The past few months have been nothing short of amazing for the Fox Soccer Academy organization, both in the United States and abroad. Particularly in New York, this Fall has been quite an exciting time with the announcement of our FSA PREMIER travel teams as well as the Division Championship earned by 1st-year semi-pro squad, FSA PRO.
All of these recent accomplishments and growth stem from the hard work and dedication from not only Christian Fuchs, but the entire FSA staff including Program Director, Michael Holzer. It's been quite the ride for Michael as he was appointed to his position in the early Fall months and has been able to achieve wonderful momentum and success in a short period of time. Well, Michael has an upcoming ride that will surely be a trip of a lifetime...
Michael is set to go across the pond to meet with Christian Fuchs and several Leicester City FC (LCFC) sporting members including legendary manager, Brendan Rodgers. LCFC is on quite a tear right now with 8 straight victories and it was no surprise to hear the recent announcement of Brendan Rogers signing a contract extension.
Michael is also scheduled to meet his FSA colleagues and counterparts such as UK Program Director, Mark Smith. This trip will certainly be a mix of business and fun, but the main purpose of Michael's visit is to sit down with all of these professionals and to expand his learnings. The goal is to implement all of the advice and guidance into the FSA NY programs. The timing of this trip could not be better as both Fox Family's are moving in the right direction with massive goals ahead. The excitement from Michael and Christian cannot be contained...read below for some quotes from both of your leaders regarding their upcoming rendezvous in the UK:
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ABOUT HIS TRIP
You've won a Division Championship with FSA PRO in their 1st season and are headed to England to train with Leicester City FC all in just a few months. Describe your experience so far working with Fox Soccer Academy and Christian Fuchs and what this has all meant to you?
It has been simply amazing. To be crowned champions of the Fall 2019 UPSL Northeast D1 in our 1st-ever season is a tremendous achievement for the club where all staff members on and off the field have contributed. Furthermore, our newly built FSA PREMIER Youth Program that is about to begin in the Spring of 2020 has attracted over 200 girls and boys in our latest tryout. I’m very happy and proud about how much the club has developed in just the past 4 months.
My upcoming training week with Leicester City FC of the Premier League is something every kid dreams of. Shadowing Brendan Rodgers, who is one of the best coaches in the world, is going to be a priceless experience. Getting to meet and learn from Christian's teammates such as Premier League Champion, Jamie Vardy, is going to be something truly special. I want to thank Raluca and Christian Fuchs for this opportunity and I've loved every second of building this program with them.
You plan on sitting down with Brendan Rodgers and his staff. Describe what it means to be learning from such an experienced and successful Manager at the highest professional level of the game?
I’m so grateful that Christian has provided me with this opportunity. I’m eager to learn and study under Brendan Rodgers as much as I can and implement my learning towards FSA PRO and FSA PREMIER. We're trying to build a certain culture within FSA and this trip will help push our club into the professional direction we’re aiming. I’m also looking forward to see the preparations off the field...all the work that is done in the background by the assistant coaches, technology they’re using, and of course the training pitch intensity.
You are also meeting the FSA PRO team based in Leicester and the UK Program Director, Mark Smith. How excited are you to meet your colleagues and what will you be taking away from their program model and successes?
I am very excited about meeting my colleagues. It will be interesting to see where our current US FSA PRO team stands compared to the UK FSA PRO club. I’m particularly looking forward to meeting UK Program Director, Mark Smith. Christian has told me great things about him and I'm excited to exchange ideas and philosophies. A friendly against UK FSA PRO is definitely something we want to make happen in the near future.
How do you plan on implementing what you learn towards FSA PREMIER and growing the new travel clubs within Fox Soccer Academy here in NY?
I want to implement as much as possible from tactics, to style of play, to the professionalism of a top-level club. We want to build one of the best academies in the United States within the next few years and we’re on the right track. With our facilities, expertise of a current Premier League player, and a knowledgeable staff, we believe we can achieve our goals.
INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTIAN ABOUT WELCOMING MICHAEL TO THE UK
It's been an amazing season thus far for your FSA PRO teams across each country. We're entering a new year and a new decade. Describe what you are most excited about in the near future across all of your FSA teams and programs?
The development of our program in such a short amount of time has been phenomenal. Our US home of Hudson Sports Complex in Warwick, NY has provided us a venue with enormous possibilities. Our goal is to help players of any age and level to improve their soccer abilities and to enjoy the beautiful game.
I am very much looking forward to the upcoming Spring months for our US based teams as both FSA PRO and FSA PREMIER programs will be taking off. FSA PRO just won a Division Championship in their first season together and our FSA PREMIER travel clubs are set to kickoff their inaugural games which I might be able to see in person! I may be in New York for the start of our FSA PREMIER teams because my schedule in the English Premier League allows me to fly over. The development of players is my biggest goal for anybody joining Fox Soccer Academy.
How has your relationship with Coach Holzer developed over the last couple months and how important is this trip for you and him towards continuing to develop FSA and now the FSA PREMIER club teams?
It always takes some time for anybody joining a new organization to settle in, but Michael had no problem doing so. He is a very hard worker and we both share the same vision of player development. He joined FSA for a 3-month trial period in which he convinced us very early about his qualities and his vision. He has a good amount of experience having played professional soccer himself in Europe and in the USA. He has also directed local clubs and their academies for the past few years. He is always eager to learn more which for me is the most important part besides his qualities as a coach. We are communicating on a daily basis to make sure Fox Soccer Academy will be the go-to academy in the Hudson Valley and beyond for soccer training, development, and travel clubs. He is a great addition to our FSA Family and I can't wait to have him over in the UK.
