Learn My Story

 
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My Beginnings

My commitment to my advancement as a coach and professional is one that may be seen in all aspects of my life. I chose to pursue a career in education/coaching because I have great respect and appreciation for the roles that education/coaching plays in all of our lives, young and old. I am a person who is very hard working, enthusiastic, and dedicated to my profession. I am one of four boys in a family that comes from Mexico. I am a first generation Mexican-American that has learned that hard work and dedication can lead to great success. My parents came from Mexico at an early age to live the "American Dream." Through their hard work and desire to succeed in life I have learned a lot. They came to this country with limited education, without any source of income, and without knowing the language. They were dedicated individuals who made a strong effort to learn the language and become United States citizens.

 

 
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My Journey

Born in Des Plaines, IL, and growing up in Wheeling, IL, the love for fútbol (soccer) started back in 1986, when I was three years old. Both of my older brothers were involved in soccer and I couldn’t wait to start myself which forced my mother, Eloisa Rivera, to sign me up to play at Wheeling Park District. My father was my first coach and still this day is my biggest role model. I played recreationally through the park district until I was six years old when my parents decided to have me join travel soccer club Schwaben A.C. From there I played with Chicago Pegasus and was able to win two IL state championships. I played soccer competitively all the way through high school, but unfortunately wasn’t recruited out of high school to play collegiately. I will discuss this later on in a blog. My decision to attend Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, as a preferred walk-on did not go as I had wished. I was cut on the last day of tryouts and was told I was “too small to play D1.” I will also discuss this later on in a blog. I opted to transfer after one year at Marquette and attend Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, MI, a small D2 school in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) where I earned All Conference as a Freshman and led the team in points (goals/assists). It was short lived. After one season it was determined that the program would be cut and was left packing my bags after a semester and returning home. Luckily, we had played against Western Michigan University in an exhibition game and I had played extremely well. Feeling desperate and confused, I reached out to the coach from WMU, and was able to make a connection and offered a position on their team. That is when my soccer career took off like a rocket into space. I played three years at WMU, earned a full academic scholarship through the college of education called the FAME (Funding Advancement of Minorities in Education) scholarship which was a testament to my academic success. At WMU, we won a MAC Championship, I was an All Tournament selection at Creighton University tournament, received All Conference Honors, and was honored the Commissioner's Award for Academic Excellence my senior year. After WMU, I decided to move south of the border and try my talent in Mexico. Short lived, I stayed in Mexico for a year and decided to return home to try and play with the Chicago Fire. Unfortunately, at that point of my career, I started battling injuries, and it began to be a slippery slope. I luckily still had a little gas in the tank and signed on with the Chicago Storm of the MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) for two years. Later on, I opted out of the professional scene to pursue my career as a teacher and coach which is what I had always dreamed of doing.

 

 
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My Passion

I found my love for teaching and coaching at an early age of seventeen. However, it wasn’t until after my time as a high caliber player, that I was able to put this passion to work. During this time I have coached for twenty years from ages U6 all the way through U23. I have led summer soccer camps, individualized training, and redefined the teaching of the game through modern approaches. I completed my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago and am currently going into my seventh year of administration in D214 as a Division Head of Student Success, Safety, and Wellness. I stepped away from coaching club soccer in 2018 and decided to focus more on this side of soccer. Over the past twenty years I have been able to see how rewarding simple dedication and appreciation for coaching truly is. My goal is to increase the probability that all student-athletes graduate and achieve post high school plans. Ultimately, through my coaching, my hope is that they are well prepared both technically, tactically, and social-emotionally to play at that next level if that is their desire. In essence, all of my life experiences, in conjunction with my desire to help others, enables me to pursue this profession with the utmost dedication and enthusiasm.

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