Joe Cannon has over a decade of soccer experience at the professional level. As a goalkeeper, his resume includes stints with Major League Soccer teams such as the San Jose Earthquakes, Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy. His outstanding career has seen a 2001 MLS Cup Championship with the Quakes and two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year awards, including multiple Defender of the Year and Most Valuable Player team awards, in addition to appearances with the U.S. Men’s National Team. Joe has also been highly involved in his California-based community, working with autistic children at the Independent Peer Socialization Training Program and founding soccer camps in the Bay Area.

As one of the most experienced American goalkeepers at the professional level, Joe joins the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to share his journey in soccer, goalkeeping and becoming a top MLS goalkeeper. Included in this new, regular feature for www.NSCAA.com will be insights on the life of an MLS player, his thoughts on goalkeeper training in the U.S., an MLS player’s advice for the youth soccer parent and more. In his first posting, Joe describes how his long-time club coach, Alberto Montoya, impacted his life as a soccer player and as a person. You can read Joe’s personal blog at http://goalkeeperguru.blogspot.ca/.

“While most young Cuban boys idolized boxers and baseball players, Alberto Montoya had another dream: soccer. Alberto's passion for the sport went way beyond normal. After suffering second degree burns that prevented him from walking, Alberto convinced locals he could play goalkeeper while keeping himself upright on his hands and heels. In the early 1980's, Alberto brought his family and a few possessions to the United States to start a better life. He also brought his passion for the game of soccer.

I was 10 years old when I met Alberto at tryouts for a soccer team called the Shooting Stars.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  In the quiet suburban town of Los Altos, Calif., Tony Montana (Scarface reference) himself was coaching our team.  The temper, the yelling, the passion and emotion – it was all there.

The Shooting Stars went on to become the most successful boy’s club team in history of California Youth Soccer Association – North. We won five state cups, two regional titles and a national championship with that team.  After playing for Alberto for so many years, here are the top three lessons I have learned that are invaluable when coaching:

1. Passion:  You cannot just be passionate about a sport if you want to be a successful coach, you have to be passionate about your team.  You must make the first move in motivating them through your own energy and knowledge of the game.

Alberto would yell, laugh, cry and be emotional with his players.  He would watch videos, read books and go to coaching seminars in order to learn more to not only help himself, but help his team. The players understood their coach's passion, and most learned through him what it meant to have a passion for something.  

2. Sport is life:  Find this connection.  Do your best to teach life lessons through your coaching.

Alberto was the first person who told my dad that if I worked hard, I could get a college scholarship.  I was fixated and determined.  Most young players these days do not have specific goals, so get to know them and help them create their own.  This goal setting mechanism is so important not only in sport, but life as well.

3. Your word is stronger than you think:  As coaches, it is sometimes difficult to relate to younger players and imagine their thoughts.  For every kid you think might be ignoring your words, I promise there is another one who is hanging on to them.

As a young player, I would take the compliments and criticisms from Alberto to heart.  They made me feel great or ruined my day.  It took a lot of self-belief to get through some dark times, but it took a lot more constructive criticism to help me find my game and my self-esteem.

I played for Alberto for a decade and consider him to be the biggest soccer influence in my career.  Without him, I would never love the sport as much as I do, and I most certainly never would have become a professional soccer player.  It is in his spirit that I started this blog and my affiliation with the NSCAA.  I learned so much from my youth coach that now it's time to start giving back.”

Visit http://goalkeeperguru.blogspot.ca/ to read more from Joe.

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