Today we’d like to introduce you to Raul Palomares.
Hi Raul, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started Autobahn Soccer Academy in 2006, while reaching the end of my professional soccer career. When I was a young boy, born in Inglewood, CA wasn’t the best place at the time to have your kids out in programs. So, my parents took us to school and had us play in sports in Santa Monica.
To play the sports, it cost money, which we didn’t have much of. I was fortunate to have families outside of ours that wanted to help and genuinely wanted to help and not care about being known to do it. At the time, it was me and my older brother (3 years apart); our parents wanted to put us in sports but couldn’t afford to have us separated because of the time and money. So, my father start a club team called Autobahn. My whole childhood playing with kids 3 years older help me grow up faster as a person and player. The team was made up of a very diverse group of kids, race, religion, and career/financial status. However, that did not seem to matter with this team.
No one acted like they were more important than the other. We took care of each other on and off the field, both players and parents/families. It was a big Family. We had great guidance from our coaches, using life values to help us play the game and be stronger as a unit. At the same time, teaches us life values while doing so. I really was attached to the team. It was a family. Until this day, we are still connected somehow; some are parents in our current club now, some work with the club now.
When i left to play professional soccer in Germany, seeing how they structured an academy program for youths, i wanted to create something similar back home. With a touch of what I grew up with. I wanted to share the same experience i grew up with to the community back home. And provide something different that no one had done before at home. That was to provide a positive environment for players to learn, develop, grow, and become good people on and off the field. Teach the same values: hard work, unity, loyalty, brotherhood, family, discipline, dedication, commitment, love, and respect.
So, I developed the Autobahn Soccer Academy (ASA). The goal for that program was to teach the kids basic skills and master it. Pure player development, player-focused only. Then when they were ready, i provided them with a club team that they can be a part of to compete and play all year around. The current club at the time was a club my father created was Pacific Coast SC (PCSC). So, I prepared the kids from ages 3-8, boys and girls, and sent them to my PCSC when they were developed. After a couple years, ASA was getting bigger each month. Big enough that i can create my own club. So, I did. I created Autobahn Soccer Club (ASC) and acquired PCSC.
So now, I have:
– ASA (program for beginning player to be polished and developed) that develops players for ASC.
– ASC (program for players in the elementary and middle school age groups in a competitive level) who then develop players for PCSC.
-PCSC (program for High School player age groups), which we help give them exposure to colleges, MLS academy teams, and professional teams.
We went from having 2 players to now close to 400 players. We are the only club that gives a large amount of Financial Aid to families who are in need, close to 75% of the players. We feel no one should be stopped from playing a game/sport because of money. We are where the development begins, and we leave no player left behind. This is Autobahn. We will find a place for any player to play and place them in a program of ours based on their level, as long they fit in our culture, our community.
We rely on fundraisers, donations, and sponsors to help support our FA families. Til this day, players that graduate out of the club move to college or their own careers and still have time to come back to support the club and become coaches or mentors to the players. We created a community where player development is first that include life vales. A developing system that parents appreciate based on the player’s level. Give opportunity to players to grow. Our staff of coaches and directors care. We know all our players and as a director i am proud to say i know almost 100% of all the players’ names and their playing style/development.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For the most part, yes. The only struggles our:
1- Field space. We would like to have our own field/ facility, which is a goal of the clubs. Having to wait for permits or sharing with seasonal sports makes it a little difficult on training space.
2- Finding funds for to help support our FA families. If we can have something more consistent, that will give us more time to focus on the players.
We do well to manage, but it can definitely be easier if we had the resources to help above.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Director of Autobahn Soccer Academy /Autobahn Soccer Club and PCSC. I work closely with MlS professional clubs and professional club outside the USA as a scout of coach.
I am a retired professional soccer player and like to use that to stay active in the soccer world, specially youth soccer.
What I am most proud of is to be able to start a program that a community loves to be a part of. That sees we are not here focused on winning games and making an all-star team but focusing on the individual player and his or hers qualities and making them shine. Having a coaching staff believe in me and teach what i believe in, which is if we focus on the player development first, the team will be successful naturally., and with that, we would have raised good people on our time with them. Mostly being able to give back a piece of my experience as a child to this generation.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see the club growing. Hopefully, we are able to fundraise enough to have our own facility to call home for the club and its members. I see our coaching staff receiving more education on updated ways of coaching, players growing up to be good people and being successful, and coming back to show their support to the next generation. I see the club working more and more closely with professional clubs to be a direct feeder to them as a development program to not only develop players to play the game but players who are elite.
We are currently adding Mauricio Cienfuegos, good friend and former LA Galaxy legend to help grow the program. If we continue to add more good people like that who believe in our program, I only see things moving in a positive direction.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.autobahnsoccer.com
- Instagram: Autobahnsoccer_official
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Autobahnsoccer/
- Twitter: @autobahnsoccer
