Tona Is, from a cop to a coach - JORDAN 2016
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| FIFA.com |
Tona Is has left her police motorbike to one side and put on her studs again. She has swapped her pad of speeding tickets for a notebook that is lined like the stripes of a football pitch. She is no longer using her whistle to direct traffic, but rather to run training drills.
Is asked for a leave of absence from her position as a traffic officer in Oviedo, northern Spain, to take charge of her country's women's U-17 team. In the process she made footballing history – not for the first time – by becoming the first female coach of a Spanish national side.
"It was a challenge I couldn't pass up," she told FIFA.com. "Everyone gave me lots of encouragement, although when you have a family you can't rush these sorts of decisions. But it was a big opportunity to do what I'd dreamed of."
The present
Is had an earlier spell combining her work in the police force with duties as Pedro Lopez's assistant with the U-17s. However, in October last year she took the reins for herself and, having successfully guided Spain through qualifying, from 4 to 16 May she will be overseeing their attempts to defend their title at the UEFA European U-17 Women's Championship, where three places at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Jordan 2016 will be up for grabs.
"This is a very talented generation. The team were champions last year, although we mustn't forget that we've lost a number of girls who have gone up to the next age group. I've got the same defensive unit, though, which is no small thing, and they're amazing. We're really tough to score against, and I'm very well stocked in the goalkeeping department too. It's the other positions that have been affected by the changes," she explained about her new-look squad, which features eight of the players crowned European champions at Iceland 2015.
In any case, rather than focusing on retaining the crown right now, other goals are foremost in the coach's thoughts. "My first target is to reach the semi-finals, because getting there means you're in the hunt for a ticket to the World Cup. That's the score: qualifying for the World Cup is more important than defending our title. Ultimately it's a step-by-step thing."
She is braced for a battle from the get-go, with Las Rojitas opening their campaign in Group B against Germany, before going on to face Czech Republic and Italy. "The Germans will be out for revenge because we beat them 4-0 in the last EURO. But in a way it's better to be thrown in at the deep end, because there'll be no time to relax or get nervous. It's vital that we get a positive result. I have a lot of faith in the girls – they're raring to compete and to make it to the World Cup."
The past
The 49-year-old was unstinting in her praise for her squad's human qualities, her fine rapport with them coming shining through. On this note, she believes that beyond being a woman, it is her past as a footballer that allows her to connect with the players. In her words, "With just a glance you can understand what they're thinking, what's bothering them. At the end of the day, you've been in their shoes."
Is was a distinguished central defender who made 34 senior appearances for Spain, including some at the 1997 UEFA European Women's Championship, where she helped the country cap their impressive debut at the tournament with a bronze medal.
"That was my best experience as a player," she recalled. "It opens your eyes and gives you the strength to keep fighting and improving. When we were over in Sweden I thought to myself, 'This is wonderful. Please don't let it be the last time Spain qualify, because lots more girls should have the chance to experience this.'"
Nevertheless, this was not what awakened her interest in venturing into the dugout. "I had to quit football to take care of my husband while he was sick and it was only afterwards that I felt that itch. I wanted to get involved in the game again, to help it grow, to maintain my ties with it."
So it was that in 2014 she got her coaching badges, graduating from the course alongside other illustrious former internationals such as Guti, Ivan Helguera, Cesar Sanchez, Pedro Munitis and Mista.
In her current role, as well as teaching her charges tactics and strategy, she also sees it as important to include some history lessons. "I always remind them that many previous generations had to suffer and fight to enable them to enjoy what they are now. I want them to know so that they appreciate it. We should be grateful, although there's still a long way to go to keep improving things."
The future
Is's example represents another step in the right direction. "All things come in their own time," she calmly reiterated. "There are more and more options with each passing day and what you have to do is put in the effort and work hard to pursue your dream." This is the advice she gives not just to the budding stars in her dressing room, but also to the one she has back at home: her daughter Paula, who at 14 is already showing considerable promise as a keeper.
You might assume that 18 young players – the number that Is will have under her tutelage over the next couple of weeks – would be a handful to deal with, but she is adamant that she will not need to play 'bad cop' because they are a very disciplined, sensible group. Quizzed about this part of her brief, and the extra responsibility and pressure she is under as the head coach, she smiled and chose instead to light-heartedly accentuate the positives: "I had a tough time during matches as an assistant, having to just sit there, holding in my nerves and my desire to get up and bark out instructions."
It is thanks to this good-humoured attitude, coupled notably with a rigorous work ethic, that she now takes pride of place in Las Rojitas hotseat. Just like that bronze medal in 1997, this is another milestone in the history of women's football in Spain, which the likes of Is are helping to gain an ever stronger foothold.