Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Robins.
Hi Paul, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I moved over from England in 2007 to play soccer at St. Joseph’s college of Maine. After I completed my degree and received my Bachelors in Education, I moved to Orlando, Florida. I coached for a local Soccer company for the next three years until I started a soccer Academy called First Touch Sports. I started with three players at the beginning offering personal and group sessions. As I built my reputation and focused on improving the product, I found First Touch was growing and becoming one of the best programs within Central Florida. As we grew, we added new exciting programs like Striker School, Position specific camps and the OSSL (Orlando School Soccer League). Within three years, we were coaching over 400 players a week. Two years ago, we decided to add a Soccer Club called Winter Park FC. Because we were developing so many talented players from the ages of four and five, we wanted to give them a pathway to continue their development. Between First Touch Sports and Winter Park FC, we coach over 600 players weekly. Our focus is always on developing good habits with each individual and ensuring that the score is always secondary through the process.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have been very fortunate so far and have grown each year. Immediate challenges have obviously been Covid, but we are incredibly lucky to have such supportive parents. The parents are the driving force, and it’s imperative that we are always on the same page with the development of their child. This has been quite challenging as we are not the stereotypical soccer club that focuses on winning games. We want to educate our players about the game, and that can mean that sacrificing a win for long term development is necessary at the early ages. This can be not easy to understand as we are from a culture where winning is the only measure of success. We don’t see it as a win or lose but win or learn.
We’ve been impressed with First Touch Sports and Winter Park FC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
First Touch and Winter Park FC are Soccer Academies that teach young players from 3-17 how to progress technically and tactically. Our focus is always player development and creating good habits for long term success. Because of this strict philosophy and ideology, we have built a program that offers quality coaching from a player’s very first experience to Elite programs with former professional players. We have created an environment where players can learn from mistakes and are encouraged to take risks on the field. Because we are not results-driven, it means you can focus on the process and not worry about the outcome. Success will come when the process is correct. This sets us apart from other programs and is the reason why we have developed relationships with former Premier League players and Coaches that exclusively work with our academies.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We are always happy to work with other organizations that share our passion for player development and education. We offer in house training for our coaches to ensure that everyone is always adhering to the philosophy. We are always looking to expand our coaching staff for either academy.
Contact Info:
- Email: Paulrobins@firsttouchsports.com
- Website: Www.winterparkfc.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/winter_park_fc/
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