About Steve Whitfield
Steve grew up on the south coast of England, playing for his local town club and dreaming of one day stepping onto a Premier League pitch. After moving to Canada in 2005, he continued to play in adult leagues while balancing life, work, and family. A torn ACL changed everything — shifting his focus from playing to coaching. That moment sparked a new passion for writing inspirational sports books for boys and girls who love the game.
He guided a women’s team from Division 4 to Division 1 over four seasons, and later began coaching his own kids from U5 all the way to U15. Today, Steve calls North Vancouver home, where he coaches at North Vancouver Football Club and plays for Seymour FC.
A lifelong supporter of Southampton FC, Steve spends most weekends either watching Premier League matches, coaching his two boys, or playing soccer himself — always finding new lessons in the beautiful game.
For Steve, coaching is about more than drills or results — it’s about building character. Over the years, coaching players from U5 to U15, he’s focused on teamwork, humility, resilience, creativity, respect, self-confidence, and belief.
“Winning matters, but growth matters more,” he often says. Every player develops at a different pace, both physically and mentally, and the role of a coach is to nurture that journey.
He draws inspiration from Arsène Wenger’s belief that “Young players need freedom of expression to develop as creative players. They should be encouraged to try skills without fear of failure.” and Magic Johnson’s reminder that “All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and somebody who believes in them.”
To Steve, soccer is a classroom for life — where lessons in confidence, empathy, and teamwork stay with players long after the final whistle.
The idea for Oakridge FC: The Road to the Final came from a simple truth — growing up, there were no football books that truly captured the game Steve loved. He wanted stories that reflected every position on the pitch, not just the star striker. Books that blended tactics, teamwork, and emotion — showing how players learn, struggle, and grow together.
Each story draws from his own experiences as a player, coach, and fan, and from the journeys of real professional players he’s studied. Steve writes to inspire readers, but also to connect them — kids with their teammates, and children with their parents. Each book includes two football idols, one modern and one from decades past, encouraging families to share stories about the heroes of their own era.
Through the ups and downs of tournament football, the series offers lessons about friendship, kindness, morale, and resilience — along with a few practical coaching tips for young players to apply on the field.