Meet Christian Marin Diaz of Elite Soccer PK in San Fernando Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Marin Diaz.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Spain. I have been playing soccer since the age of five, and to be honest I was one of the worst soccer players on my team. I could not hit the ball with my left foot at all, up to the point that my coach did not know what position to place me in on the field. I was a disaster, but what I did have was speed and a huge passion for the sport. I was willing to do anything to become a great player.

Because of my speed I played as a defender, however my one desire was to be an attacking player. I was tired of sitting on the bench every weekend. It got to the point where I no longer enjoyed soccer. I once cried after a game when I returned home. My family could not stand to see a nine-year-old child so sad, so they asked what I thought about personal soccer training. It was then that I began taking individual private lessons for three years, twice a week.

In those three years, I became an all-rounder which resulted in my promotion to starting forward for my team and eventually I became the top scorer. Having a personal trainer and becoming a better player not only gave me personal satisfaction but allowed me to be scouted by agents of my State Team in Spain. I was selected to play two consecutive youth tournaments with my State Team helping them win both with my goals and assists. After those tournaments, I was recruited by the professional club Malaga C.F in which I played for four years; it was the best experience of my life. I acquired a profound respect for the game and consider myself very fortunate to have gained so much from it.

After being diagnosed with a chronic injury and trying all possible treatments at the time, I got to the point where my legs no longer responded to the high demanding and intense practices at the professional level. Consequently, I was forced to stop playing soccer for one year.

I found this to be quite a devastating blow and could not make sense of what was happening. Of all persons, why did this have to happen to someone like me? Someone who sacrificed so much including part of my childhood to be able to play soccer, who had been playing since the age of 12 at the highest possible level and who had been projected to be a part of a professional team roster for the next upcoming season. I just could not understand it. I was frustrated because it seems like I had lost everything that had been given to me. For approximately four years, soccer was no longer part of my life, and I found myself almost at the point of giving up. During that time, it felt as though something was missing from my life. I was stressed and became a different person. I knew I needed to fill that void. I needed the most important thing in my life after my family, and that was soccer. I began playing again recreationally, in a few semipro teams in the Inland Empire, LA and OC area. Eventually, I again became the top scorer and was even designated as the MVP in some MLS tournaments. Finally, I received an offer to play for a university with a full-ride scholarship.

At that university my life changed. There, I met two very influential coaches. Even though at that time, I was a fully developed player and my adaptation was immediate, they mentored me and taught me something that I did not know about. That something was coaching. They helped me obtain my Soccer coaching license, gave me the opportunity to run their summer camps, and even train some club teams as assistants and head coach.

In 2006 one on one sessions were not popular, but while training some of those teams. I was approached by a few parents who inquired about the possibility of privately training their child. I readily accepted because I knew the physics behind every aspect of the game. However, US Youth soccer was new to me and during those initial private sessions I realized how much was lacking in US youth soccer.

Because of the deficiencies, I had observed I decided that I wanted to make a difference in the USA, so in 2007 I created Elite Soccer Personal Training, specializing exclusively in one-on-one training and small group sessions.

After years of developing individual players, I decided to make an even bigger impact in American youth soccer by creating Elite Soccer PK; offering not only one on one personal training but also clinics, after school programs, team practices, birthday parties and special events where every player not only learns the European philosophy of the game but also learns how to be a creative individual within a team setting while also learning a set of essential values.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We are surviving for a really simple reason: parents want their children to improve at playing soccer while receiving value for their money and time and we want the same. As a result, we are open and transparent with every client from the onset.

Soccer business is tough. As it continues to be more popular in the United States, the competition increases. Big companies spend a lot of money advertising, renting venues and creating leagues with the purpose of making money. At this time, I do not wish to elaborate on this but put simply, some parents do not like their way of training so they end up choosing us. 90% of our business is word of mouth and they know we have a different philosophy and we are strict when training advanced players and patient when they are starting, but we always have something in mind. “We are all about development”.

It is our job and responsibility to always give our feedback to both the kids and the parents in an honest and sincere way. When it comes to this, our coaches are very transparent and structured. Some people do not like to hear the reality and regard constructive criticism as something negative. A parent with that mentality is the worst enemy for their child. We try to educate the parents as well as the child but at the end of the day the choice is theirs’. We give them all the tools they need to build their development, is up to them to accept them, learn to use them, save them in their toolbox and know when and how to use each and every one of them.

I personally have not met any professional player who made no mistakes, who did not struggle or experience rejection and criticism during their career.

I always say: “Repetition makes perfection but listening to constructive criticism and learning from our mistakes will make us better. Excuses are the worst enemy of an athlete”.

Soccer as life is not easy. We are just that big brother in the form of a mentor for every player, helping them understand the basics and fundamentals of soccer as well as encouraging every single participant to recognize the teamwork value.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Elite Soccer PK – what should we know?
Elite Soccer PK offers individual and group training sessions such as one on one sessions and Spring/Fall/Summer clinics, challenging players to meet both their short and long term goals. We focus on each individual player and their personal needs. We are not just Soccer Trainers, we also play a mentorship role for each player helping with any confidence, attitude, and motivation issues that we might identify.

We find it extremely important that young players take opportunities to practice their technical skills and improve their mobility when not practicing with their teams. The average soccer team has about ten to twenty players and we understand that everyone is unique and requires a different program customized for their individual needs.

Some of the most fundamental practices are not practiced during a typical team practice. At Elite Soccer PK Development Academy our main goal and purpose is player development. In fact, during our sessions our main focus is on principles for both defending and attacking and everything in between.

Soccer is not just a sport; it is also a game. As a sport, soccer requires various individual technical skills that must be taught and developed but as a game, soccer is based on teamwork and a system of tactics. That is why our training programs offer individual, small group, clinics, and summer camps that are not only motivational and goal-oriented, but extremely effective at improving your game and your technical skills.

Time is one of the most valuable things we have. At Elite Soccer PK we help you make the most from your 90-minute personal session providing you with an extremely effective program. Elite Soccer Training will keep you motivated and goal orientated. You will leave every session with multiple exercises that should be practiced outside of sessions in order to further growth.

I can say that our specialty and what we are well known for is our one on one private training program.

We adapt to our players and not the other way around. Therefore we follow a method of flexible iterations in determining what works best for each child regardless of their age or whether their skill level is Zero, Recreational, Club, Academy or High School. This is achieved by amplifying strengths and opportunities and designing pathways for converting observed challenges to positive reserves of inspiration. Our trainers are professionals licensed to provide top-level instruction and direction to players from all backgrounds. These professionals share a common passion for imbuing children and youth players with confidence, strategic, and decision-making support for optimum performance. Our coaches don’t tell; they show.

We are not in a business where the main purpose is making money, but rather to develop individuals as people first and secondly as soccer players by educating them with a set of values such as honesty, discipline, integrity, humility, sportsmanship, communication and leadership. Personally, as the founder of Elite Soccer PK’, my biggest satisfaction is to share all our knowledge to those kids who one day could be representing us in a world cup and to see a smile on their faces knowing that all their sacrifice and hard work has paid off. I would be the proudest person to see that happen.

We are convinced that good players are first and essentially humans that are conscious and in control. Our approach to soccer development is to provide training based on a foundation of core values that build potential players from and into better people. Because it requires as much mental as physical effort, the need to have players in the right frame of mind on and off the pitch is not a matter which we take for granted.

As a contact team sport, collaboration, passion, and decision-making are key ingredients in the make-up of the effective soccer player. We emphasize these practical pillars, with special focus on open and efficient communication between players and training staff. We are intentional about ensuring that no one is left behind; observing attentively for signs of withdrawal or self-doubt and efficiently guiding players into a united bond of competitive collaborators.

Why do you think soccer in USA is not at the same level as in Europe or South America? And how would you like to contribute helping youth soccer in the USA?
We can make a difference in some individual players but it does not matter how well Elite Soccer PK trains their players if most of them join us when they are old enough with badly developed habits, which are difficult to address.

One of the biggest issues that I see in US Youth Soccer is the actual soccer structure starting with coach’s education, players’ accountability and league rules.

It is hard to believe that someone who had earned an online soccer license over the weekend is ready to take over a soccer team and actually teach them the fundamentals of soccer.

Most recreational leagues have the priority when requesting permits in city parks and schools.

Think about that. 90% of all kids in the USA start playing in one of these recreational leagues, where the coaches are parents; they practice only once a week and want the perfect conditions to play soccer, etc. Only 40% of them actually make it to club and just 10% of them have developed the right way because their parents were either knowledgeable about soccer or they trained for many years with a private coach. How do we want to compete against other countries and be at their level if we just give the chance of a 10% success rate to every child? In my opinion it is hard to believe that soccer corporations that lack any player development structure or knowledge have so much influence and help from the government.

Eventually, I would like to partner with an existing club or create a program where all these recreational league teams are actually trained by knowledgeable coaches, “no parents”, so they can learn and implement a soccer style by developing players in a team environment, in order to reach their full potential. So, once they are ready for club, they spend their time learning new things instead of struggling to address their bad habits.

Soccer is a team-oriented sport where the team must be first and before any player, parent or coach. Every player has a different development margin of progression and for this reason every child needs the best training possible from the most knowledgeable coach.

Contact Info:

• Website: EliteSoccerPK.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/elitesoccerpk/
• Facebook: facebook.com/elitesoccerpk/
• Yelp: yelp.com/biz/elite-soccer-pk-encino-5

 

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