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Coach Jason Russell
Coach Jason comes to us from sunny Jamaica and a life of Soccer experience. He’s been a Soccer Coach for several years and holds a Bachelors Degree of Science in Physical Education/Sports Communication. Jason is also a Dad and has spent several years in the fitness field as a personal trainer, youth Track and Field Coach, and physical education teacher. He is also an accomplished runner in both cross country and relay races. Jason is skillful with kids as young as 18 months up to age 18! He trains teams for travel soccer as well! Jason has been working with PSK for over 4 years.
His passion and excitement for the game of Soccer is contagious, and his creative style makes learning Soccer super easy and FUN! Coach Jason has such a natural gift with kids, he knows how to hold their attention and keep things FUN with his high energy for each and every class. It's easy to see how much he cares. Kids love him and we do too!
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Coach Shelia Lopez
Coach Shelia loves working with the youngest kids in our program and has plenty of experience from her work at Temple Emanu-El Nursery School in Long Beach and also being a Mom to three children. A life-long resident of Long Beach, Shelia played Soccer in middle school and at Long Beach High School. She has been a PSK Coach for over four years, working closely with Coach Tom. She has the amazing gift of patience combined with high energy to keep the little ones entertained while learning Soccer! Her kindness clearly shines though to each child she works with. Shelia is also bilingual, speaking English and Spanish.
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Coach Dan Pospisil
Coach Dan grew up on Long Island and has played Soccer since age 5. He currently plays in the LISFL (Long Island Soccer Football League) as goal keeper. A Father of two, Dan knows how to communicate with and encourage kids. He has tons of energy and loves coaching Soccer!
Dan has been working with us for over 4 years and has created tons of interesting drills for the kids, making soccer simple and fun for everyone. He's very good at holding kids attention and we think he's pretty funny too. He's always coming up with new creative techniques to teach the beautiful game and kids love his action-packed classes! He puts a lot of thought and planning into each class, showing his passion and excitement for soccer! Dan also coaches older travel teams and the older kids really look up to him as both a player and coach.
Coach Noe Canales
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Coach Noe is in the process of obtaining a Master of Science in Early Childhood Special Education and holds a Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology from Stony Brook University. He also attended The College of Executive Coaching, in Pismo Beach California and holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) D License.
Coach Noe played for Stony Brook University's Men Soccer team SEAWOLVES (Division I NCAA-American East Conference), was All-Queens Soccer Team -Member, received numerous awards for soccer (Athletic Director's Award) as well as education as was team Captain and MVP in High School. He was an Olympic Development Program (ODP) Member and Captain of the Cross Island Blades Soccer Club, and played for several other organized and prestigious tournaments including the Nike International Premier Cup. He has been a soccer coach for several years, is fluent in English and Spanish, coordinates a city wide Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) Program, was awarded Los Niños Services, Inc. Most Valuable Employee (2009) for company’s core values of Respect | Team Work | Quality | Continual Self-Improvement and serves as Advisory Board Member for Healthy Families at Morris Heights Health Center.
Coach Noe is fantastic with kids of all ages and skill levels. He is positive, an excellent role model for kids and a talented soccer player and creative coach. We are so excited to have him as a PSK Coach!
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Coach DJ Meijer
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Coach DJ is originally from Sarasota, Florida where he played for the Riverview men’s team. He comes to Long Island by way of Nashville where he played in multiple Nashville City leagues. DJ’s family is originally from Holland, so of course, he is a big fan of Ornaje, the Netherlands National team.
DJ has been on several mission trips to Haiti where he had the opportunity to organize soccer games and play with the Haitian orphans while also helping to rebuild their communities. He is fluent in Dutch and enjoys working with children of all ages on developing and honing their soccer skills!
DJ is warm and energetic. He is a natural at teaching children's soccer and kids really love him as a Coach! He recently got married so a big congratulations to DJ! We are excited that he will be a first time DAD very soon!
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Coach Jason Rawcliffe
Coach Jason is a native of Massachusetts , but has been living on Long Island with his wife and two little girls since 2001. He has spent the last fifteen years working with people with developmental delays, particularly adults and children diagnosed with aspergers and autism. Jason attended Massachusetts College of Art, and plans on continuing his education to get a Masters Degree in Psychology.
Jason has played soccer since age 6, taught by his soccer-crazed Portugese and Brazillian neighbors. He loves the game and has great passion for planning new, creative, and exciting ways for the littlest of learners. He has lots of experience, taking care of his 3 year old and 1 year old throughout the day. In his free time, Jason enjoys making art work and finding ways to keep his little girls tired out!
Jason demonstrates endless energy in his class, is warm, funny and kids warm up to him almost instantly! It is a joy to see someone like Coach Jason enjoying himself and having as much fun as the kids in his class!
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Coach Rob Simpson
Coach Rob loves coaching soccer, and for him it's a blast!
He started playing soccer at the age of 4 and grew up in Suffolk where he played for Sachem travel teams and LIJSL Select team. Rob moved to Bethpage in 11th grade and playing on his High School team. He went on to play for Suny Farmingdale as a collegite athlete.
Rob says that his Dad was very important to his passion for soccer as he was growing up. His Dad coached him and they "lived and breathed soccer"during his childhood. For Rob, coaching the kids brings back that same childhood excitement for soccer. Rob says, "Nothing beats watching a child wake up a cone with his or her foot, or score a goal. My classes are fun and exciting. Getting the parents involved is a must. Hey they may learn a thing or two!!! My sister just had a baby, so I am a proud uncle and cannot wait to teach him all I have learned. Making the kids laugh is my number one goal. If they are happy and into the classes they will be learning without knowing they are learning." We could not agree more! In our opinion Rob is super kind, good-natured, easily relates to kids and most kids think he is an awesome Coach.
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Coach Everton Barrett
Coach Everton, aka "Shangull" is from the beautiful island of Jamaica and is a former national and premiere league player known for his speed, tricking moves, and scoring abilities. He began playing soccer at age two, kicking everything he came into contact with. He has won many championships, trophys and awards as top goal scorer and MVP on many occasions. Everton founded Farkland United in Jamaica, where he was player/coach and was top goal scorer 2000 to 2001.
Coach Everton holds a Jamaica level one coaching license, NSCAA regional diploma, NSCAA advanced diploma, and NSCAA national youth diploma. Since moving to the USA, he has coached kids as young as 18 months, as well as worked with children in after-school programs. He is the father of SIX, and a new daddy to TWINS! Whoa baby! He loves to work with kids and his goal is to put a big smile on every face in his class. He has an amazing way with kids, captivating their attention and packing in loads of fun with interesting drills in each class combined with good humor and silliness...smiles all around!
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Coach Kevin Corcoran-Doolin Coach Kevin (or coach funny voice, as his East Rockaway Jewish Center kids call him) comes from England, moved here 7 years ago and has been a Soccer fan all his life. He played for his high school team, is a fully qualified fitness instructor receiving his RSA/YMCA Exercise to music certificate in 1993.
Coach Kev has taught all levels and all types of fitness classes for kids. He also coached Primary School Soccer team in Kent in England & ran an indoor 5 a side Soccer league for 7 years. He recently received his Long Island Soccer League Class 'C' Coaching license.
Kevin is married to Lauren and they live in Bellmore with their wonderful 6 year old son Finnegan ("Finn"). Coach Kevin is also a DJ and does mostly children's parties & block parties and is very interactive with the kids with music & games. He loves working with children and has a fantastic sense of humor. Kids say his classes are so much fun. His goal is for the kids that come to his classes have a smile, have fun, learn and leave with the same smile. |
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Coach Kevin Tang
Coach Kevin came from China to NYC when he was 9 yrs old. He started playing soccer at the age of 13, mostly as a goalkeeper. He graduated from Queensborough Community College with an Associates in Liberal Arts, and is currently pursuing a degree in Communications from the School of Professional Studies
Coach Kevin feels that teaching kids is a very rewarding activity, He says the reason for this is "because they have an unlimited amount of creativity, and never cease to amaze me. Kids at this age group are also like a sponge; they can absorb what we teach them very quickly, so it is very very important that we instill in them the fun, the challenge, the discipline, and the excitement of soccer, and be as creative in our drills and games as they are."
Coach Kevin has an easy-going-young-at- heart nature that kids love. He is patient, funny and a natural toddler and youth soccer coach with a heart of gold.
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Coach Erik Uellendahl
Coach Erik holds a BS Degree in Physical Education from Hofstra University, where he is currently pursing the Master's of Health Education Degree. He played on the varsity soccer squad for 4 years, as well as throughout his high school years, being named an All-County Player. He has coached Manhassett High School Soccer for the past 8 years, as well as coaching for several years in the WSA NY Power traning camps. Erik has beeen coaching with PSK for over 3 years.
Erik has played soccer since age 4 and loves working with kids. He is a teacher and works with autistic children. He deeply cares about all kids, and works very hard to make his classes a great learning experience and lots of fun for all the kids! We are so proud to have him on board as a PSK Coach!
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Coach Uma Karkala
Everybody loves Coach UMA! She has been with PSK since the beginning, and she launched our program in her hometown neighborhood of Inwood Hill, Manhattan. Uma has over 10 years experience coaching Soccer to children age 2-10 and kids really enjoy her classes. She has a natural way with kids and her classes flow easily from one drill to the next. She is excellent with kids of all ages and skill levels, making each child feel important. Uma is also a fantastic jazz musician, receiving her Bachelors Degree in Music from the New School University, performing locally and also teaching children’s music classes.
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Coach Jessica Mendoza
Coach Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science, Heath Education Degree and is currently pursuing her Master's Degree of Science and Education at Adelphi University. She has worked with troubled teens for several years, as well being as a teacher for K-12. She is fluent in Spanish and English, and has worked for outreach programs and special needs programs.
She was voted MVP, All Conference Athlete, and wall of Fame Award while playing varsity soccer at Freeport High School. Jessica was a travel coach for two years and currently plays for Long Island Merrick Heat. She is caring and perceptive of kids needs and has a bubbly personality that kids love.
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Coach Paul Ordonez
Coach Paul Ordonez, a very caring coach, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. His family is Colombian and he speaks both English and Spanish. Paul graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU with a bachelor of science in Business and Technology Management concentration in finance. He has been playing soccer since age 6 and was captain of his high school soccer team, playing right wing. In addition to playing soccer, Paul has coached kids for 4 years, ranging in age from 2 to 10. He is also a math tutor, teaching basic elementary all the way to calculus. Paul says that teaching someone, especially children, is the most rewarding job he can possibly have and he finds great reward in working with kids and being a positive role model to them. He puts a lot of thought and creativity into the drills he runs, making his classes challenging and fun at the same time for every age group!
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Coach Savas Savvides
Coach Savas' family is from the Mediterrean Island of Cyprus. He is fluent in English, Greek and conversational in Spanish. He has coached in the LIJSL and is also a licensed referee with the Long Island Soccer Referee Association. Savas holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. John's University. He has played soccer his entire life. Savas is currnenly coaching New Hyde park boys u15 team.
Coach Savas has a warm, good-natured disposition and loves working with kids. Has been with PSK since 2009 and is heavily invloved in our after school programs.
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Coach Pius Amoh
Coach Pius was born in Ghana, West Africa and is fluent in English and Twi/Akan. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and is pursuing his Masters Degree. Pius enjoys working with kids, playing and coaching soccer, cooking, reading and music.
Growing up in Ghana, soccer was all he knew. All of his brothers played the sport and taught him the game at a young age. Being the youngest of 5 kids, Pius always wanted a younger brother to teach the game to just like his brothers did with him. Pius says, "This is why I am so excited to work with Pro Soccer Kids and make this dream a reality. I want to use this sport as an instrument to become a vital part of the lives of these kids and this opportunity will help me do just that. For this I am very greatful and I look forward to working with them. I am so excited and I hope these kids are ready to have some fun!"
Pius is heavily involved in his sister's day care program, helping as a coach for an annual soccer tournament that his sister holds for the kids in her day care. Pius also gets plenty of practice with his two nephews whom he loves playing and teaching the sport.
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Coach Carly Schwartz
Coach Carly hails from Atlantic Beach, LI and has been teaching kids soccer for four years. An excellent player herself, Carly is goal keeper for William Smith College, which made it to the semi-finals of the 2008 NCAA tournament! She’s received numerous awards and recognition for her skills as a Soccer Player.
Carly’s college focus is Psychology/Elementary Education. She is super-energetic and relates to children easily.
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Coach Kristan Franzese
Coach Kristan has played soccer for over 16 years, including North Carolina’s Women’s Soccer Team and in the LIJSL. She holds a Master’s Degree of Science in Childhood Education and currently teaches third grade at a Catholic School in North Merrick. Kristan has a heart of gold and it’s easy to see that she loves working with children.
Her bubbly energy and great sense of humor makes her class enjoyable for everyone! Currently, Coach Kristan is on leave...congrats on the arrival of your new baby girl, Angelina!
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Coach Yann Agert
Coach Yann is from France and holds a BA in English from University of Toulouse. He has worked with students for the past several years, fluent in English, French and basic Spanish and Italian. Playing the position of defender for various club teams, Yann has also coached Soccer in Australia, Ireland and the US. He brings Soccer skills from around the world to his classes and carefully plans each class to ensure every child has a great experience! Thoughtful and caring, Yann works very hard to teach a great class!
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Joel Alligood
Coach Joel, a life long Huntington resident, played 3 years high school soccer, 2 years collegiate soccer (Southampton College) and he played professionally in the MISL in 1986 as Goaltender. He has been coaching youth and pre-k sports for 20 years, creating drills, programs and curriculum for several toddler and youth coaching companies.
Coach Joel is a Father of 2 (son, 10 and daughter 15) and earned Little League Softball Father of the Year in 2004. He is also an accomplished singer/songwriter (USA Network, Nashville Star 2003 Northeast Regional Runner Up, 2006 Television Alternate) and holds 37 years of Martial Arts experience and runs a program entitled T.I.L.T that teaches Teamwork, Inspiration, Leadership and Trust.
After retiring as a PSK Head Coach, Joel is now our Director of Coaching and also oversees our office in Rockville Centre. We are very lucky to have Coach Joel in our program!
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Deborah
Deborah is co-owner and runs Pro Soccer Kids with hubby Coach Tom. She is Kai and Kanoe's Mom, and administrative person for Pro Soccer Kids. She is happy to help with website issues, registration for class, questions about classes, scheduling class make-ups, birthday parties, private training, charity events, and parent feedback. She stays up late worrying about class details so you don’t have to!
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