Kicking the season off with a fresh start, JV and varsity boys soccer each have a new head coach, varsity center attacking midfielder, junior Javier Salazar said. Abraham Munoz will be taking over as head coach for JV, and David Light for the varsity team.
Stepping into his new role, Munoz said his past experience coaching elementary school soccer led him to this new job, where he hopes to continue making an impact as a mentor.
“I decided to coach because I love giving back to the students,” Munoz said. “I love the sport. It’s very beautiful to play it and to see younger adults play it. [Teaching] them how to play soccer is rewarding, so that’s why I’m coaching.”
Similarly, Light had previous experience as a coach for MLS NEXT and Silicon Valley academies, but has now settled into his new position.
“[The team] seems like a good group of nice kids, and [coaching] has been fun so far,” Light said. “I want to create a good team culture, make sure the boys are playing hard, playing competitively, giving their all and developing their skills.”
Light’s method of coaching is very straightforward, as he gives players specific feedback on how to improve their weaknesses, Salazar said. For instance, if Light noticed something wrong during a scrimmage, he would stop the game and take the team aside to give advice, Salazar said.
“I feel like a coach that really understands what their players need can really impact the team in a positive way,” Salazar said. “If players know what they need to work on and improve on, that’ll just help the team overall.”
For JV, Munoz said he believes receiving student input will help him establish an enjoyable environment and make sure practices go smoothly.
“I feel like a lot of the students respect me and they like me,” Munoz said. “I can also hear their feedback and take the time to learn what they want to do, and make this practice about them and not about me.”
Moreover, Munoz said he wants to emphasize the importance of balancing school and soccer to ensure his players are succeeding on and off the field.
“Responsibilities are important for them,” Munoz said. “Soccer is a privilege, and sports are a privilege, so if you can do well at school, by all means, join sports. But if you are not putting school first, then it’s hard to put the sport first.”
To better accommodate players’ schedules, both teams have switched from having practices every day to twice a week, which gives players more time to take care of themselves, Salazar said.
“They’re a lot lighter on us with practice, which is easier on the players for their physical health,” Salazar said. “Less practice gives the athletes [and] the team more time out of their day to recover and do their own necessities.”
Looking forward to the start of the season, Light said he hopes to see more experienced players step into their roles as leaders and support the team’s success.
“We have a really strong senior class, and I hope the seniors can provide more leadership,” Light said. “Players [must] build good team chemistry, have good tactics and playing style and [put in] hard work defensively. Go Mustangs and let’s bring home the CCS and league title.”
