Jacopo S.

I bring a high-level European and U.S. soccer background into every private training session. My coaching and training experience includes working with players in North Carolina, Nashville, and Connecticut, as well as training environments connected to elite professional development in Italy.

I developed through respected Italian soccer environments including Milan Academy and Atalanta, where I learned the technical details, discipline, and tactical understanding that separate good players from serious players. In the U.S., I have trained with and around professional-level athletes, including Hany Mukhtar, the 2022 MLS MVP, which gave me direct exposure to the habits, speed, and mentality of top-level professionals.

As a coach, I work with motivated players who want to improve their technique, confidence, and game intelligence. I typically train youth, middle school, high school, academy, and college-prep players who want sessions that are more detailed and purposeful than a regular team practice.

My approach is simple: every player deserves high-level coaching, clear feedback, and a training environment that pushes them while building their confidence. I focus on helping players become cleaner on the ball, faster in their decisions, sharper in their movement, and more confident when the game gets intense.

I grew up playing soccer in Italy and developed in professional academy environments, including Milan Academy and Atalanta. I had the opportunity to train with and compete against professional clubs, including Serie A teams during preseason experiences, which exposed me to the speed, quality, and tactical discipline of elite soccer.

At 17 years old, I began playing in Italy’s fourth division, competing against experienced senior players while still very young. That experience helped me grow quickly and understand what it takes to compete physically, technically, and mentally at a high level.

After my playing career in Italy, I moved to the United States on a full-ride NCAA Division I soccer scholarship. I played four years at the Division I level and became team captain, leading by example both on and off the field.

My background gives players a unique advantage: I have experienced European academy soccer, senior-level Italian competition, professional training environments, and NCAA Division I soccer. I use that experience to help players understand what the next level actually requires.

A typical session with me is high-energy, structured, and personalized to the player’s age, level, position, and goals. I do not believe in random drills or basic cone work that looks good but does not transfer to the game. Every exercise has a purpose.

Each session usually starts with a dynamic warm-up and ball activation to get the player sharp, focused, and comfortable on the ball. From there, we move into technical work such as first touch, passing quality, dribbling, weak foot development, ball mastery, receiving under pressure, change of direction, and speed with the ball.

Depending on the player’s needs, we may also focus on finishing, crossing, 1v1 attacking, defending, body positioning, scanning, movement off the ball, and position-specific decision-making. For advanced players, I focus heavily on game-realistic details: checking the shoulder before receiving, opening the body, playing faster, creating separation, using both feet, and making the right decision before the ball arrives.

One of the biggest values players get from training with me is the detail and insight behind every correction. Hard work is important, but hard work in the wrong direction can lead players to repeat the same mistakes without realizing it. My job is to identify the weak points in a player’s game, explain why they are happening, and give them the right tools to fix them. Whether it is body shape, first touch, timing, decision-making, confidence, or movement, I use my experience to break the game down in a way players can understand and immediately apply.

My goal is for every player to leave the session better than when they arrived. Players can expect clear coaching points, honest feedback, repetition, correction, encouragement, and a professional training environment. I push my players, but I also make sure they build confidence and enjoy the process.

Parents can expect a coach who is serious about development, positive with players, and focused on helping each athlete improve in a way that shows up in real games.