History

Growing up, I had an inspirational person helping me along and teaching me how to play soccer

and what it meant to be a goalkeeper…, my Father.  He played goalkeeper at The Ohio State University for two years and was captain his senior year.  I was also fortunate in the sense that my father knew when he couldn’t teach me anymore and I found myself looking for a coach in a specialty position to help me progress.  What I found was that specialty coaches were very hard to find.

Does that story sound familiar?  

Fast forward to after my playing career to where I had been coaching at Barrington High School for 10 years and doing some club training here and there.  I decided to convert all the way into the club system.  In the years that followed I started to coach in the Olympic Development Program (ODP), coached goalkeepers at a few different clubs, and did a small stint in DePaul University Women’s program.  However even after exploring all these programs, I still was not content because I was looking to make an impact in the game of soccer.

I was in the process of leaving the club HUSA because they were changing their direction and I had thought about trying to start my own goalkeeping academy.  Intimidated, I decided to join Campton United instead.  While at Campton United, the job was only part time so I decided to coach other clubs as well including Elk Grove Arsenal, NSA, Barrington F.C., and Naperville Lightning.  I also started to coach on Regional ODP Staff and at Concordia of Chicago Men and Women’s program.  Still, I was not satisfied with what I was doing because I was not having the impact I wanted.

In January of 2005, I got a chance to travel to Florida with the Illinois ODP State Team as a coach to play some friendlies against our US U17 National Team at Bradenton.  Winter was in full swing back in Chicago, and it was nice to get away to some nice weather.  One morning, the coaching staff and I went down to check out the IMG Academy training grounds to see the whole facility.  It was and an amazing place…a place to train outside all year around.  The juices started to flow, the brain started to turn on and I was thinking, what am I doing with my life?  I was training some keeper’s here and there when the weather was nice outside but nothing on a consistent basis.  What I wouldn’t give to be able to train keepers all year around.

In was in the van driving back to the hotel while, looking at the water and, palm trees that I had the epiphany and said to myself, time for a change.

On the flight back I started to think about how I was going to do this.  One of my best friends loved the idea of starting a goalkeeper academy so he offered to help me by welcoming me back to Barrington High School’s soccer program while I worked out the details.  While coaching there, I also picked up Elk Grove Travel, Campton United, and KUFC as clubs and started to do small group training for goalkeepers.  PAWS Goalkeeper Academy was finally coming together.

The reason for starting PAWS Goalkeeper Academy was to offer goalkeepers looking for specialized training the opportunity I did not have as a young goalkeeper.  My staff and I are committed to helping you become the best goalkeeper you can be.  PAWS is "Where goalkeepers are trained".