Philosophy

This is an organization that professes little. Everybody in Michigan soccer realizes the Michigan Gators FC and Michigan FC NOVA have the largest amount of professional or ex-professional soccer players on our staff. We will not teach soccer born out of a certification text- book. The type of game we will teach is the game our professionals know, the game that is alive, the game they played in the streets, in the playgrounds, in the stadiums filled with 50,000 screaming fans.

Our coaches understand they need to be in the trenches with the students. To teach the game, they must become the game for the young mind, to show them the move into space, the turn out of danger, the slight feint that relieves defensive pressure.
Our coaches understand the game is about imagination. Our staff will teach the fundamentals of the game while instilling in our players the freedoms to express him or herself, to develop an original style of play based on their knowledge and mastery of technique.

In short, boring soccer will not be accepted. It will not be accepted because it is too easy to teach. Anybody can teach a player to just boot the ball, to clear it under any condition. Anybody can teach players to kick the ball up the field to a fast player and hope for a break away. It’s too easy. It’s too boring.

When viewing our teams, expect to watch defenders who are confident enough to make runs and to build the ball from the darkest regions of the back 3rd. Look for midfielders who control the game; who can thread passes through windows of light, who can drop balls softly over the heads of terrified defenders, who can switch the field, change the pace of the game , connect in thinking to any teammate on the field. Watch the strikers make their diagonal runs, hold balls for counter-attacks, serve wall passes, turn and hit lightning bolt shots from the 18 with either their left or right foot up into the upper 90 of the net.

Now that’s exciting soccer! You can expect that from us because that’s the way we see the game. EXPECT THE SPECTACULAR!