I was exposed to the game of soccer from a young age and throughout my playing days I was fortunate to have experiences that have created memories that will last a lifetime.

I spent my youth participating in soccer throughout the Northeast region of the country until the age of fourteen when my family moved to where I currently call home, Central Florida.

The move initially was a challenging transition to my new surroundings, but it was the game of soccer that accelerated that adaptation by introducing me to people that I am fortunate enough to still call friends up until this day.

At the age of nineteen I stepped away from the sport due to a losing interest and passion that I once had for the game. I arrived to that decision due to many reasons, reasons that could be considered personal, however shareable in efforts to guide players on their path.

As years passed and adulthood came, I was blessed with my first child in 2012 who became familiar with the sport and brought me back in to the game. It is since that moment that I was reunited with soccer and it has consumed my life daily ever since.

It has given me the opportunity to meet current and ex-professionals, legends of the game, interact with experienced colleagues, learn the game from a formative perspective and of course, the best part, working with thousands of children as I have become part of their growth in the sport over my ten years involved with player development.

Becoming a sporting director of an elite youth academy and overseeing the exposure of hundreds of children daily to the game, has given me the chance to learn the current sport culture in the community. A community that has a consistent growing demand from the athlete and their families. Navigating this culture with guidance becomes influential in making educated decisions on how to supplement their child’s development.

In summary, I am an ordinary person, the game is filled with us, nothing spectacular… but spectacular is the game! As interest in the sport increases, the beauty of what it provides can be lost inside the culture that one is exposed to in the process.

Your process will be exactly that… YOURS! It all starts with an interest for the game, a clear understanding that it is a process of ups & downs, twists & turns, along with the awareness that this game is to be enjoyed above all things. May this enjoyment accompany you throughout your process, may it give you the opportunity to make this sport part of your life for years to come and to pass on to the next generation.

x - Orlando