Carlos S.

I have experience coaching and training soccer athletes at youth, recreational, camp, and competitive levels. Since August 2026, I have been working with City SC, coaching athletes ages 8–12 and focusing on technical development, tactical understanding, teamwork, and player development.

Previously, I worked as a Field Director/Coach for DC United Youth Camps in Washington, DC, during summer 2025, where I supervised daily camp operations and training for 100+ youth athletes. I also worked as an Assistant Coach with ESYDA Soccer Club in Maryland in 2025, assisting with training sessions, player development, drills, and mentorship.

During summer 2026, I worked as a Field Coordinator/Head Coach for Real Madrid Summer Camps, leading training sessions, managing camp operations, and delivering the Real Madrid methodology while developing young players' technical and tactical skills.

My certifications and training include United Soccer Coaches Grassroots 7v7 and 11v11 certifications, CPR/First Aid certification, and I am currently in the process of completing my U.S. Soccer D License.

I competed at the collegiate level for five years as a center back for Union Commonwealth University in Barbourville, Kentucky, competing in the NAIA. Our men's soccer program was consistently ranked among the Top 25 nationally during my time there.

My main athletic accomplishments include winning the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season championship in 2024 and regular-season and conference tournament winners in 2025. I also served as a team leader both on and off the field, contributing through leadership, communication, and team development.

Before competing in the United States, I played youth soccer in Madrid, Spain, including competing at the highest league level in Madrid. I also trained with my local club's first team, which currently competes in the fourth division of Spanish football.

My collegiate career at Union Commonwealth University from 2021–2025 provided me with extensive experience competing at a high level and developing leadership skills within a competitive athletic environment.

A session with me is not just about doing drills — it is about understanding why we are doing them.

As a Spanish coach and former collegiate player, I put a lot of value on technique, decision-making, and understanding the game. I want players to become better footballers, not simply better at completing an exercise.

I usually start by getting the player moving with the ball. Depending on their level and goals, this might include ball mastery, changes of direction, first-touch work, passing patterns, or finishing. From there, I progressively make the exercises more game-like: receiving under pressure, scanning before receiving, playing with limited touches, attacking space, defending 1v1, or making decisions at speed.

One thing I focus on heavily is the first touch. Where you take your first touch often determines what you can do next. I also constantly work on body orientation, scanning, passing technique, timing, movement off the ball, and using both feet.

A typical session might look simple from the outside, but I am constantly asking the player questions and giving them small challenges: “What did you see before receiving?” “Where should your first touch go?” “Could you have played forward?” The goal is to develop their football IQ alongside their technical ability.

I also adapt every session to the player. A young player might need more creativity, confidence, and lots of touches on the ball, while an advanced player may need more positional detail, pressure, speed of play, and decision-making.

By the end of the session, I want the player to leave with something they can actually take onto the field — a better touch, a new movement, a better understanding of their position, or simply a different way of seeing the game.