Today we’d like to introduce you to John Stephen.
Hi John, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It came to me when I got a call from National Youth Sports and asked if I like to coach I knew the brand my daughter and I did a season of soccer in a prior season, I responded immediately and said “Yes” LOL the best decision I made.
Being a single parent father I know personally how difficult it can be raising a child alone, I personally found it as a way to develop my child with fitness and team building. Naturally, I’m a competitive person so I was excited to start. Between friends, family and National Youth Sports, I generated kids and I created a club.
I now had a responsibility which I took pridefully and my philosophy I could teach. It was simple, to make it a great experience for everyone associated and to apply leadership and talent within my community.
San Antonio Sharks is a fun group starting with my Coach Becky who assist me with a lot from the kids to daily operations. She being a coach mom her daughter plays on the team as well. She has a great connection with the kids and has the ability to make them play at there highest potential. I hope she smiling when she reads this interview with Voyage
My soccer parents who come from many backgrounds: Military families from all over the United States, to India, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and happily looking for more international families.
Our roster is composed of two teams Team A and Team B. Some play in U.S. based tournaments with higher level of competition and other who play locally for fun. We are expanding rapidly with referrals and marketing.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
At first, I didn’t know if I was even the person qualified for this, I knew the basics but nothing technical, so by nature, I did what I know best to do and that is to invest in myself and go all in. I decided to study and take my coach’s license with the U.S. Learning Center, the highest level of licensing for soccer coaches. I also became a member of the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches.
So I was invested. I studied a lot, I was invited by many academies throughout Texas to study with them and watch many practices. I continued to learn all the aspects of soccer between collegiate athletes to professional athletes to coaches in all creditable sources.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
San Antonio Sharks is dedicated in encouraging all kids to play soccer and to try it, currently soccer is the fourth most poplar sport in the United States. We provide competitive and recreational. We offer a healthy nutritional balance agenda for the parents to educate the children with their diet. We created a bond with the NISD district in order to make sure children have a student life balance. Academics is first as we highlight students to become student athletes.
I am proud of what it is evolving to, things are changing everyday with the group we have learning and playing to new children joining and playing in our signature purple. We have the age group from six years old to 10 years old, we are expanding to other age groups in the next quarter with tryouts coming this summer.
San Antonio Sharks is a family growing to help build social networking amongst families, students, and a farm system for soccer.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like that San Antonio has great talent within the youth and has a great family stability with the culture of Texas. I would like to see more resources to playing soccer with in more communities San Antonio Sharks are currently working with a few organizations to provide our volunteer services. I want the next generation to be ranked with in Texas youth sports, scholastic sports and professional.
Contact Info:
- Email: Johnstephen@satxsharks.club
- Website: https://linktr.ee/satxsharksclub
- Instagram: @Satx_sharksclub
Image Credits
Stephanie McRoberts
Dianna Douglas
