Youth soccer coaches come from all different backgrounds. Some might be former players looking to stay connected to the game, while others are people who enjoy working with kids. But for Republic FC’s September Coaches of the Month – Eric Herrera from Natomas Futbol Academy and Chris Ore from Land Park Soccer Club – the beginning of their coaching experience came when their kids began playing.
Although he grew up playing sports, Herrera admits he got into coaching by “total accident. My kids were participating in a local sports non-profit and there was a need for assistant coaches. I thought ‘Well I’m already sitting here watching, why not take the plunge and help out.’”
For Ore, soccer wasn’t a part of his life until he moved to Sacramento for law school: “Youth soccer was not as organized as it is now back when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, and my small hometown didn’t really have soccer at all. It was pretty foreign to me until I lived in Sacramento and my daughters were old enough to play – youth soccer is something that almost every kid in Sacramento does.”
With his oldest daughter’s team, Ore got to learn from one of Land Park’s most well-known coaches – Angus Chang, Republic FC’s August Coach of the Month. “Coach Angus was such a good example of what kind of coach parents want working with their kids, so when an opportunity came up to coach my youngest daughter’s team, I wanted to be sure she and her teammates could keep playing in an environment that is fun.”
When asked about their favorite part of coaching, both Herrera and Ore agree that seeing players grow and develop – both on and off the field – is what it’s all about. “Definitely the best part is watching the kids grow and improve from week to week,” said Herrera. “My biggest goal is to give players a positive and memorable sports experience, because that can open up so many doors for them as athletes and as people.”
“I’ve been able to see kids grow their skills in soccer and in real life,” said Ore. “When you start with kids in U6, you see them just learning to kick, dribble, and shoot. And then as they grow to be young adults, soccer becomes more complex and life begins to get a little more challenging. We are often teaching life skills in addition to soccer skills. For example, how you have to trust your teammates to play their position, or how you always need to keep going and follow through on your shot in case it is blocked. Those skills are transferable to real life.”
Both Ore and Herrera shared that they are grateful and humbled to be named Coach of the Month, but wanted to make sure that their fellow coaches get just as much love. “In rec soccer, you get players of all different skill levels and personalities on the same team. Bringing all these people together to respect each other and play as a team means having to focus on aspects of teamwork and respect,” said Ore. “It’s a lot of responsibility and takes balance, which is why I’m so grateful to have my fellow coaches – Sean and Marisa – working right alongside me.”
“I now coach two teams, which means having to work with overlapping schedules at times,” explained Herrera. “I’m so thankful for my assistant coaches…there’s no way I’d be able to do any of this without their support and commitment. Thank you, Kristian, Tory, and Scott!”
