Twelve months ago Australian Hess made the move to North America and linked up with semi-professional side Darby FC, which play in the League 1 Ontario, the division below the Canadian Premier League.
The one-time South Hobart FFA Cup hero is also part of the technical staff at local junior side Whitby FC.
Hess, who played in the NPL in the ACT, Tasmania and NSW for the past decade, ended up in Canada originally to spend time with his brother and his family.
“An additional motivation was to explore the opportunity for personal development and life experience that comes with spending time in a different country and culture,” he told The World Game.
“I was also interested in what football was like in this part of the world and was curious to explore the possibilities that were available. I had previously connected with several Canadians during some time I spent in the NPL Tasmania and reached out to them when I arrived in Toronto.
“My conversations with these players lead to an introduction to a club which then resulted in a playing opportunity as well as a coaching role. The club indicated that it was committed to supporting me in my coach education and development.
“This was an unexpected but welcome development that was a significant factor in me spending the rest of the year here in Canada.”
Hess says the regional League 1 Ontario, the competition his club Darby FC competes in, is comparable to the state-based NPL system in Australia.
He admits Darby FC provide an “interesting” playing experience.
“A lot of the training and matches are played on synthetic pitches and indoors,” he explained.
“This is due to the need to provide adequate facilities for players throughout the year, especially during winter when the outside temperature is -20 degrees Celsius.
“The greatest point of difference for me has been getting familiar with training inside. The club has two domes that cover synthetic pitches and a strength and conditioning facility.
“This is where all training is conducted as well as home matches.”
Canada have only qualified for one World Cup, back in Mexico in 1986, and are currently ranked 73rd in the world by FIFA.
Les Rouges are part of CONCACAF and in January were beaten 1-0 by Iceland in a friendly.
Hess, who was born in Perth but grew up in Canberra, believes football in Canada is in a similar position to how it sits in the Australian sporting landscape.
“Football in Canada, much like Australia, faces strong competition from other sports,” the former Canberra City, South Hobart and Olympia Warriors FC player said.
“Canada has been able to produce individual players who have gone on to play at high levels of the game. There are a number of clubs here that compete in the MLS, Toronto FC is of these and has achieved success in the league.
“The standard is developing in sophistication, it seems that football here is in a stage of maturation. [But] it is difficult to make a direct comparison to Australia. “There are cultural factors that make the game quite different in both countries. The Canadian football culture is developing and as such the standard and literacy of players is maturing.
“Perhaps other sports or athletic values and traditions influence the game here in Canada in a way that they don’t in Australia.”
Hess has set his sights on a professional coaching career after joining Whitby FC.
Previously he had worked with junior players in Australia, with Morton Soccer School in Tasmania and Radford College in Canberra.
But in Canada Hess is keen to continue his coaching education and learn as much as he can.
“I am focused on progressing through the Canadian coach education pathway and developing in my role as a member of the technical coaching staff at Whitby FC,” he said.
“I am definitely interested and hold the ambition to coach at the highest level possible. Coaching in a full-time professional environment would be consistent with this goal.
“I am, however, in no rush to get to this point. My focus is on pursing the coach education pathway and developing my identity as a coach.”
Hess is only signed to Darby FC until the end of the 2019-2020 season but has no desire to return home just yet.
“I have no specific timeframe in mind,” he admitted.
“I am happy with my situation in Canada and open to staying here as long as I am able to access opportunities to develop as a coach.”
