of good lessons.
Q6. If you could trade a day with anyone in the world, past or present time, who would it be and why?
JE: I would trade one day with Pele. He was such an amazingly creative player and I would like to just be inside his head for one game to figure out how he saw the game in his mind's eye.
Q7. What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
JE: I don't get a whole lot of time off, but when I do, I like to spend it at home with my beautiful wife Kara and two boys just hanging around the house.
Q8. (BONUS!) How do you like your eggs cooked?
JE: I have to brag a little here, I make the most amazing scrambled eggs. My litmus test is that I have a 15 year old son (Calum) and a 2 and 1/2 year old son (Ethan) and every time that I make the eggs, they eat all of them. So, to span that gap, you know the eggs have to be pretty special!