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Category Archives: ISN Stars of Coaching Presented by Korrio

ISN Stars of Coaching Presented by Korrio – April 2013

Brandon Ponchak is always up for a challenge. He has gained a reputation as the go-to coach in non-traditional markets. We are talking about places where soccer is still gaining ground, in markets without professional teams, and in places where people say soccer can’t grow. You might as well call him “The Johnny Appleseed of Soccer” for all the work he has done to push the beautiful game forward.

“I really enjoy going to non-traditional markets because there are always hungry minds and desire for getting better,” Ponchak stated. “Sometimes the biggest struggle is trying to implement something new and different with the area soccer development because many people don’t like change. It is easier to continue what has always been done, but it’s important for the leadership to know that development should be the number one aspect.”

Photo Credit: Joey Craven

This journey has take him from different parts of Ohio to the Dakotas, and now to Kansas. Ponchak recently left his position with NPSL side Zanesville Athletic to become the head men’s soccer coach at NAIA Sterling College.

Ponchak has gotten it done at every level. He served as an assistant at Dakota Wesleyan University and Bluffton University.

His time at Dakota Wesleyan was particularly memorable for Ponchak. He worked with both the men’s and women’s sides with the latter having incredible success. The women’s team went 21 games unbeaten, winning their conference in the reglar season before winning the conference tournament. They even made a national tournament appearance in what Ponchak described as “a fun season.”

But who actually goes to the Dakotas for soccer? Ponchak did and it changed his perspective on the beautiful game.

“It didn’t take me long to realize that if you are involved in soccer there, you know every soccer person and player.”

Why you might ask? Because roughly 30 high schools in South Dakota and less than 20 high schools in North Dakota actually offer soccer. South Dakota was the last state high school association to sanction high school soccer.

Kansas is clearly a bigger market, one with an ever popular MLS franchise and a beautiful new stadium. But soccer across the state is overall still a work in progress, something Ponchak knows all about.

“There are positive aspects to being in non-traditional soccer markets, and the biggest one for me is the impact on kids’ lives.”

Ponchak even spent time at the middle and high school level at Lexington Christian Academy (KY) and with youth clubs like Dakota Blue SC (Mitchell, SD) and Bluegrass SC (Versailles, KY).

Photo Credit: Joey Craven

He also was on the staff of the USL PRO Charlotte Eagles as a camp coach and director. This was in addition to his work with the Dayton Dutch Lions, where he evaluated players at tryouts and worked on broadcasts.

It is easy to say that he has seen the game from many different perspectives in many different places.

His own experiences as a player growing up in Southern Ohio were paramount to his development into an exemplary coach.

“Southern Ohio soccer is ripe with talent, but sometimes it may not be the prettiest. The players always work hard though. That’s the culture there. It is more rural and blue-collar, so the players grow up hard working in everything they do.”

Ponchak had success of his own as a player. He remembers several events quite fondly: helping his high school team get its first-ever shutout while recording 33 saves, traveling to Sweden to play in the Gothia Cup, and helping his college get their first-ever conference tournament championship.

But who influenced him and ultimately inspired him to build a career in the game he loves? Ponchak credits his father for building a mentality and work ethic that has driven him as both a player and coach.

A quote from Bill Shankly rang true for Ponchak: “Coaches do not make great players; mothers and fathers make great players.”

Former teammates and players have also been a driving force for Ponchak.

He spoke fondly of former teammate Seth Dille, who was born with cerebral palsy.

“He has the biggest heart of anyone I know. Nothing negatively affects him and he doesn’t let anything hold him back. He is in the U.S. National Paralympic Soccer Team pool. Everyone needs to be around Seth; he’ll put a smile on everyone’s faces.”

Former DWU player Jason “Jay” Roddy is another source of inspiration.

“Jay had a stroke in his 3rd day with the team. He was in incredible shape and then the tragedy happened. The positive thing is Jay lived and has made a near-full recovery. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him.”

And not a day goes by where Ponchak doesn’t have an impact on the game we all love. Inspiring players, providing a quality training environment, sharing passion, and developing players on and off the field are all parts of his game.

Korrio understands it is your passion for coaching kids that drives you. We also know that the less time you spend dealing with administrative, communication and automation hassles, and the more time you spend on the field, the happier you’ll be. And because you play a crucial role in our children’s lives, we want you spending as much time as possible coaching our kids. Korrio offers a modern approach to coaching by allowing new ways to communicate and develop a community on and off the field. Congratulations to the ISN Star of Coaching this month.

ISN Stars of Coaching Presented by Korrio – March 2013

“Find your passion.”

“Chase your passion with every fiber of your being.”

“Never let anybody outwork you.”

Three pieces of advice from Coach Joe Zakowicz. Three lessons he shares with his players.

Zakowicz is one of the good guys in the American game.  Someone of great faith, character, and passion for the sport we all love.  He is the mastermind behind both the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Ave Maria University in Florida.    He also recently signed on as the head coach of the NPSL’s Cape Coral Hurricanes.

“Joe is an exceptional coach with a vast amount of coaching, administration and leadership experience,” Hurricanes General Manager J.P. Terrasi commented,  ”He knows how to build a team and develop players, but more importantly he has strong Christian values and an unwavering faith that will help build strong character in our players as well.”

Zakowicz is a man who has gotten it done at every level.  He began his coaching career with the Central Delaware Soccer Association and as an assistant at DIII Wesley College.

The early days were instrumental in growing Zakowicz as a coach and a supporter.

“It was a tremendous amount of fun and it fed my passion.” A passion that would last a lifetime.

Zakowicz would spend first two years as a head coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan University before building a powerhouse of a program at Bethel University in Tennessee.  One of his former players, Melvin Belong, won the NAIA National Championship there in 2008 as the men’s head coach.

Yes, his former players and assistants have gone on to big things.  Over a dozen moved on to become college coaches. So you can see he has made an impact, a big one.

Zakowicz would go on to coach and serve as Athletic Director at Mid-Continent University, where he led the men’s squad to an impressive  142-64-18 record from 2000-2009.  He would garner a lifetime of personal hardware at MCU, including the NCCAA National Coach of the Year award.

Zakowicz even started and ran his own youth club in Western Kentucky called Jackson Purchase Futbol Club.  This would be a great opportunity to share his passion with countless others, exposing a new generation of athletes to the beautiful game.

Today Zakowicz is the man with a plan at Ave Maria with 2013 marking his third season at the Florida Catholic university.  But nobody said it was going to be easy.

“I came to Ave Maria two years ago, inheriting a 1-15-1 team. It was and still is the biggest challenge of my coaching career.”

But things are looking up for the Gyrenes.

“Our players have shown great growth this spring and we have half a semester yet to train. I am excited for our program and Ave Maria University Soccer. We will win this year!”

College soccer is just one piece of the puzzle for the veteran coach.  Helping an expansion NPSL team find its way is also on the agenda.  Making the playoffs is a priority, but this veteran coach and mentor knows there is more to life than what happens on a pitch.

“The greater goal is to provide a learning environment in which our players can truly grow in the game and as young men. We hope to have an eternal impact on building young men of character during their time with the Hurricanes. I hope we can truly be about developing the players we have and that they might be able to reach their personal goals in the process. The bottom line is that we develop them well.”

With his history of helping players and coaches reach their goals, there is no doubt that he will develop them well.

And he does all this because he loves the game.  It’s not for the money, but rather the intrinsic rewards.

“We all have a million favorite moments that I call ‘hidden paychecks.’ Winning championships, celebrations, seasons all come and go, but the relationships and memories are what is special.”

Here is to Coach Zakowicz and his journey toward even more special soccer memories!

Korrio understands it is your passion for coaching kids that drives you. We also know that the less time you spend dealing with administrative, communication and automation hassles, and the more time you spend on the field, the happier you’ll be. And because you play a crucial role in our children’s lives, we want you spending as much time as possible coaching our kids. Korrio offers a modern approach to coaching by allowing new ways to communicate and develop a community on and off the field. Congratulations to the ISN Star of Coaching this month.

ISN Stars of Coaching Presented by Korrio – February 2013

One thing is for certain. The University of Akron is known for soccer. Caleb Porter helped put the Zips on the soccer map, but the women’s program is now the program on the rise.

The program experienced an encouraging 2012 fall season that showed progress on all fronts, including setting the program record for attendance on September 28th.

But the biggest reason for optimism is a strong coaching staff, led by head coach Vernon Croft and assistant Keri Sarver.

Many regard Sarver as one of the best young coaches in the country. Croft agrees.

“Keri is one of the finest young female coaches in the game, not just our state or region but in the country.  Her experience at the Women’s National Team level coupled with her professional playing experience has been a big asset to our players and staff in the continued development of our program.”

Sarver’s journey back to Northeastern Ohio has been just that, a journey.

“I moved back here to be a youth coach. I wanted to do that to be connected to the soccer community where I grew up, in order to give back to the game that had given me so much to me. To be able to take that to the next level in college is just another wonderful opportunity and blessing I have been given.  To do it right here in my backyard is icing on the cake.”

She has gotten the job done as a player, going from Jackson High School in Massillon, Ohio to the University of Maryland to a career as a pro in the WUSA. Sarver is arguably the best female soccer player to ever come out of the Buckeye State. She certainly is one of the most decorated players, claiming honors as a Parade All-American, a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick, an All-American selection, Maryland’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year, the ACC’s James Weaver-Corrigan Award, and being chosen for the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team.

To top it off, Sarver was also part of the U.S. Women’s National Team pool.  Her list of accolades and honors is impressive and intimidating at the same time.

She is also known as a record-breaker, holding school records in every offensive category in both high school and college. It would be no surprise that Sarver would play for three pro teams before playing and coaching in the USL’s W-League.

The coaching side of her career blossomed with the Cleveland Internationals, an organization with offerings at every level. She has been the Director of Coaching there since 2008. Her teams have claimed championships at every level, from state championships to national titles. Sarver has also helped over 100 players follow their dreams of collegiate soccer.

“The club has been in the area for the 35 years. The core leadership has been in place since the beginning. It is a club with a great history and culture.  I am just trying to take it one quite step further. By being a player that has been in the environment and gone on to play at a high level and being able to come back and share those experiences.”

Now she is helping develop collegiate players for the next step: professional soccer here and abroad. Who better to help them? A highly decorated former pro sounds like the ticket to me.

It took only a short time to see results as two Zips headed to Germany to turn pro after finishing their careers at Akron.  Jordan Clark and Kara Cooper are both playing with Karlsruhe SC, a Bundesliga team in SW Germany.  And both credit Sarver and Croft for helping them get there.

The news means a great deal to the program as a whole.

“There is something else out there.  They can continue their love and passion and continue their growth in the game.”

Sarver herself is bullish on the women’s game as a whole and is particularly excited about the NWSL.

“The one major improvement in the business model is that U.S. Soccer is subsidizing the salaries of the players in the national team pool.  Women’s soccer in this country is such a good product. It is just a matter of continuing to develop that product and get the fans to buy in and support it.”

Just because America was one of the first pioneers in the women’s game worldwide doesn’t mean there isn’t massive competition today and in the future.

“The rest of the world has caught up; we still have the edge physically and psychologically.  The women’s game is growing so fast around the world that it is forcing us to take another look at it from a developmental perspective.”

Developing tactically and technically is just one piece of the puzzle since players need someone to look up to, to aspire to be.  As a youth moving up the ranks, Sarver was inspired by American greats like Michele Akers and April Heinrichs.

“Those two were my role models and were instrumental in fostering my love for the game.  Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe are good, strong personalities that are quality role models that kids today can to look up to.  They actually play with a lot of flair, which is exciting for young players to see.”

The women’s national team is a powerhouse in the here and now, but many pundits are worried about the future.  One area of concern is the lack of an academy run and funded by USSF.  But Sarver thinks there is something effective already in place.

She believes the ECNL is a solid alternative to creating a separate developmental academy for girls and women like U.S. Soccer has done for the other gender.  The ECNL shares the same focus: quality training and professional environments over quantity of games.  These happen to be the same values exhibited by Claudio Reyna’s coaching curriculum and the USSFDA system.

One thing is for certain, Sarver is a great coach and a great advocate for the women’s game.  With her help, the beautiful game here in NE Ohio and across the country will reach unprecedented heights.

Simply put, the game is in good hands with people like Keri Sarver.

Korrio understands it is your passion for coaching kids that drives you. We also know that the less time you spend dealing with administrative, communication and automation hassles, and the more time you spend on the field, the happier you’ll be. And because you play a crucial role in our children’s lives, we want you spending as much time as possible coaching our kids. Korrio offers a modern approach to coaching by allowing new ways to communicate and develop a community on and off the field. Congratulations to the ISN Star of Coaching this month.

ISN Stars of Coaching Presented by Korrio – January 2013

The Columbus Crew have experienced success at every level.  Everybody knows that the Black & Gold were the 2002 U.S. Open Cup Champions and the 2008 MLS Cup Champions.  But, their youth system has been just as prolific, having been the 2010 and 2011 Super-20 National Champions as well as the 2010 and 2012 McGuire Cup U-19 National Champions. Even more success at the lower levels has made them one of the top youth setups in North America.  Don’t take our word for it; Soccer America recently ranked them at #15 nationally.

One of the big reasons for all of these accolades is the work of Crew Juniors Director of Coaching & Player Development James Field.

“James has been an invaluable member of our Crew Youth coaching staff for the past 2 ½ years,” Crew Juniors Executive Director Andrew Arthurs stated. “Specifically, he has been a leader in the development of our curriculum and youth programming for U14, which place the emphasis on player development over results. Through this work, the quality of player – and the level of play – in our U12-U14 age groups in particular, is very exciting.”

Field has a great reputation in the youth soccer community, viewed as one of the best young coaches in the entire country.  He has experience on both the coaching and administrative sides.  In other words, he develops players and programs to be their very best.

Having qualified coaches like Field is a step in the right direction for American soccer, but it is just that, a step.

“We need to create an artificial environment that provides an opportunity for unstructured play that compliments the regular structured training contacts that players receive each week,” Field commented. “Players need an opportunity to express themselves in an environment in which they can have no fear of failure. This may be as simple as a providing one or two days per week for two hours, where players play small sided games, with no coaching or officiating, just facilitators if needed. This will not happen unless we facilitate this environment for the players.”

Field also advocates for players being students of the game, something that has been lacking in recent years.

“It is a critical factor for players to continue to develop their soccer I.Q. at every opportunity and observe as many games as possible. Once you have seen how it looks, it is easier to replicate.”

A proper environment for learning the beautiful game is also essential.  And Field knows that thanks to a celebrated youth career at Reading and Southampton in England.  That experience has been crucial to his own development as a coach.

“I was really lucky when I was a young coach at Reading FC as I had an opportunity to be around a few coaches that went on to really big things in the game,” Field added. “Most notably Brendan Rodgers, whom is now the manager of Liverpool FC. The professionalism and the attention to detail are probably the two biggest things that I inherited.”

Field has a lot of faith in the American game and its future 5 years, 10 years, 25 years down the road.  Getting the job done at the younger ages will certainly pay dividends in the future.

“For me the game in this country is expanding rapidly. The technical ability of players at the younger ages is better than what it was 10 years ago. The players are more passionate and they’re more knowledgeable about the game today. The coaching philosophies and methodologies are improving all of the time and the programming and exposure for players at the elite levels are changing for the better. I feel that the U.S. will be churning out large numbers of talented players in next 10 years.”

It is great to see a coach that loves the game and simply wants to passion that passion on to a new generation of players.  It makes a world of difference in the development of a program, especially one with such a high profile.

“I just love being on the field and interacting with the players,” Field concluded. “I am lucky enough to be on the soccer field 6 days a week and have done that for the past 14 years. I have worked with a huge range of abilities and different ages along the way.”

You will be hard pressed to find a better role model or a better coach than James Field.  He is the complete package with experience, passion, tactical knowledge, and the ability to connect with his players.  It is no wonder that players are honored to call him their coach.

Expect to see his name again as he continues to climb the coaching ladder here in the U.S.

Korrio understands it is your passion for coaching kids that drives you. We also know that the less time you spend dealing with administrative, communication and automation hassles, and the more time you spend on the field, the happier you’ll be. And because you play a crucial role in our children’s lives, we want you spending as much time as possible coaching our kids. Korrio offers a modern approach to coaching by allowing new ways to communicate and develop a community on and off the field. Congratulations to the ISN Star of Coaching this month!

ISN Stars of Coaching Presented by Korrio – November/December 2012

Andy Hoggarth is a rising star in the world of coaching.  The head coach of NPSL side AFC Cleveland and both men’s and women’s soccer at Thiel College, Hoggarth is regarded as one of the best young coaches in the Midwest.

He is known as a skilled tactician that gets the most out of each and every player.  He helped Cleveland advance to the posteason in 2012, claiming hardware in the form of the Rust Belt Cup and the Great Lakes Conference Championship in the process.  At Thiel, the English native has built a program from the ground up as the Tomcats became a force to reckon with in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

Hoggarth also has strong playing credentials thanks to his time with Middlesbrough FC and Preston North End as a youth. He later went on to play at other clubs, including Whitley Bay FC that won the FA Vase in 2001.  Hoggarth himself would join the Middlesbrough staff before coming to America to take a coaching position at Shenandoah University in Virginia.

Even though some might call him a newcomer to the States, he is quite bullish on the future of the American game.

“I think the growth will continue and is mainly going to be down to the fact that we are going to start to see a generation of youth players whose parents grew up with the game,” Hoggarth commented. “We are now starting to see players committing themselves to soccer year-round from a young age and really grasping a thorough understanding of the game both technically and tactically, which will allow the game to grow as those players move through the system and become coaches, officials, and parents.”

And Hoggarth believes the college game is an essential piece of the American soccer puzzle, even though it is not a system that is used in many soccer nations.

“I still personally think the college game has a strong place in U.S. soccer. The college game allows players to obviously play at a high level, while also gaining an education, which is vital.”

He believes that if a collegiate program is ran in the correct way, then player development can be massive as there is a large amount of contact time with the coaching staff and good access to top facilities, quality stadia, and top-flight support staff.

Always striving to be the best, Hoggarth is not afraid to seek advice from the best.  He has always looked up to current Middlesbrough gaffer Tony Mowbray, a former Boro star that Hoggarth watched as a youth. He hopes to mirror Mowbray’s playing style and philosophy, while making a similar rise to the top of the coaching ranks.

Hoggarth is an advocate for playing exciting soccer, soccer that people want to watch.

“I love to see the ball moving around quickly and players being very dynamic when in possession so I would look at implementing that type of style. I think some of the soccer that is played in the Bundesliga is a perfect example of this with its fast-flowing possession, never say die attitude, and a huge desire and passion to win.”

But his greatest asset is his ability to teach and inspire others.

“I think any time when you see a moment where you realize that a player ‘just got it,’ then I think that is a great moment as a coach,” Hoggarth concluded. “To me this is very satisfying as I think so much of what we do as coaches these days is vital in the character development of young people and ensuring that we not only develop good soccer players, but good citizens.”

Andy is the type of coach you would want for your kids.  That is a compliment that is very, very tough to beat indeed.

Korrio understands it is your passion for coaching kids that drives you. We also know that the less time you spend dealing with administrative, communication and automation hassles, and the more time you spend on the field, the happier you’ll be. And because you play a crucial role in our children’s lives, we want you spending as much time as possible coaching our kids. Korrio offers a modern approach to coaching by allowing new ways to communicate and develop a community on and off the field. Congratulations to the ISN Star of Coaching this month!