Local soccer players learn the fundamentals, as well as life
lessons, at the West Coast Coaching camp
Morgan Hill
Forty-five youth soccer players sat in the shade of a large tree Wednesday, as quietly and attentively as 4- to 14-year-olds can be, as their coach chimed in with the afternoon’s lecture.
It had nothing – and everything – to do with soccer.
“Hands up if you know what the true definition of a winner is,” the coach, Bhavish Thakrar, said in a charming London accent. “What does one do?”
Like a megaphone, he echoed his audience’s responses.
“They work hard,” Thakrar said. “They’re always putting in effort – that’s right.
“They’re always working hard and they always have to be prepared to learn and be open-minded. Winners make mistakes, not deliberately, but they do. Why do they make mistakes? So they can learn from them. Learning, effort and mistakes – that goes for school work, homework and your relationships with mom and dad. Think about that stuff.”
Moments later, they were back on the fields, thus completing a synopsis of Thakrar’s popular tour of West Coast Coaching camps. Now in its third year, the circuit has already become a summer mainstay in Morgan Hill. It drew 45 South Valley youths during a five-day stop at P.A. Walsh Elementary School this week.
“We’re all about life and soccer, teaching life lessons through the game,” said Thakrar, whose coaching philosophy is centered on education, energy and enthusiasm. “We want them to enjoy it and we want them to learn. Summers are our passion. These coaches, we come from around the world to be here.”
West Coast Coaching, a Los Gatos-based company, is a melting pot of international coaching talent. It’s headed by Thakrar, 31, who came to California six years ago following a pro and semipro career in his native England. He earned a master’s degree in education at the University of Liverpool and lectures on behalf of the Positive Coaching Alliance at Stanford regularly.
Thakrar’s coaching peers are also his chaps. He is joined by Tim Moyette, 43, a youth coach for club Arsenal in London; plus Jino Perfecto, 26, and Mo Devlin, 48, who have extensive experience coaching in San Jose and Hong Kong, respectively. Together, they create an ideal learning environment for the kids, as spontaneous as the game itself.
“We want everything to look like the game of football – that makes our camp unique,” Moyette said. “We want the kids to enjoy learning, and you don’t do that by being rigid – that’s not what the game is like.”
West Coast Coaching campers were always on the move Wednesday. While Moyette’s teenage students practiced passing through defensive schemes, Thakrar’s younger players received a vigorous lesson in nutrition. Thakrar had them kick soccer balls into goals symbolizing fruits and vegetables.
“It’s very important to be healthy,” Thakrar reminded his students. “That’s going to help make us better players.”
Several parents sat and watched Wednesday, including Lisa Brookshire whose 6-year-old son Jack and 4-year-old daughter Ryan were getting their first taste of soccer.
“They haven’t had any experience with it,” Lisa said. “Now, they can’t stop talking about it when they get home. It’s amazing how they keep the kids entertained. That’s hard for anyone to do.”
Thakrar has passion for his work and makes it his point to thank the camp’s sponsor, Orchard Valley Youth Soccer League, every chance he gets.
“Without them this wouldn’t be possible,” Thakrar said. “This is something we love doing. It’s all for the children. They’re learning to respect each other, their teammates, the game and themselves.”
Beyond growing as kids, many players came out to grow as footballers.
Trevor Plummer, 9, a West Coast Coaching camp veteran, used the week to “practice tricks,” while Mike Yamaguma, 8, worked on being a better goalkeeper. But what kid doesn’t like to score?
“That’s the best part – getting goals,” Yamaguma said. “It’s just fun playing with coach ‘Bav’ and having a good time with your teammates.”
Although this year’s camp yielded a smaller turnout that last year’s (75), West Coast Coaching remains one of the most respected camps in the South Bay and Silicon Valley. It was recently named one of the top five most responsible coaching companies in the U.S. by Liberty Mutual.
“We have a strong nucleus of kids,” said Thakrar, who drew 25 campers in his first year at Morgan Hill. “Hopefully, we can keep this up.”
Wednesday’s session ended with a crescendo – West Coast Coaching World Cup. Teams went head-to-head in a tournament while the coaches paced the pitch. Each miscue merited a rewarding lesson.
“It’s okay to make a mistake,” Moyette told one player after missing a pass. “You’ll never get in trouble for making mistakes out here.”
