Renee Hector: Transition time at Watford

Promotion to WSL2 means a busy summer for FA Women’s National League Southern Premier champions Watford and their head coach Renee Hector.

 

It’s not just a case of the usual pre-season prep, but also of getting ready to be a full-time professional outfit.

 

“We’re going through a huge transition,” says Renee. “It’ll be the first time in our history that we’ve been a full-time team. With that comes a lot of logistical stuff, which I try to support as much as I can.”

 

She has spent most of her summer working on recruitment, bringing in new players while supporting those who are staying on with the adjustment to training full-time.

 

“A full-time outfit is going to be more attractive [to players] than maybe a part-time outfit, unless you’re at that stage in your career where you’ve got another career on the side of football and part-time suits you,” she says.

 

“It’ll be the first time that we’re coaching in a full-time environment as well, so it’s a big change and transition for us, but absolutely one that’s needed and I think one that will support and help us stay in the league and compete and finish as high up the table as we possibly can.”

 

Watford wrapped up the league title with games to spare, meaning that before the time came to focus on the transition, Renee, her staff and her players had chance to celebrate their achievement – and really comprehend the significance of what they had done.

 

“That was really nice, to appreciate those moments and spend that quality time with players and staff and really look back at what we’ve achieved. 

 

“It’s been amazing, really nice to be able to reflect and enjoy because I think sometimes in football you can always be thinking about what’s ahead and what’s next, so it was nice to just enjoy the moment. 

 

“It was nice to allow it to sink in over the period of the month, if you like – and it was really nice to lift the trophy at Vicarage Road with our fans.”

 

 

_{Renee was named FA Women’s National League Premier Division Manager of the Season. Pictured with one of her Manager of the Month awards}

‘I always had a mind of my own’

Renee took over as head coach two years ago, and feels that promotion is a reward for the hard work that has been put in since then – but also in the years before that. She retired as a player at the age of 26, but had already started her coaching career long before that in after-school clubs and youth set-ups.

 

“I knew probably from the age of about 18 that once I stopped playing that I’d want to get into coaching and specifically sort of being a manager or a head coach because I believe that I always had good leadership qualities, always had a mind of my own - even as a child. 

 

“When I was younger, I didn’t really go with the crowd; I was very focused on myself and what I wanted to do in life and what I wanted to achieve. I wasn’t much of a follower, so I felt naturally loving football that was always going to be the next step for me. 

 

“I didn’t expect that I would retire at 26 and start getting into [coaching] at that age in terms of my UEFA B and my UEFA A, and it sounds cliche, but I firmly believe that things happen for a reason, and I obviously wouldn’t be where I am now without going through those difficult moments.”

 

She adds: “I loved all aspects of football. As soon as I stopped playing, for me, it was a bit of a no-brainer and obviously a way to stay in football because, I’ll be honest, I don’t really know who I am without football. I don’t know who I would be without football. I’m really grateful to the to the club for supporting me in terms of my badges, which allowed me to not only stay connected to the club, but also progress in the next part of my career. 

 

“[Coaching] was a way for me to stay connected to the game, but it’s a different kind of commitment, different kind of lifestyle, different kind of pressures in different ways, and I felt like I was more ready for that.”

 

 

‘I had a bit of growing up to do’

As a Watford girl who progressed through the youth ranks at the club before moving on to Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic, she says that she has her dream job, but that the last two years have meant she has had to learn a lot very quickly. One of her biggest challenges has been adjusting to being in a position of authority over players who were once her team-mates and, age-wise, are her peers.

 

“When I first started [as head coach], I almost was trying to gain too much respect by not being totally authentic,” she says. “Whether it’s staff, players, whatever, I think that they respond better to me when I’m just myself.”

 

And part of being herself is creating positive relationships with everyone she is working with.

 

“I believe in players feeling comfortable and knowing that I care about them and about their journey, about them improving as players, but about them as people first and foremost. I believe that gets the best out of players. I think if you don’t have a connection with them, then it makes it quite difficult for them to really play for you.”

 

She has also worked on keeping her temper, acknowledging: “As a player, you can have your outbursts on the pitch and no one thinks anything of it because that’s just football. For me, I had a bit of growing up to do in terms of that and being able to manage my frustration better, which I think I massively improved on this year, which in turn then helped the team remain calm when maybe things were going against us in moments. If I’m not frantic, then the team aren’t frantic.”

 

 

‘Everybody wanted to beat Watford’

An outside observer might expect a team who lost only three league games all season to have had few “frantic” moments – but Watford had some struggles, notably a run in the autumn where they lost three games on the bounce, including a Women’s FA Cup defeat to Charlton. It helped them cope with the pressure as they moved towards the end of the season and promotion was within touching distance.

 

“We used the language all season about it being one game at a time and whether we won or lost the previous game, that doesn’t define what’s going to happen in the game that’s coming,” she says. “I felt that in that league we had a massive target on our backs in terms of everybody wanted to beat Watford. It wasn’t easy. 

 

“The second half of the season we were saying, ‘Right, every single game’s a cup final’, and once we’d get through one, we’d be like, ‘Great, that’s one cup final down, right, on to the next one.’ It allowed us not to get too high when we won. We had to enjoy it, but [it was] really important that we stayed humble, stayed grounded, because there was still a lot of work to do and a couple of really good teams that were pushing us all the way. 

“But as well, [it was] really important that in that period where we lost, that we [didn’t] get too low and we were able to learn, reflect and bounce back and go again.”

 

 

_{Renee with head of women’s football at Watford, Helen Ward}

‘The calm with my storm’

Keeping the right mindset is crucial for Renee. In her first season as a head coach, she says found it difficult to move on from a poor result. This year, she has taken time to do something for herself – most frequently heading to the golf course.

 

“It’s a way for me to channel my energy elsewhere into a different sport that helps me still be competitive with myself, which is important to me. I’m a very competitive person. That’s where I get that fix individually - something to focus on and keep improving myself, and it helps me stay level headed and grounded in the main - when I’m not hitting it into a tree or in a lake! It’s been key for me, really important for me, that when I’ve had a difficult week, I know I can just go and do that and it just helps me refocus my mind for next week.”

 

The close-knit environment at Watford also helps Renee maintain a healthy headspace, and she mentions particular support she gets from Helen Ward, head of women’s football, and assistant head coach Carlan Edgar.

 

“I trust my assistant coaches wholeheartedly. I know I can lean heavily on them.”

 

She adds with a grin: “My assistant head coach used to coach me when I was younger! He’s an experienced coach. He’s been key for me; if I’m getting a little bit stressy, he’s able to be the calm with my storm and more relaxed in terms of the way that he is, which definitely complements me and helps me.” 

 

 

‘An opportunity to learn’

Renee admits that, like any coach, she’s occasionally had her doubts about herself – not least whether the opportunity to coach her childhood club had simply come too early for her. When the role came up, she had only been working in senior football for two years, coaching a development side.

 

“If I’d have mapped it out in my head, at the end of that year of being a head coach with the 23s, I would have loved to have joined the first team and been an assistant coach, learned underneath someone.

 

“But the opportunity came up and it was obviously one I couldn’t refuse. It was an opportunity to see what I was made of, to be honest, and to see if I could cope with the pressure of it and different demands. I do genuinely feel like because I know the standards and know what to expect as a player, that helped me with getting the job quicker than I expected, and then I just feel like I’ve grown and learned so much over the past two years of what works, what doesn’t work. 

 

“Even in these two years, I’ve got a lot wrong, but I think that’s helped me get more and more right. I think it’s really important to remember that and to stay focused on that: everything that maybe wasn’t the right decision or that you’ve questioned or doubted or maybe got wrong, it’s an opportunity to learn, and that’s just how I see it now.”