Roberto M.

Shabber Jaffer (Testimonial)

Hi Roberto, Zain has been playing club soccer for the last 6 years. I can categorically say that during this entire time, the best coach that Zain has had has been you. This is an opinion shared by Zain, my wife and by me. For my wife and me, it has been a joy to see Zain blossom as a player and to see how he is spurred on by your faith in him and your constructive coaching and guidance. We have also seen how you have moulded the team to be a cohesive unit. We have seen cases where other kids have joined the team and at the time of joining we have noticed that they do not have some of the skills and organization that the kids already on the team have had. However, we have in a short time seen these same kids become key contributors to the success of the team because of the system that you have put in place and the focus on "team". We have also been very impressed by your personalized style of coaching - finding the right levers to make kids perform at their highest level. Perhaps it is your psychology background that has helped in this regard. We have also been very heartened to the team aspects that you have highlighted. It has never been about winning (in fact, at times, we know that the best unit is not on the field but we understand that you are focused on making all the team players better and by having faith in your coaching style, have seen rewards accrue like our wins at State Cup, Evolution Cup, etc.) but on teaching the kids solid fundamentals and teaching them the joy of soccer. In previous instances, we have seen coaches show up for games and practices just because it is their job. With you, it is clearly a labor of love as evidenced by you seeking every effort to schedule scrimmages with other teams, taking the team to various tournaments, your inviting the kids to your house to watch top soccer teams play, etc. Along the way, we have seen the team enjoy many successes. To me, John Wooden of UCLA was the embodiment of a great coach; someone who did the preparation during the practices and who did very little coaching during the actual games. While not comparing you to John Wooden, I do believe you are of the same school: teach the fundamentals to the kids and let these solid foundations be the basis for their performance in games. All the parents have talked every season while we have had you as the coach about how the team has improved with each game and how much the kids have learnt to rely on one another and to pick one another up. From Zain's standpoint, he has seen the faith that you have bestowed in him and he has grown in confidence. He is currently a Freshman in High School and I expect the day to come soon when soccer will not be as important a part of his life as it is now. In fact, even now, he is stretched to find time to play because he is on his school student body, is an avid debater and is a straight A student. To continue down his academic path, soon, soccer will have to take a back seat. This will sadden me a lot because I love the game and love to watch him play. However, I am very gladdened that soccer has been such an important part of his life. He has learnt what it takes to be a good team player, what leadership attributes are, and most importantly, he has enjoyed the last few years with you. One ritual that he has followed prior to every game is to read the evaluation that you have done of him: the areas that you have highlighted as being his strengths, what you have asked him to work on and focus on. This has helped him enormously in game situations. I want to sincerely thank you for all that you have done for our Kind Regards, Shabber.

Henry Guo (Testimonial)

Coach Roberto, Over the last couple of years, my son Brandon learned a lot from you, both on field and off field, which we believe should significantly benefit him for the coming years. In particular, your patience and expertise have helped foster Brandon's confidence in soccer, which we didn't get from several previous coaches for Brandon. Over the last several days, we had chance talking to several families in the club (not on our team), and we also understood that you, coach Roberto, have a very high reputation among Club players and families. Wish you best of luck to your new journey! Henry

Sabu Nadarajan (Testimonial)

Coach Roberto, As Sohil's parents, we really appreciate all your hardwork with the boys, commitment to the sport, and perseverance on improving boys' style, approach, and attitude towards the sport and other players. Sohil always looked forward to his soccer practice and games, and wouldn't miss it for anything (except for academic activities at school). He developed that elevated interest and excitement for the game after he joined your team, thanks to your coaching style. Coming from another club, we could not really grasp the difference in playing style in the beginning, watching the boys keep the ball in control and in possession passing it within the teammates as opposed to clearing it out of the own half (as he was used to), it took only listening to your guidance during the first season to learn and appreciate the playing style of keeping the possession throughout the game! Your evaluation and feedback to Sohil after the first season helped him identify what he needed to improve and more importantly what his strengths were, all of which helped his focus on specific areas at time same time excited about his potential given that he heard it directly from his coach! I really appreciated the feedback and noticed a quantum leap in his dedication and determination towards the game in the following season; needless to say that also started to enjoy soccer even more! Thank you for the sincere, actionable, and continuous feed back on Sohil -those specific feedback comments did go a long way! Having kids participate in competitive sports activities take tremendous effort and commitment from parents, and we always evaluate and analyze if it is worth all the trouble and how it helps develop the kids. Watching you work with the kids at the practices and games, we could see the value of all the adjustments we had to do to make it work and we could see how Sohil developed as a player, student, friend, and as a teenager! Sohil has learned a lot just watching your enthusiasm and dedication during the games, even when there were games back to back! Thank you for helping him grow as a player and as a person! I hope you continue to use your energy, experience, and commitment by coaching other teams so that more kids can benefit just as Sohil has! Thanks again for the support and contribution to last three years of Sohil's development as a player and person, we could not have asked for a better coach!! Thank you, Shilpa and Sabu

Maryam Eshghipour (Testimonial)

Hi Coach Roberto, I just wanted to thank you for a great season. During the past season we saw significant improvement in Arman's skills, stamina, and drive because of the excellent coaching that you provided. You really took the whole team to a new level. You're a fun coach who knows how to motivate kids to do better. Throughout the season, I heard other parents on our team express similar sentiments. In fact, not once I heard anything but positive comments about you from any of the parents. You are truly a great coach. Best Wishes, Maryam