Loney bringing people together as part of successful Ravens soccer program

Burlington, Ont. (by David DiCenzo) - Kwesi Loney remembers a term his father Anthony used to describe those who play soccer – you’re either a piano player or a piano carrier. Loney would ultimately become the latter, a player who embraced the hard, thankless work required on the pitch. That shaped his early experiences on the fields around his home, where he competed with some of the most talented youth players in the area as a member of the Scarborough National Malvern Soccer Club.

Loney, now the head coach of the Carleton Ravens men’s team, also recalls the sense of togetherness he felt playing the ‘beautiful game’.

“What instantly drew me to it was the community feeling,” says Loney, a husband and father of two kids. “We would always have gatherings at people’s homes. It wasn’t just on the field, it was off it. It was an extended family, which was unique.

“I love the competitive nature of it. We had this family mentality, with the people I liked being around. Sport became a vehicle not just in terms of being able to play and compete, but a way to be with this other family, to make connections and friends.”

Those early experiences in the sport developed his intense passion for the game. Loney religiously watched the late Scottish star and TV analyst Graham Leggat talk soccer on TSN every weekend. He appreciated the talents of African-born legends like Roger Milla and George Weah, while also studying the Dutch approach of Total Football, where versatile players implemented a style pleasing to the eye. Loney is still a fan to this day. He’s a supporter of Premier League leaders Arsenal FC and back in November, he lived the dream and went to the Qatar World Cup to watch the Canadian men’s senior team on the game’s biggest stage.

Soccer has provided him with incredible opportunities. One of significance came in 2010, when Loney earned the chance to showcase that passion at his alma mater. He was a fixture in the Carleton Ravens backline as a hard-working fullback in the early 2000s. Loney eagerly returned to the Ottawa-based school to be an assistant coach and by 2016, he took the reins of the men’s program as a head coach from his mentor Sandy Mackie.

“I had always maintained contact with Sandy,” he says. “I was coaching at Algonquin College when Sandy called and asked if I wanted to come back to Carleton. Anytime you have that opportunity to go back to the program that shaped you into the person you are, it’s special.

“I was an alumnus and the school had given me so much. It was a natural progression for me.”

Loney was well-versed in OUA competition when he returned to Ravens Soccer. He initially made the decision to attend Carleton because he wanted to explore and experience something entirely different, though he wasn’t recruited to play soccer. Family members told him that university would open his eyes and help him change the way he perceived things.

Loney enrolled in political science and made a point of contacting Mackie before arriving in Ottawa.

“He said, ‘Yes, come for a trial,’” Loney says of the initial connection. “Soccer wasn’t the reason I went to Carleton. But that part happened on the side.”

The demands of a student-athlete were high. Loney says it was the first time he had ever trained on a daily basis and despite an amazing experience in his first year, he admits it was challenging. He did settle in as a player and enjoyed a memorable career with the Ravens. He captained the side for three of his five years, won the Doug Banton Memorial Award in 2000 for his dedication to the team, and participated in two national championships, including a silver medal finish and an All-Canadian nod in 2002. Not a bad run for a walk-on.

“All of it was very new,” Loney says of that first year in Ottawa as an 18-year-old away from the Scarborough home his parents still reside in. “My first year was an incredible experience. I got to play and play a lot as the starting left back.

“I really enjoyed the student-athlete life. Both the classes and topics we would discuss, the people I met, and of course, being exposed to football at that level. It was very competitive. Being able to travel around Ontario was new for me. I began to pay more attention to what was happening around the country.”

Loney represented Canada at the 2003 FISU World University Games in South Korea, before embarking on his post-collegiate career. He played with the Ottawa Wizards of the CPSL, won an Ontario Cup with the Ottawa Royals, and also competed in the PDL with the Ottawa Fury. He finished his final year of competitive soccer with a Canadian treble, winning the Ontario Cup, CPSL Cup, and a national championship as a member of Ottawa St. Anthony.

Loney did some rewarding work over eight years on the staff at UNICEF and even owned his own soccer retail store for a while. But he was always in search of the next challenge. That was coaching. His first gig was back at Carleton when he coached in summer camps. Loney loved the involvement, not just because of the familiarity with the sport but also the opportunity to engage with kids. Ever the “piano carrier,” he didn’t shy away from hard work. Loney got actively involved with Coerver Coaching, an international program for aspiring coaches, and was still balancing full-time work and playing.

His first official head coach job was with the Ottawa Royals U10 side. Coaching meant his certification registration would be paid for. But once Loney got to lead a group, everything changed.

“I saw the influence I could have,” he says.

Through his mid-20s, Loney worked his way up through different age groups and realized how important coaching was becoming because of the sacrifices he was willing to make. Maybe it meant not going back to Toronto for a typical weekend visit because he had matches or training. Loney simply didn’t want to miss anything team related.

That really hasn’t changed as he gained even more experience both as an assistant coach under Mackie and in his time on the sidelines with Ottawa Atlético of the Canadian Premier League. As a nationally certified coach, Loney is both demanding and fun-loving, a balance that obviously works. The Ravens have thrived under his guidance, especially on the national stage. A year after securing the bronze medal at the 2018 U SPORTS championships, Carleton won the third OUA banner in school history. And they fell just short of a national championship in 2021 with the silver medal on home turf at the Keith Harris Stadium. Loney’s leadership earned him OUA East Coach of the Year honours for three consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2019.

“As coaches, we’re all motivated by the wins and losses,” he says. “But the ultimate thing is going back to what the sport gave me as a player – the connections, the relationships, and the family mentality. I try to bring those values as a coach right now. The concept of team is one of the most important elements that many people overlook, how the team can be a vehicle to achieve your individual goals. If you feed the team, everybody gets to eat. I always look at it from that perspective.

“I’m very big on the relationships and the personalities,” he adds, recalling those early experiences at Malvern Soccer Club. “Everybody comes from a different walk of life, a different way of living. Being able to bring people together and have success proves to the players that you can accomplish your goals.”