We have been a proud partner of the Los Angeles Soccer Academy since 2011 and wanted to share a few exciting new clinics that they are offering. These highly specialized clinics are for 8-12 year old kids.
(Guest post from Alvarez Ricardez, Club President, Los Angeles Soccer Academy)
This is open to all members and non-members of LASA, so bring a few friends out, no RSVP required!
We’ve added a few more clinics to our schedule (including an all girls program) to give you several options for Elite Feet, Striking/Finishing and Goalkeeping options. Please check out our new days and times here:
Elite Feet
This is a challenging skills clinic for players of all ages and is open to both members and non-members of LASA. No RSVP is needed, just come on out ready to work hard and have fun! The fee for this clinic is $10, please bring cash and pay the coach before the clinic begins.
Schedule:
Boys Ages 8-12: Tuesdays 4:30-5:30pm with coach Alex
Girls Ages 8-12: Fridays 4:30-5:30pm with coach Jesse
Clinics are held at Cheviot Hills park. Coaches will focus on the following technical areas of development:
Ball-Control (fakes, feints, moves)
Dribbling (change of pace and direction)
1v1 (creativity, confidence, composure)
Striking/Finishing
This is a challenging striking and finishing clinic for players of all ages and is open to both members and non-members of LASA. No RSVP is needed, just come on out ready to work hard and have fun! The fee for this clinic is $10, please bring cash and pay the coach before the session begins.
Schedule:
Co-ed Ages 8-12: Fridays 5:30-6:30pm with coach Michael
Clinics are held at Cheviot Hills park. The finer technical points of striking and finishing the ball will be emphasized. An excellent clinic for forwards and midfielders.
Striking and Finishing (finesse, accuracy, approach)
Goalkeeping
This is a challenging goalkeeping clinic for players between 8-12 years old, and is open to both members and non-members of LASA. No RSVP is needed, just come on out ready to work hard and have fun! The fee for this clinic is $10, please bring cash and pay the coach before the session begins.
Schedule:
1st and 3rd Friday of every month 4:30-5:30pm: Open to all LASA and non-LASA players $10.
2nd and 4th Friday of every month 4:30-5:30pm: Registered LASA club goal keepers only (FREE).
Clinics are held at Cheviot Hills park with coach James. The finer technical points of goalkeeping will be emphasized.
How to correctly use your feet, body and hands
Approaching every attacking situation, from 1v1 to set pieces
Diving and saves from every angle
Ball Distribution
We are very pleased and excited to welcome Jonathan Karacozoff to the Soccer Shots Los Angeles team.
Jonathan is a recent transplant to Southern California and currently lives in Marina del Rey. He grew up in Sacramento, and began playing soccer at the ripe old age of five. After high school he attended UC Berkeley where he majored in political science and minored in education. Growing up Jonathan played every sport, but soccer quickly became one of his favorite sports. While in high school he became actively involved in rugby, and translated his soccer skills over to the rugby pitch (rugby was a spin off from soccer). He still has a passion for both sports, and is excited to see them grow in the United States of America.
Growing up in a house with a physical education teacher as a mother led him to have a life long passion for teaching.
While at Berkeley he had the opportunity to work with the Sage Project, which is a non-profit charity that mentors young children in the bay area.
Having had such a positive experience through the Sage Project, Jonathan is proud to continue teaching the youth of America through Soccer Shots.
In addition to Soccer Shots you can find him working for the company KozFit, which is an enterprise he founded with his brother. In his spare time he can be found playing sevens rugby, soccer, working out, pursuing higher knowledge, and hanging out with family and friends.
We are very pleased and excited to welcome Lindsey Munce to the Soccer Shots Los Angeles team.
Lindsey grew up within a household surrounded by sports and fell in love with the game of soccer when she was 8 years old. Whether playing alongside her father, winning trophies with her team or simply trying to keep up with her older brother she knew at a young age that soccer would always be a part of her life.
While attending the University of Oregon, Lindsey participated and helped lead a summer program for kids on military bases around the world. This program ignited a passion for not only working with children but culture and travel as well. Since then, she has lived and/or studied in Italy, England and most recently Ireland of which she retains dual citizenship.
In the summer of 2009, she left her home and event management career behind for Belfast, Northern Ireland. There she volunteered for Habitat for Humanity for 3 months and joined them to film their 15th anniversary project in Romania in which 250 volunteers built 10 homes in just 5 days. From this life changing experience, she produced an award-winning documentary that appeared in film festivals around the world as well as a promotional film that has globally increased volunteerism in a number of Habitat for Humanity affiliates.
In Soccer Shots, Lindsey has found the perfect combination of a love of kids and passion for organizations that strive everyday to make a difference and is thrilled to be a part of the team!
Soccer Shots is proud to partner with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and its Soccer For Success program, an after-school program that aims to fight childhood obesity and provide positive social benefits. Check out this video from a Soccer For Success event in Los Angeles last month, which two Soccer Shots Co-Founders (Jason Webb and Justin Bredeman) were able to attend.
“It’s about building the whole child. Soccer is just the hook.”
-Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition
(Guest post from Coach Alia at Soccer Shots Los Angeles)
Encouragement is the gift that every child should receive. Although this statement seems obvious, encouragement really does make a difference in a child’s life.
I was coaching at Life House Preschool and about two sessions into the program a new child enrolled in my class and I was absolutely thrilled! The kid who was new to the class seemed apprehensive about playing soccer however he came along and attempted to play in all the games. About midway into the session I noticed that he was crying and I went over to him to see what was wrong. He informed me that he was sad because he did not think his mom would pick him up after lunch. I informed him that he had nothing to worry about because he would see his mom soon.
During this situation I saw more than the need for his mother, I also saw a kid who was easily upset and scared. I could easily relate to this child because when I was younger I was very much like him. I was very shy and was often afraid to talk to other people so I was quiet and kept to myself. What really helped me when I was younger was to have somebody encourage me and let me know I was doing a good job in whatever I was doing.
I knew that this child needed encouragement.
What made the situation even more perfect was the fact that the word of the week was encouragement! During the session I explained what encouragement was and had all the kids cheer for one another throughout the session. At the end of the session I also had everyone clap for this kid to show him that he did an amazing job that day at soccer.
During the following week to my surprise this kid did not cry at all!
Instead he was laughing and having a great time throughout the whole class.
I was very excited about this because I know that the other kid’s encouraging words made a difference in this child’s life. It doesn’t take much to encourage a child but it can make an enormous impact on their life in a positive manner. Each and every day, no matter how small it is, encourage a child. It may seem trivial however it can make giant impact in a child’s life.
On November 2, 2011, Soccer Shots and its nonprofit arm, Global Goals, got to officially convert their fundraising efforts to real, live, positive impact. Soccer Shots franchisees nationwide raised money through Global Goals over the past year in order to install a SportCourt – a multi-use athletic court – on the asphalt grounds of Avon Avenue Elementary School in Newark, NJ (see Jason Webb’s recent post with more information on the installation and the impact it will have on the school and community).
Check out our video HERE of Jason Webb, Soccer Shots Partner and Co-Founder, speaking to Dominique Lee, Founder & Executive Director of Avon Avenue Elementary School, about the exciting news!
(Guest post from Nicole Cody, Owner, Soccer Shots of Greater St. Charles)
Our oldest son, Micah, has played team sports since he was 4 (he is almost 8 now). He started with soccer, and added basketball about a year ago. Over the last four years, I have spent many (many) hours as the model soccer mom, on the sidelines cheering him on…
“Micah, please pay attention to the game and stop hanging like Spiderman in the net.”
“Son, you should apologize to him for that slide tackle.”
“Honey, it’s OK to pass the ball to your teammate once in awhile.”
“You. Are. On. The. SAME. TEAM!!!!!!!”
“Goooooooooaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll!” (which, one week, was quickly followed by “is it really necessary to celebrate your goal by pretending to make a snow angel in the middle of the field????”)
This past weekend, he played in his first basketball game of the season, and my view from the sideline allowed me to see – and appreciate – the difference that a really, really, really good coach can make.
Micah was placed on a recreational co-ed basketball team with Coach Julio. I’ve seen a lot of coaches over the last four years, but I have not experienced a coach like Coach Julio. I knew he was special at the first practice, when he said, “I’m going to be loud, but you’ll hear me being loud to encourage and teach the kids.” True story – he is loud but encouraging… Maybe one of the most encouraging coaches I’ve ever seen. He has been able to connect with my son in a way that not many other coaches have before… he is a very patient teacher with a rowdy group of second-grade boys. During this game, I found myself paying more attention to how consumed he was at making sure the boys were having fun and learning. The ref called everything – traveling, double dribble, you name it – and I’m pretty sure there were four baskets scored during the entire (hour-long) game. No one kept score (that I could tell), not even the coach or the players, and for my ultra-competitive little guy, that was a miracle in and of itself. And even though the whistle kept blowing, Coach Julio never lost his patience and never stopped encouraging the boys. He clapped, he cheered, and he gave high fives like they were going out of style.
He consistently and repeatedly communicated with my son in a way that he could understand and connect with. He was constantly getting to Micah’s level – making eye contact and showing that he was engaged and in it with them.
He knew all their names… even after only a couple hours with them. And then, today, when I checked my email, Coach Julio had taken headshots of each of the boys and made a poster with their picture and name so that they could all learn and remember their teammates’ names.
Did I mention that Coach Julio is a volunteer coach?
As a Soccer Shots owner, this experience struck me because at Soccer Shots, coaches are really important.
We look for people who will not only be dependable and patient, but will (more importantly) be encouraging with the children who play with us. We look for coaches who are able to make Soccer Shots the best 30 minutes of a child’s week. We hire coaches who believe that it’s more than just soccer – coaches who truly believe that they have the ability to leave a lasting impact on the youth that we serve through the game of soccer. We hire coaches who not only understand that this is the foundation of our program, but who also take their responsibilities as a role model to tiny, amazing little people very seriously.
To be honest, it’s not easy to find these types of coaches. It’s tempting to “settle” when faced with a very full schedule, a fast-approaching season, and a shortage of talented instructors.
As a parent, it is this kind of experience that I imagined for my child when I signed him up for sports in the first place. And it’s the kind of experience that only a really, really, really good coach can provide. Maybe he’ll stick with basketball… or soccer… or maybe he won’t. But either way, I guarantee that he will remember Coach Julio and think of him with a smile.
I wanted to share this review that we received via Yelp from a parent in Echo Park. Thank you again for so beautifully putting into words your experience with our program. It truly makes me happy to know that our program has this affect on families in the community.
Review from Michelle M. in Echo Park:
My mantra as a mom is to expose my son (now 3) to everything life has to offer – from museums, a variety of music, different people and languages, etc.
It’s about encouraging a well rounded and secure relationship to the world around him, and ultimately, to empower him to chose what he enjoys in life.
So as he turned 3, I felt the next logical step was to enroll him in team sports… what better way to learn about working with others, burn off toddler energy and enjoy the outdoors? My ideal was soccer, but there were no options in my area (Echo Park). That’s when I came across Soccer Shots.
They were pretty much the only soccer group that focused specifically on the 3-5 year old set… but even they hadn’t yet spread to the East Side. I contacted them anyway and long story short – they decided to donate a community outreach grant to my son’s preschool (10 sessions for the fall season!!!). I was shocked and thrilled … what a great way to build community!!
My son and his school mates have been going to soccer weekly now for about 5 weeks. He’s more agile and is learning to direct his energies. He’s starting to grasp the idea of team (a hard one for a 3 year old) and likes to talk about his scrimmages and how he and his buddies worked together.
He looks forward to every Tuesday AM (the weekly session) and I look forward to his evening breakdown of the day as it inevitably features something new Coach David has taught them (dribbling, balancing, passing) the thrill of a goal he’s scored, or praise for a buddy who did the same.
Soccer Shots is one part of the overall balance we seek for our son. In a city with such a strong focus on the individual, Soccer Shots provides an early lesson on the importance of working together, self-discipline and the fun that comes from physical activity.
We can’t thank Soccer Shots enough for all their efforts and support – all the parents are thrilled. And while we were fortunate enough to be awarded the community grant, the overall costs are well worth it.
We’ll definitely be signing up next season. Yay for soccer shots coming to the East Side!!
Soccer Shots is a leader in youth soccer development for children ages 3-5 & 6-8.
Offered at preschools, daycare centers, and parks, our nationally recognized non-competitive skills program offers a high energy, fun, age-appropriate introduction to the wonderful game of soccer.
Soccer Shots is owned and directed by Rian Heim and his wife Alyssa. Their passion for soccer and working with youth was their motivation for bringing Soccer Shots to Los Angeles. 2011 marks the fourth year that Rian and Alyssa have been running Soccer Shots here in Los Angeles. Together they make every effort to deliver a solid program that children, parents, and schools will benefit from and enjoy. They currently live in Playa Del Rey with their one year old son Charlie and dog Buddy.
Soccer Shots Los Angeles Blog
