Five Star Skills

1. ASSESSING THE PLAYER

• A comprehensive assessment of the player will be conducted, from technical abilities to physical capabilities. The player's strengths and weaknesses will be identified, and the sessions will be planned and executed accordingly.

2. FOCUSING ON TECHNIQUE

• Technique is the most important requirement for mastering any sport. This is why it is absolutely necessary to break down the technique of the skills we learn into their simplest elements before focusing on speed. During this training step, the player learns to visually distinguish proper technique from improper, because the trainer will not always to present to correct right from wrong. Also during this time, good habits are established and bad habits are eliminated through detailed focus and instruction.

3. BUILDING CONFIDENCE

• Confidence has a placebo effect in sports. Believing you are good at something actually makes you better at it, and when you're better at it, you tend to like it more. Keeping these two in mind, it is important as a trainer to recognize and acknowledge the player's positive steps in order to boost their confidence and inspire them further on their journey to success.

4. VENTURING OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE

• A 100 m sprinter does not prepare for a race by going to the track and jogging 100 meters; the sprinter prepares by sprinting. But if the sprinter has an incorrect running form, all that sprinting will be pointless and show no results. Similarly, a soccer player must first learn the proper technique for any movement. Once they have, the next step to improve on their skills is to increase the training speed and push themselves outside their comfort zone, where they will only be successful some of the time and where mistakes will be made and tolerated. Gradually and naturally, their own bar will be lifted higher and higher, and less mistakes will be made at high speed.

5. INCREASING TRAINING INTENSITY AND COMPLEXITY

• As the player becomes capable of training with the ball at a higher speed, training sessions become more intense and the player begins reaping more of the cardiovascular benefits from the workouts. Training sessions also become more complex, helping expand the player's range of available tools for different match situations and helping the player become more versatile and closer to complete.

6. UNDERSTANDING MATCH-TIME APPLICATIONS

• Now that the player is equipped with the necessary tools for success on the soccer field, they will begin to discover match-time applications for everything they have learned through personal advice and self-exploration. The player will spend less time focusing on controlling the ball and more time on scoping the field, consciously making informed decisions, and expressing themself on the field. Over time, some of their decisions will become second nature.

Coaching Experience:

• Owner of Five Star Skills

• Personal Soccer Trainer for the past 15 years. My trainees range from 5 years olds to Division 1 college athletes and professionals

• Head Coach of '08 and '07 Boys and Girls teams at LA Surf

• Assistant Coach at Occidental College

• Head Coach at Hoover High School

• Head Trainer for the women's soccer team of Senik Arakelyan, who was recently recognized as the UEFA Best Grassroots Leader in 2017

• Head Skills Trainer at Arpa FC (UPSL)

• Head Coach at LA International FC

• Assistant Coach / Head Skills Trainer at Crescenta Valley Soccer Club

• Creator of the "Symmetrical Soccer" training system

• Hired by multiple independent club teams and high schools to run skills clinics

Athletic Highlights:

• Professional athlete for FC Shirak in the Armenian Premier League

• Semi-professional athlete for Arpa FC in UPSL

• UCSD Club Soccer Fall League Champions, Regional Finalists, National Semi-Finalists

• Played in friendlies against multiple pro teams in the United States, including the 7 time K-League champions, Seongnam FC, and the New York Cosmos

• Cal South club soccer for 11 years straight with various teams (Flyers, Santa Anita SC, Rampage FC, LAFC, Ventura County Fusion)

• Nationally ranked #1 in the United States with Rampage FC in 2005-2006

• High School First Team All-League Honors (11th and 12th grade)

• Dallas Cup Finalists and multiple Cal South League and League Cup Champions

PRIVATE SESSIONS

60 min - $100

SMALL GROUP SESSIONS

2 players : 60 min - $80 each

3 players : 60 min - $70 each

4+ players : 60 min - $60 each

My trainees range from 5 years olds to Division 1 college athletes and professionals.