My first exposure to the Wichita Soccer Community was through the old MISL as an opposing player. In the early 1980’s it was always exiting to come to Wichita to play in front of a packed house at the Kansas Coliseum. Coming from a large and successful soccer community in the Pacific Northwest where we commonly played in front of 30,000 spectators with the old Seattle Sounders, I was amazed at the level of support provided by the Wichita faithful. In 1982 I became a part of the local soccer community when I was signed by the Wings. I then married a native of Wichita, and have remained a part of the greater Wichita community while raising my family over the past twenty-eight years.
Because I am a product of the youth system, I am aware of the potential of the American soccer athlete. As I developed as a player, my youth coach required that we all give back to the game in the form of coaching and refereeing. As I moved away from a professional playing career I sought opportunities to continue following my passion for the game as a coach. Following a short stint coaching professionally my family and I returned to Wichita and I took the job at Newman University. I have now participated in the Wichita youth soccer scene for over twenty-five years. I have played, coached, and refereed. I have seen the good with the bad. The School of Excellence and Top Keeper camps were designed in response to what I have experienced in the contemporary youth soccer environment. There are so many camps, clubs, and personal trainers providing options to compete and learn; yet there has been a significant drop in top-quality local players capable of competing at the collegiate level or in the Olympic Development Program (ODP). Few of our top teams compete at a consistently high level outside of the immediate mid-west region. Our soccer camps have been developed in response to these issues.
It is a goal of the School of Excellence to build long-term relationships with Wichita soccer while providing the BEST coaching available. We understand your needs as players, coaches, and parents. It is our goal to provide the proper environment to learn and succeed for everyone involved in the game, beginner or advanced. We recognize the potential in all players and seek provide the training and tools to develop it to the highest level possible. In response to the pressures of the local economy we work to keep costs low while retaining the highest quality coaching available. We promise to transfer our passion, love, knowledge, and joy for the game to all we meet. Welcome to the School of Excellence!