Coaches of the Month – July 2012

Head Coach of the Month

Coach: Luis Pinto

Teams: U10 boys and U14 girls

Coach Luis celebrating with his U10 boys after winning the Heritage 6v6 Blowout tournament.

About Luis: In addition to coaching at Eclipse, Luis coaches at Tennyson High School and Chabot College. He also works as a referee at Bladium’s indoor soccer complex. Luis played college soccer at Chabot College. He is in his first year coaching with Eclipse.

Luis on coaching at Eclipse: “I like the Eclipse philosophy. The kids are able to play all the different forms of soccer: beach, outdoor, indoor, futsal, small-sided. The kids have so much fun, but they are able to learn a lot at the same time from all aspects of Eclipse and incorporate improvements into their game.”

Luis’ favorite Eclipse moment: “My best memory so far was watching my U10 boys in the championship game at the Heritage tournament. I got to see the kids go from nervous to excited to focused to scared and finally happy when they were celebrating winning the final. Priceless.”

What the coaches say: “Luis is never late and is always prepared even though he drives from Hayward. He also has a great philosophy that he shares with his players.” – Zach Bernsten, U14 girls assistant coach

What the director says: “Luis has made an impact at Eclipse already in his first month coaching for us. His demeanor with the players is one that demands respect but also remains very positive. Both of Luis’ teams have already improved greatly under his leadership and have been having fun along the way.” -Shane Carney, Director

Assistant Coach of the Month

Coach: Jaison Kimura

Teams: Just about everyone

Coach Jaison (far left) celebrating with fellow Campolindo captains, Alex Mangels (Coach Mango) and Marco Tavecchio (U13B coach), after winning the NCS title game.

About Jaison: Jaison graduated from Campolindo in 2010 where he led the Cougars to the NCS title as a senior captain. He was named to the All-SCIAC 2nd Team after starting all 22 games as a freshman at Claremont-McKenna this year. He is in his second year as an assistant coach for Eclipse.

Jaison on coaching at Eclipse: “I like how the atmosphere at Eclipse practices and events not only allows the kids to have fun while playing soccer at a high level, but it also allows coaches to enjoy coming to work every day to coach kids who are eager to learn.  I’ve always had a good time going to practices, tournaments and other coaching events during my time at Eclipse.”

Jaison’s favorite Eclipse moment: “My best Eclipse memory isn’t on the field. Instead the memory that stands out to me is sitting in Fresh Choice talking for five hours with other head and assistant coaches after the Sonoma 6v6 tournament.  We reminisced about our own youth soccer experiences.  An absurd five hours of telling old stories and a lot of laughing at Fresh Choice made me realize how different Eclipse is from the clubs I played at and how the philosophy at Eclipse will benefit young players who strive to better themselves on and off the field.”

What the coaches say: “Jaison is always being helpful with setting up practices, bringing his own ideas and expertise, helping design practice schedules and plans, and helping to pick up the equipment at the end of the day.” – Benji Senderowicz, U17 Girls and U18 Boys Head Coach

What the director says: “After coaching Jaison at Campolindo, I knew he would be a great coach, so I got him involved with Eclipse from day one. Jaison is an outstanding assistant coach, as he is willing to help head coaches with whatever they need, but he also has the ability to bring his own ideas to the practice and step in as the head coach at any time. He is very supportive of all Eclipse teams and players and is always happy to help out any team at any time.” – Shane Carney, Director