Thank You 2016

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Ole Soccer

Where do you start?

It started with a vision. You attract amazing people and work very, very, very hard! You sacrifice, sacrifice more and sacrifice more. You lose games, lose more games and keep losing games. Sound like something you want to be a part of? All we gotta say is… Thank You 2016!

The Journey

We didn’t even know where we were going to be training our teams at one point this year. Fields are so scarce here in the San Fernando Valley that you are lucky to have some room, especially after daylight savings hour change comes around. Our staff kept pushing and finding ways to make it happen. Little by little, we began to see progress and learn how to manage the field situation for our teams. When you want something so bad, you find a way to make it happen!

You can make excuses, or you can find a way to make it happen. #OleSC finds a way to make it happen!

Spring League

Spring league came around and both of our 2005 teams (White & Red) decide to join the West Coast Elite Spring League. Not sure of where our teams would be coming into our the league, both Coach Franklin, as well as Coach Gary, knew this would be the perfect opportunity to really develop their teams. Guess what, they both end up in the final and Coach Gary’s B05R ends up winning the league!

Battle Scars

Our youngest team early part of 2016 played in the Glendale Soccer League in the Spring versus boys that we 1, 2, some even 3 years older than them. The season was tough, it was very tough to see our players get outplayed every game. One thing that they didn’t do, they did not give up! They battled and after each game, our coaches told them how proud we were of their effort and their style of play. Little did the players know that the league was preparing them for the rest of the year.

B09 Warriors

The B09 Warriors were made and Coach Chuy took over this team in the Spring. Winning the most tournaments and trophies for any of our club teams, Coach Chuy is the most decorated coach on staff. Chuy and his team play awesome soccer and train extremely hard every week to make sure they stay on top! What an amazing year for the B09 team. In 2017, they will be playing their first year in CSL.

B09 Champs at the LA Galaxy South Bay 2016 Tournament

B09 Wins PSL League Playing One Year Up!

Summer 2016

What does a first-year club and first-year club team do? Stay local and compete against teams in your local parks right? WRONG!! You get out there and make a name for yourself! You go out there and compete against the best clubs to really see what type of character you have as a club. As a first year club, our B07R team went to Manchester City Cup in Oceanside and made it to the final. Keep in mind, this type of tournament is a Flight 1 level tournament competing against some of the most elite players in all of Southern California. Coach Walter and the B07R team were automatically qualified for Surf Cup 2016 (Invite Only) for making the final. Surf Cup is one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of the United States with teams from all over the nation as well as teams from Mexico coming to play.

B07 Makes the Man City Cup Final in Oceanside!

Again, we want to say, Thank You 2016! Our teams are fortunate enough to have amazing coaches and great families that see the long term vision. Like attracts like, we know that. Just like misery attracts misery….quality attracts quality!

More Summer Fun

#OleSC was fortunate enough to attract Coach Edgar Martinez (B07W) & Coach David (B08). The two teams were also brand new and ready to compete. In the summer, these 2 teams decide to attend the same tournament in Thousand Oaks. This is a tournament that Real So Cal level teams attend and expect to win. Not this time around, our coaches had their boys prepared!

Sure enough, both Coach Edgar and Coach David take their teams to the finals of their age bracket and come home victorious with the trophies! The B07W team finishes their final and rushes over to watch the end of the B08 final versus Real So Cal. What an amazing feeling and fun group of families that got to experience something like that. It was one of the best things to see and little by little the club world was getting a glimpse of who #OleSC was.

Ready for CSL

After a great start to the year, 5 of our 6 teams at that time were ready to start the Coast Soccer League season. The teams that competed were B05 (2), B07 (2) & our B08 team. After the crazy mess of finding a home field, we were fortunate enough to lock in Poly High School as our home field for the 2016 season. Let’s not start on how much of a headache it was to make the switch here, from payments to explaining the move to our own parents. Let’s just say it wasn’t easy but it was necessary!

This past season was lots of fun and our coaches are extremely proud of our players and their effort they put into their first CSL season as a club. All teams showed some attractive soccer and a style that not too many focus on at the youth level. Winning is one thing, developing and playing a system is another.

2 CSL Champs Crowned

Both of our B07 teams were crowned champions of their brackets and will be moving on to Silver and Silver Elite level brackets next CSL season. It has been a pleasure to watch these teams compete and show some great skills this past year. This is only the beginning…

Thank You 2016!

This roller coaster ride of 2016 has been lots of fun. It has also been long, painful, strenuous, rewarding and much, much more. At the end of the day, it was ALL WORTH IT! #OleSC is proud of being who we are and building something the way we are doing it. Our grassroots approach has been a path not many think of taking. This is NOT the easy way to do things, but we felt the best way for our teams.

Our club is a reflection of the people that are part of it. 2016 was proof that amazing things can happen if you work hard enough and surround yourself with like-minded individuals hungry to be part of the journey. It is not always trophies and finals. It is the process of getting your parents, players, and coaches thinking that way. Thank you 2016, thank you for kicking our butt. Thank you for making us come closer and for allowing us to be the change we wish to see in this world. 2016 was fantastic and 2017 will be even better!

Happy New Year & Thank You 2016!

One Love,

Coach Walter

@OleSoccer

Olé Teams Up with Mend Poverty

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Ole Soccer

Olé Soccer Club was fortunate enough to team up with Mend Poverty (mendpoverty.org) this holiday season to make a difference in our local community. Our organization held it’s first of many, toy drive for kids less fortunate. Our goal was to bring smiles to children and give back this holiday season. We know that it can be tough for many families and we felt like it was our obligation to help.

Community Effort

When we do things as a unit, as a community, we move mountains! One person can do a lot, but when you work along with like-minded people who are determined to make a difference, sky is the limit! Olé worked with Mend Poverty to help over 3,000 children this holiday season and provide toys to them. We collected toys in a short amount of time and invited our club families, friends, and co-workers to be part of the toy drive. It was exciting to see so many great people giving and determined to put smiles on faces.

Olé Soccer Club and Mend Poverty will be teaming up more in 2017 to create more ways of giving back to our community and those less fortunate. Stay tuned for more information and be sure to follow us on social media @OleSoccer to see what is going on!

HUGE THANK YOU to our change ambassadors above: Rose Perez & Dixie Vasquez for taking the lead on this project! We are so grateful to have you both being the change we wish to see in this world!

Questions on how you can give back?

Email us: info@olesoccer.org

Thanks,
Coach Walter
@OleSoccer

Toy Drive 2016

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Ole Soccer

#OleSC is teaming up with local organizations to make dreams come true for kids in our local community! We will be having our first ever club wide toy drive to impact lives and make a difference in a child’s life.

Holidays are here and we know that not everyone can offer their kids gifts but we would like to help and donate to those less fortunate. The drive is more than just toys, it is a community effort to give back and show our players that we are more than just a soccer club…we are a community of change!

As a club, we feel like the local community is a reflection of us. The least we can do is help those in need and do so in a way that brights up a child’s life. If you would like to contribute and donate toys, please contact us directly to learn more about our drive.

Email: info@olesoccer.org

Thank you for being part of this drive and for reading. Your time is valuable to us and would like to invest in the future of the next generation!

Thanks,
Coach Walter
@OleSoccer

Club Tryouts 2016

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Ole Soccer

As CSL and SCDSL seasons end there are a number of parents looking to for a change of scenery. We have good news for families, open tryouts for #OleSC are just around the corner!

For the first time, we will be having open tryouts for those looking for a change. The tryouts will be a one-day event for specific ages. You will have the opportunity to bring your child out to compete for a position on one of our very competitive teams.

Our club encourages you to bring your child out regardless of their skill level. This is a great measuring stick to see what is out there and will be picking the players that best fit our teams. There have already been many inquiries from AYSO players, club players and local recreation level players looking to make the switch to one of our teams. #OleSC will give all players a fair shot at making a team and will be bringing certain players we see as a possible fit to train with our team(s) in the weeks that follow. The process for tryouts to make the team may take a few weeks overall.

When Are Tryouts?

The first tryout for boys born 2005-2007 will be Saturday, December 3. This will be a 3-hour training session focused on skill, passing, agility, shooting & soccer IQ. We will have multiple coaches running different sessions focusing on these key areas. The tryouts for the younger players will be held Saturday, December 10 from 9am-12p. Both tryouts will take place on the Softball field, next to the football field.

Each player is expected to be ready to have fun and at least get a great session in with some of the best coaches around the San Fernando Valley. We pride ourselves in quality sessions pushing our players to do just a little bit more each time.

Expectations

#OleSC encourages parents to practice as much as they can before the tryout to make sure they are ready for a 3-hour session. Keep in mind, there will be water breaks and rest periods in between the drills but will still be demanding for any player. Goalkeepers, please be sure to be prepared to play on the field. Our goalkeepers at our club receive lots of training on the field to develop great footwork along with excellent Goalkeeper training offered by the club.

Please be sure to bring soccer attire to the tryouts. Lots of water is needed along with a soccer ball. Size 4 for kids ages 2007 and below. Size 5 for kids born 2006 and 2005. We will also have waivers for each parent to sign before stepping on the field, please don’t just drop off your child and leave!

Join our Community

Wherever you go, we hope the decision you make for your child is the best one. We see lots of families joining ______ club for the name or possible reputation of that club which is great. But remember that the “Golden Years” of development are between ages 7-12. This is where the player learns the fundamentals and it is up to the coach to build the foundation for their soccer life from here on out. #OleSC is proud to say that we are only focused on players in their golden years and take pride in developing skilled and intelligent soccer players at a young age. Our staff has many years experience in this and are experts at developing players quickly to get to the next level.

Join the movement for better soccer in the states to compete at the world level. It starts when kids are young, so be part of a great community of change on and off the field. We look forward to seeing you all at our first tryout dates and let us know if you have any questions!

PS- Development never stops!

Thanks for reading,
Coach Walter
@OleSoccer

Fall 2016 & More

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Ole Soccer

Let’s talk about now…

Our club is currently in the second round of CSL and we have 2 remaining undefeated teams. Each team still has the opportunity to win their league and each game at the moment is crucial! With League Cup looming and more competitive games on the horizon, what does this mean for our teams?

With more competitive games and advancement, more players will be exposed to the high level of club soccer. Some of our parents and players have never played at the club level and only know what it means to battle for a trophy at the local recreation level. How can a coach prepare their team to perform at the highest level every week? It is tough but we feel like we have the staff to make some noise!

What is going to separate our teams from the rest of the clubs out there? For one, our coaching staff is hungry for competition & our players really reflect the personality of their coach. Our coaches at the moment have been working with their teams for some time now and have a certain level of expectations for them at this point in the season. We are not looking to come 3rd place! Our goal for each team is to play great soccer and advance to the next bracket next year.

Tough Decisions

If you have ever coached soccer, you would know that pleasing every parent is impossible. Hearing comments from parents like, “My son only plays striker!” Or maybe, “my daughter plays best on the right side.” Sometimes we hear, “Why hasn’t my son/daughter played more minutes this season?”

Each situation is different but these questions are heard in all clubs around the world and should be addressed by the coaches of each team. Having these conversations with parents and players is key to developing a road map to where the team is headed and what the coach is expecting from each player when he/she steps on the pitch. Our job here at Olé is to be clear on the direction of the team and to build our players to compete at the highest level possible.

What’s next

“Club soccer is NOT for everyone! Soccer is for just about everyone.”

Club soccer is evolving and our club is not looking to have just any type of player join. If you have played club soccer before in the states, do you remember what being a club player meant? If you played club soccer, WOW! Nowadays it is crazy to see that club soccer has been watered down. You may or may not agree with this, but this is what has been going on now for many years. Olé is being built on quality training to develop quality players with a quality staff. With that said, some of our current players may not be around come next season or possibly sooner. If you’re looking to be part of this movement we have been seeing these past few years, you may have your chance very soon!

Tryouts

Olé will be hosting tryout dates come early December 2016 for ALL of our club level and newly formed pre-club level teams. This will be for Girls 2009 and younger and for ALL Boys born 2005-2010. Our focus is on young teams development and NOT looking for players older than 2005.

Keep your eyes and ears open for what is to come and get ready to compete for a spot!

Winter Camp Dates

New Winter Camp will be held during the winter break at Poly. This will be the week after Christmas most likely, so please start planning on coming out! Extra training goes a long way, we have our coaching staff ready to put on an amazing camp for all of you.

New Teams

As of this moment, we are looking to form a new Boys 2006 team. We already have elite 2006 players in our club and this will NOT be a beginner Bronze level team. We will not be looking to form any new teams unless we see fit for our club. We want to stay compact and focus on few quality teams. “Quality over quantity” is out motto.

League for Young Players

NO NEW LEAGUES FOR KIDS AGES 6 & UNDER! Currently, we do not have any new leagues being formed or new teams for any players ages 6 & younger. If things change we will be sure to update everyone.

Thank you all for being subscribed and for being part of this movement. This is happening in your backyard and no longer need to drive in tons of traffic to play for a quality team. Come out and tryout with us soon, we look forward to having you.

Thanks,
Walter Merino
Co-Founder of Olé SC
(818)-731-8558

Olé Soccer Club Fan Gear

Posted on October 13, 2016October 21, 2016 by Ole Soccer

Olé Soccer Club fan gear is now available for pre-order. Support Olé by sporting our gear at games and around our community. There are many items to choose from:

Men’s Tee – $15
Women’s Tee – $15
Hoodie Sweatshirt – $25
OSC Knit Scarf – $20
Knit Beanie in Red – $15
Snapback Cap in Black – $20
5″ Vinyl Sticker – $5

Order Form (click on form to open PDF)

All orders must be placed by Sunday, October 23rd. Place your order with your Olé team manager or coach. You can also place order directly with Irene Scoseria, email her here. We will inform you of delivery of items at a later date.

Welcome to our First Club Season

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Ole Soccer

Olé Soccer Family,

As we near the start of our first ever club soccer season, I want to just say thank you to everyone who believed in us from the beginning as well as those newcomers to our club for seeing what we are building together. These are exciting times and we couldn’t have made it this far without each and every one of you!

Coach Gary & the B05 Red Wins Eagles Summer Classic 2016!

With that said, I am so proud of all our coaches and players for coming so far. I look back and see parents sharing photos, videos and tagging us on events we had when we first started. It is crazy to see just how far our players have come in such a short amount of time.

The dedication from our parents is amazing and the dedication from our coaches is second to none as well! When I first started this along with my brother Mario, we had a vision to create some of the most creative and intelligent soccer players in our area. We know how to train soccer players but didn’t know how to run an organization. As many mistakes as we have made, it is humbling to see that the amount of people that stuck by our side through it all. We continue to learn everyday and have the best intentions always putting our players first.

After over two years of non-stop work and the amazing partnership with all of our friends from Juggle the World, I am happy to say we have created something amazing together! As we continue to turn heads in the club soccer world, I expect our parents, players and of course coaches to go and represent where we come from. Represent what we have all done together to get to this point, represent our mission of creating the best soccer players possible, but also the best human beings possible as well!

Olé is very fortunate to have some of the best coaches in our area. The coaches on our staff love their team and will do anything for their players. Each session is well thought out and no coincidence to see how well they have done after competing in their first few official club level tournaments. We can’t thank our staff enough for the commitment you have to your club. This belongs to all of us and you all are doing an extraordinary job with your teams!

We are all a reflection of our club and know our coach will do the coaching, players do the playing, and supporters do the cheering! Looking forward to an amazing first season in Coast Soccer League.

One love,

Coach Walter
Co-Founder of Olé SC
@OleSoccer

Acai Jungle Cafe

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Ole Soccer

Did you know Açaí is a Superfood?

Superfood– a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.

Açaí palm– The fruit, commonly known as açaí berry, is a small, round, black-purple drupe about 25 mm (1 in) in circumference, similar in appearance to a grape, but smaller and with less pulp and produced in branched panicles of 500 to 900 fruits found in the Amazon. – Wikipedia

Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, açaí tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature’s perfect energy fruit. Açaí is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Although açaí may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in several health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form). A new product featuring the unsweetened pulp is now also available, and I highly recommend that you choose this form of açaí.

Have you visited Burbank?

If not, we recommend you make your way to the Açaí Jungle Cafe. It is located on Victory and Magnolia almost. This is next to Gracie Barra’s Jiu-jitsu studio who I was told is also the owner of both businesses.

On the menu, you can see they offer a variety of great organic options that is a great option compared to what we are all accustomed to seeing everywhere. They have smoothies, sandwiches and more. I personally ordered an Açaí bowl that included berries, granola and cacao nips.

At the Açaí Jungle Cafe offers a great family feel and reasonably priced compared to other places in LA that charge up to $10 or more per bowl. Regardless, I feel like with our support in a business like this one we are saying yes to healthier options.

Mia – “it’s delicious!”

We vote with our dollars so whatever you purchase you are supporting what their message is as well as their mission to impact the world in a positive or negative way. I would actually go and purchase Yogurtland often, but after coming across the Açaí Jungle Cafe there will definitely be more support from us locally.

Check out the reviews on Yelp and if in the area don’t hesitate to stop in for a healthy smoothie or bowl. They also have free water if thirsty and lots of other nutritious options for any age.

Thanks for reading!

Coach Walter
@OleSoccer
info@olesoccer.org

Sports Academy Facility

Posted on March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 by Ole Soccer

Just saw one of the best facilities I have ever been to! This is 96,000 square feet of ridiculousness!
We recently went to check out this facility in Thousand Oaks…WOW!!

The Sports Academy Facility is opening up April 6, 2016. The plan is to host many futsal, beach soccer events as well as training for anyone interested. This is a state of the art facility where you can enhance your skills, speed, strength in just about any sport. Professional football, basketball, soccer players and many other professional athletes walk in on a daily basis to check out the facility.

Plan a date to check out the facility and get a tour – CLICK HERE

The Sports Academy facility will have a nutrition shop, their own chefs and restaurant, sports medicine, mindset development, sports performance coaching, a learning center for the youth and much more to name a few! It will be your all in one stop for training! “We have everything in house except a surgery room,” Jayro Martinez. After speaking to Jayro, his excitement and passion for what is happening makes us want to get going right away!

Beach soccer training

Beach soccer training is one of the many types of training that will be offered here at the Sports Academy facility. As featured in the photo, you can have tournaments or group/individual training on the sand area to improve your development.

One of the best things about this facility is the different types of surfaces you can train on to help elevate your game. Sports Academy is offering multiple types of packages to train one day on beach, next session on the futsal court and the following session on the turf. You can also go and check out improve your strength and conditioning with that specific coach who is certified to instruct you on that specific type of training!

The feel you get when entering is just top notch. Friendly staff, lots of movement and activity happening all over. This facility is going to be one of the top facilities in the country offering next level training to local athletes looking to step up their training.

Meet the Director of Soccer

Jayro is in charge of running the Futsal, Beach, and Outdoor training programs. He is Olé Soccer’s very close friend and we have shared lots of great memories playing together as well as coaching. He currently runs his own soccer school called Be Limitless FS and a big part of the direction this facility’s soccer training will be due to his hunger and vision to provide the best for all who are interested.

His coaching journey has led him throughout the counties of Ventura and Los Angeles. He holds licenses from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in addition to degrees in Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sport Psychology (MS). Jayro, while a native of El Salvador, was raised in California from a young age. Read more

More than being a good friend, Jayro’s work ethic is something he instills in his everyday drive to be his personal best. It has always separated him from the rest of the pack and is looking to work with like minded players to provide an opportunity to develop their skills together.

Sports Academy Facility & Events

Olé and the Sports Academy facility believe in the next generation and will do their best to connect our players to this facility so they can have access to professional training at a professional facility. There are some professional soccer players on their staff as well that will be helping with the goalkeeper training and more.

There will be a youth futsal tournament (ages 7 & up) which will be held April 9, 2016 at the facility. Please visit website to sign up.

This type of facility is something every serious parent should look into for their son/daughter to develop and give them the edge. From speaking to the Director of Soccer, he mentioned that the prices for the training is affordable and even flexible working with those less fortunate. “Our goal is to help as many players as possible,” Jayro Martinez.

Olé is excited to be working directly with Jayro and the Sports Academy facility and will be taking some of our club teams to train there once the facility is open. We want to expose all our players to this state of the art training heaven. Sky is the limit!

Thanks for reading!

Coach Walter
@OleSoccer
info@olesoccer.org

Warm Up With the Ball

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Ole Soccer

What does recreation level coaching do for a warm up?

Have you heard a coach say, “take a lap to warm up.”

As the level of the game develops here in the states, we feel it is vital that the level of the sport continues to step up. One of the best things you can do as a coach is to have your team warm up with the ball.

Improve the sport, don’t embarrass it!

How about we switch that up and have them warm up with the ball instead? In just a short amount of time you’ll notice the confidence on the ball and see the creativity with the ball in your players increase. Olé Soccer wants to see the level of the sport continue to improve and not only catch up to the level of the world but surpass it!

We will not be able to do this by having our players playing youth soccer warm up by taking laps.

Bring a Ball to Practice

Each child should be responsible to bring their own soccer ball to practice. A coach can only do so much and this also helps the child become responsible for taking care of their ball. The most passionate players around the world can’t sleep without their ball next to them.

Why is this important?

The ball allows the coach to execute age appropriate drills to improve their skills in the warm up. Developing ball mastery at a young age lays the foundation for a fundamentally sound player as they get older. If your son/daughter does not dribble correctly or use different parts of the foot to turn with the ball by age 10, their coach did them a disservice!

Maximizing the amount of touches your players gets on the ball at each practice is key for development at a young age. Players should see results in just a short amount of weeks if they are new to the sport. The best teams in the world practice this daily and you can notice the HUGE difference in each position because they are all fundamentally sound. When your son/daughter gets to a certain age, you can’t have the slow players playing defense and the fastest players scoring the goals. A good coach will be able to exploit the holes in your team and make you pay.

How can I help improve my child’s skills?

There are lots of ways to help improve your child’s skills, the warm up with the ball is extremely important if they are playing on a team already. Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s coach why the team does not warm up with the ball! Parents have a say and can have their input on the team even if you are new to the sport. Check out this drill here that will help with dribbling, turns and using both feet – Figure 8 Drill

Olé offers a solution to help your child improve their skills right away! CLICK HERE

Wherever you decide to have your child train, just be sure that they are getting as many touches on the ball each session. You will see quick results and see their confidence in their game fairly quickly. Speed and agility are important of course, but if you can ONLY run fast and don’t know how to trap the ball or dribble the ball you might as well have your child play Flag Football.

Please let us know your thoughts. Is a warm up with the ball important to you? How can we continue to develop the level of the sport in the states? Thanks for reading!

Written by:
Coach Walter
@OleSoccer