2022 Coaches Corner
Our coaches are the heart and soul of our club, and we wanted to see what some of the best moments of this season were in their minds! Keep reading for some great stories from our Salvo Coaches!
Christian Smith
2011 B South Crimson, 2013 B South Red
One empowering story is my U10 Center Defender learned to lead this season. He was such an introverted kid but by the end of the season, he was calling out marks on corners!! It’s moments like these that make us coaches grin.
Kim Soltis
2009 Girls East Red
We may have not have had the record that we hoped for, but one girl came up to me saying "Coach, this is the funnest season I have ever had!" That was the most wholesome moment I have ever had as a coach :)
Andrew Bettes
2010B East Steel
Finishing out our team's final game of the fall season with a game winning goal scored in the last minutes from Alex Derks!
It was awesome to see all of our players run together on the field and celebrate their earned victory together !!
Andrés Leza
Travel Director & Boys U15-19 HP Lead
All admin staff for their behind the scenes work to make things go. Specifically, Tara Rasmussen on the boys side for helping me stay afloat in the deep waters of Salvo SC & youth soccer during my first 6 months at the club. Thank you!!
Byron Wolt
Lead Community Coach
What a great year 2022 has been!
In the summer of 2022, I saw some of the first 5-year-old community soccer players I ever coached playing travel soccer. Watching those kids go from the soccer scrum of little 5-year-olds to now playing positions, making soccer decisions, communicating on the field, moving the ball, defending as a team, and having fun is AMAZING and a definite highlight. It reminded me that youth development is a process. Trust the process. If they keep playing, they can get there.
Helping families make decisions to play soccer at the best level for them is a highlight. Seeing parents becoming soccer friends is pretty cool.
Hearing the little one’s giggle as they play is a highlight. Seeing the smile on a kid’s face when they make a good play. Seeing that smile become BIGGER when their good play is recognized by the coach and players is even better. Being part of young players experiencing the joy of the game has been an almost daily highlight of 2022.
In 2022, I’ve seen many ESPN quality Top 10 highlights!
I have seen many kids’ score their first EVER GOOOOOAAAL!
I have watched many kids stop a sure goal by pure hustle getting back to save the day.
I’m happy to see the improvement of kiddos who go from one touch and out of bounds to making moves, scoring goals, and passing right to the feet of their teammates. This is an ongoing highlight.
In 2022, I’ve seen so much growth in so many young people.
I’ve seen kids be good friends, teammates, and competitors with other players they didn’t know before.
I saw kids who cried every time they were tagged, knocked out, or scored against last year become focused, determined, and resilient when things don’t go their way.
I have watched kids who were so shy that they would cling to their parents’ legs as soccer began to arrive early, ready, and excited to play. Again, youth development is a process.
Hearing of one long time community player was scoring a lot of goals in her first year of competitive travel soccer tell her coach “the goals are so big” after playing on our little Pugg goals for so many years.
Heard a dad confuse the names of his twins (just like I did every week) as I watched former long-term community soccer playing twins dominating on the field in their first year of playing travel soccer.
Seeing half of a group of ten 5-year-olds spreading out and passing the ball was as super highlight. It is not common for 5-year-olds to spread out and pass the ball, so it was very exciting and memorable.
Seeing the face on the young player and parent when I tell them something good the player did on the field that day is an amazing experience and a frequent highlight.
Hearing the excitement from families who attended their first Loon or Aurora game is a highlight.
I’ve seen kids struggle with understanding they have to run around the net in See Ya, remember to run around the net is a highlight. Watching kids listen to the questions and decide if they should go or not is a highlight.
Finding an activity for each player to have success at is a highlight.
Playing See Ya, Pac Man (Bulldogs & Poodles for the Woodbury crowd), and my version of Chase the Coach are almost always a highlight for me.
See the improvement among so many U7-U8 Community + players as they go from a swarm and 4 v 4 to understanding the positions of playing 7 v 7 is a highlight. Looking forward to Community + coming to the South in Rosemount and Farmington is a highlight too.
In 2022, I’ve met AMAZING people.
Being ‘famous’ is a highlight. I never get tired of hearing someone say “Coach Byron” at Target and other places including Allianz Field for a Loons game. I have heard from many families that my voice is in the background of their family soccer videos and that they are smiling when they tell me about it is pretty cool.
Getting to meet and talk with so many wonderful parents and grandparents over 2022 is a highlight. Helping families navigate the world of soccer and enjoying the beautiful game is a continuous highlight.
Learning about so many things beyond soccer of the people I talk to is a highlight.
In Summer of 2022, camps were a highlight for me.
The heat was NOT a highlight, but having fun playing soccer with others all day long was a highlight.
Hearing stories from parents at check in about activities that their kids kept talking about when they get home is a highlight.
Success stories of players using what they practiced at camp is a highlight. There were many examples but my two favorites were: Hearing a player who almost never voluntarily used her left foot scored a left footed goal after an afternoon specifically working on her left foot. Hearing that a camp counselor who won our Cross-Bar Challenge at camp scored the game winning goal at her final game of the season - off the cross bar.
Seeing and really getting to know the players who come to multiple camps is a highlight.
Accidentally sending a silly song I made up about surviving summer camps to almost all of the Camp Coaches I worked this summer instead of just to one coach I wanted to send it to was a highlight. It was also a reminder to verify who I am texting before hitting send.
In 2022, working with wonderful other coaches was a highlight.
Hearing the stories of the coaches who have played the game at a high level for club, high school, college, and even professionally is a highlight for sure.
Being able to help 400+ volunteer coaches have more fun with less stress as they give up their time to and step up to coach is a highlight. We can’t run our program without them.
Having players who guest-played on a team I coached when they were 12, now giving back to the game working as a community coach for their summer job is a highlight. Helping high school students get volunteer hours helping little ones is a win for the young players a win for the older volunteers and a win for the club and a highlight too.
2022 was a GREAT year on the field. I am very thankful for the privilege of being able to work with the little ones and their parents in 2022. I am very excited for 2023! Hope to see you next year!