Carl Horton, head coach of the Mount Hamilton Youth Soccer Club, gives some pointers to nine-year-old Savaughn Jones at a recent soccer camp at Macassa Park.

If getting paid to do something you love is the definition of a dream job, then Carl Horton's dream has come true.

For the past few weeks, the native of Grimsby, England has been teaching the nuances of soccer to players and coaches at the Mount Hamilton Youth Soccer Club (MHYSC).

"I come to work every day and I say, 'I don't call it work, I'm going out there and playing soccer,'" said Mr. Horton, 26, who began his 21-month contract as MHYSC's head coach in January. He comes to the club from London FC, a soccer education company in London, Ontario, where he held the role of technical director.

Horton now oversees an organization with 3,500 players and 236 coaches. The players range in age from four to 19 and take part in house league, select and rep teams.

As a youth, Mr. Horton played soccer with the Grimsby town club and began coaching at age 16.

He's since earned an associate degree in sports science from Grimsby College and a variety of coaching credentials including a Provincial B license and an English FC certificate.

Mr. Horton came to New York City in 2001 to work for Noga Soccer, one of the largest soccer education companies in North America. In 2005, he moved to London FC. He said he agreed to come to Hamilton because it gave him the opportunity to run a soccer club from the ground up.

When he's not working in the MHYSC office at Macassa Park, Mr. Horton can be found running clinics for coaches or on the field providing instruction for players from beginner to the rep level.

"We get about 150 players each night to work with me for three hours," he said.

For the past two weeks, he's also been running a children's soccer camp at Macassa.

"The hope is that they learn the basics of the game -- how to dribble a soccer ball properly, how to pass the ball or receive the ball correctly," Mr. Horton explained.

He credits the recent European Cup tournament for boosting local interest in the sport.

"As soon as people see the game on TV, they want to get out there and kick the soccer ball and that's great for the children," he said.

For the coaches, Mr. Horton has put together a 600 page curriculum on CD. The information is a compilation of everything he has learned from his time in the U.K., the U.S. and with London FC.

"As coaches, we're always learning and I put all my ideas into one disc," said Mr. Horton, who says the MHYSC coaches have been very open to learning.

Mr. Horton can also be found at club house league, select and rep games and practices to see how players and the coaches are doing and to offer tips for improvement.

He thinks a lot of progress has been made so far this season.

"When I've been walking out to watch the games and watch coaches do their sessions with their teams, I've started to see things we've done in our coach's clinics," Mr. Horton said. "Our aim is trying to get the children touching the ball as much as possible. That's the only way we can develop our children. If they don't touch the ball, they won't develop."

Back on the field, Mr. Horton is working with a group of soccer camp participants. His teaching method is a blend of practical instruction and fun, mixed with constant encouragement.

"The big thing in our house league is having fun. If they can have fun, they'll come back next year," Mr. Horton said. "Our aim is to keep the players in the game for as long as possible so they can keep a healthy lifestyle. They're (making) friends on the soccer field and they're having fun."