My objective is to guide the team to improvement in their performance. This is accomplished by:

• Cultivating a playing style that has clearly defined team tactics and individual intentions.
• Developing the players football ability to communicate within in the game, make decisions, and execute those decisions.
• Designing training exercises that elicit competent football actions therefore maximizing the transfer of learning from the training pitch to the match. This entails appropriately reducing the complexity of the game while still replicating the true demands of the game.
• Improving player ability and fitness as well as reducing the chance of injury through the utilization of methodological steps while planning training over the course of the year.  This incorporates the use of appropriate and progressive overload along with adequate recovery.
• Cultivating a culture where every belief and action are aligned towards achieving the team objective.

When there is a well planned and executed process for player development, the team will improve. Although not guaranteed, with improvement comes a greater chance for winning.  Performance though, is always valued over results.  Success as a team is measured by the increasing ability to execute our playing style against higher and higher quality of competitors.  

While my role is coaching football, the starting point is always each individual player as a person. This means that the overall intention which I contribute to as a coach is the development of young people. It is my opinion, both for myself personally and also as a parent and coach, that the life goal for anyone should be to live in a way that enhances well-being for yourself and others. Consequently, my coaching aims to contribute to the physical, psychological, social and emotional health of players as well as to the development of positive, respectful relationship within the team which enable each team member to grow towards greater levels of wellbeing.  

Along these lines, my core beliefs relating to well-being are:

• Striving.  We are meant to grow and learn.  First you have to believe that you can improve in something. Second, once you believe that, then it is your responsibility to improve.  
• We belong to a community bigger than ourselves. We rely on others and others rely on us.  In life, we must grow as a person in order to develop the best in ourselves so that we might be able to care for and offer our talents in the service of others.  

Team Cultural Guideposts are:

• Respectful, inclusive relationships - everyone has a role and is important to the team, we lean on each other when the going gets tough.
• Personal Accountability – we take proactive steps to contribute to the team and when we fall short, we take responsibility for those moments and grow from them.
• Commitment to excellence and improvement – we strive to be the best teammate and footballer we can be and understand that every day we have a choice to do something that helps us improve.  It’s a lifelong long process and there is always room to get better.
• Learning involves mistakes and risk taking.  The best environments for learning are ones that challenge us to go beyond what is comfortable.  This is sometimes frustrating in the short term, but ultimately rewarding in the long term.

 

What players and parents can expect from me:

• A safe and healthy environment to grow as a footballer.
• Open and transparent communication.
• Clear and objective coaching.
• Consistent and well-defined team and individual objectives.
• Positive, constructive feedback to guide players towards reaching their full potential. including multiple 1 on 1 meetings to discuss the player’s progress throughout the year.
• Weekly Communication on training priorities, schedule, and team information.
• Use of Video to assist in team and individual development.
• Equal opportunity to develop, earned opportunity to play.
• Practice will start and end at the designated time.  I understand there are other commitments outside of football and I will stick to schedule.

 

What is expected of the players:

• Attendance at every team function.  Have equipment on and be ready at start of practice.  Arriving early is on time, on time is late.
• 100 % focus, 100% effort at every training and match.
• Respectful and supportive relationships with teammates.
• Active role as a contributor to the team and club, not simply a consumer.
• Work on own outside practice to improve their ability.  Coach is responsible for training (developing team) and player is responsible for practice (work necessary to develop their player personality)

 

Training Environment consists of the following standards and characteristics:

• Coach is responsible for exercise design and monitors load; Players are responsible for intensity.
• Players develop other players by pushing them to be their best. Therefore players must train at 100% in order to push themselves as well as help their teammates develop.
• Every exercise is game realistic.  Which means it includes opponents, direction, and a way for both teams to score.
• Players experience a football situation and develop knowledge with assistance of the coach’s questions. Knowledge gained in this manner is more durable and adaptable.

 

Professional Development:

Just as I demand that players give their 100% to improve, I believe that the players deserve the same commitment from their coach.  Better coaches equal better players.  To that effect, here are some of courses I have completed to improve my coaching actions:

USSF B License

UEFA B License

 

Football Coach Evolution (Formerly World Football Academy)- 

            -2022-Upcoming in June – 5 day course at Real Madrid & Athletico Madrid

            -2021-2022 Yearlong Pro-Course

            -2021- 5 day online Pro-course

            -2020-2021 Yearlong Online Mentorship

            -2020-2021 Yearlong Online Pro-Course

-2019-Expert meeting 5 day course in Split, Croatia at Hajduk Split

-2019-Pro Course 5 day course in Leipzig, Germany at Redbull Leipzig 

-2018-Expert meeting 5 day course in Brugge, Belgium at Clube Brugge

-2017-Mentorship 5 day course in Amsterdam 

-2017-Expert Meeting 5 day course in Lisbon, Portugal at Benfica 

-2015-Periodization Course 3 day course in North Carolina          

 

Passion for Possession – 2 separate one day courses taught by Albert Capellas – U21 coach 

Denmark, Former Youth Coordinator of Barcelona’s academy, La Masia 

 

WSG Futsal Clinic One day course Instructed by US National team coach Keith Tozer 

 

La Liga Methodology – two 3 day courses taught by Gari Fulluando former Director of Methodology at La

 Liga, Athletico Madrid and Technical and Methodological Advisor for LaLiga as well as the 

Committee of Football Coaches of the Royal Spanish Football Federation 

-Level 3

-Level 2

 

Fiorentina Methodology - 3 day course instructed by Prof. Vincenzo Vergine, Technical Director of 

            Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina

--Basic course

 

 Muelensteen Method – 3 day clinic taught by Rene Muelensteen (Assistant Coach Manchester United 

First Team )

-Moves & Skills

 

-KNVB - Coaching Youth Soccer Seminar

 

-Loyola University Chicago – Masters in Education – Curriculum and Instruction

 

 

COACHING EXPERIENCE:

ROADRUNNERS SOCCER CLUB   Coach                                                                          2009 - present

 

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO MEN’S SOCCER    Assistant Coach                       1996 – 2003;  2010-2012

 

GLENBARD EAST HIGH SCHOOL  Head Coach, Varsity Boys’ Soccer                                                   2003

 

CHICAGO FIRE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM  Coach                                                                    2002 

                          

 

PLAYING EXPERIENCE: 

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO - 4 Year Varsity Player