USD Magazine, Summer 2003

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instrumental in helping found Goals for Children in 200 I, says Noah Gins, president of the group, director of Pro Select and director of coaching for Albion. "As a soccer coach, he's extremely committed, extremely passionate;· says Gins, who was Gonzales' former teammate on the Flash. "There's a lot that goes into coaching youth soccer, and he goes the extra mile to coach the kids." In 200 I, Gonzales took over training for a girls under-14 Albion team, which advanced to the playoff semifinals for the first time. Albion Club players Leigha Valenti and Brittany Sauls, both 14, were selected for the January trip to Brazil, where their team played four matches and finished with a 2-1-1 record. Both say the experience was a dream, but add that their coach constantly emphasizes the reality of getting good grades if they want to play soccer in college or professionally. "He's like an extra dad, he's very understanding," Valenti says, while Sauls adds: "If he's not coaching, he's helping under– privileged kids. His whole life is soccer."

international training for Pro Select, a business that offers camps and clinics for advanced youth players. Last year, Pro Select sent Gonzales and a handpicked boys team to compete in Brazil, which after winning five World Cup championships is known as the soccer capital of the world. A girls team followed in January. The kids played at a professional training facility, and learned how Brazilians play the game. In the midst of his other jobs, Gonzales is a program director for Goals for Children, a non– profit group that presents moti– vational talks to disadvantaged children at schools,YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs and other after-school programs in San Diego.The group reaches 200 to 300 children a week. "We speak to them about being a college athlete or a pro– fessional athlete," Gonzales says. "We talk about how to set goals if you want to go to college or play (professional) sports." The group also raises money to provide recreational opportu– nities. It pays registration fees for sports, and even covered some travel expenses for the Brazil soccer clinic. Gonzales was

o! Go! Go!" barks Carlos Gonzales '97, as pairs of teen– age girls deftly maneuver through an obstacle course of flagpole markers. "It's for speed and agility," says the 29-year-old Gonzales of the foot drill. But he knows that for kids, soccer is much more than dribbling the ball and scoring goals. On the field, Gonzales gets the best out of his players. Off the field, he shows them how to get the best out of themselves. "I incorporate not only soccer skills, but life skills that will help them beyond the soccer field - commitment and compassion for what they do in life," Gonzales says."I have seen what soccer has provided for me.Without soccer, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to go outside of (his home state of) Arizona.

It was an avenue for me to experience more."

Gonzales was a four-year play– er for the Toreros. After graduat– ing, he joined the now-defunct San Diego Flash, a professional team.When two knee injuries waylaid his childhood dream of a long professional career, Gonzales turned to coaching as a way to pass on the opportuni– ties he found in the sport. "I couldn't play for myself any– more, so I wanted to find a way to give back to the community and to youth;' says Gonzales, who began kicking a soccer ball in the first grade."I found that I could give my experience and my knowledge of the game to kids." Gonzales is assistant director of the Albion Soccer Club, a consortium of about 20 youth teams that train and travel to compete against other club teams. He also is director of

- Cecilia Chan

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