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Coach
Rafael grew up in Brazil playing many sports. His
earliest memories are of playing soccer with his friends on
the sidewalks in his city in Brazil. He competed in
several marshal arts, including Kung-Fu and Karate, and was
State Champion in Judo for 14 years. He is
accomplished in Capoeira, the ancient Brazilian marshall art
with over 400 years of history.
But
his true passion has always been for soccer, the national
sport of Brazil. His talent at scoring goals earned
him a coveted spot in a soccer training facility at the age
of 10 when he was spotted by a scout and recruited to become
a player. He became a striker, famous for his ability
to score from his powerful direct kicks. He led his
team to the state championship six times as a striker, and
won many other regional and national honors, including being
selected as as starting player on the best soccer team of
his state of Goiás, before turning professional at the age
of 18.He played all positions throughout his career but was
best known for his strength and presence in middle-field.
Parallel
to soccer, Rafael began his futsal career at the age of 14.
Futsal is the hard surface variant of soccer that demands
quick reflexes and superior foot skills. His
leadership and talent in this sport led him to his first
professional game at the age of 16, then to the state
championship for six consequetive years.
At
the age of 23, Rafael completed a degree in Engenharia Agronômica
and he began his career as a Futsal coach. His u15 and u17
teams each won the state championship twice.Even with his
other accomplishments, Rafael has always remained strongly
connected to soccer.
Coach
Rafael opened his soccer school in a move to combine his
passion for the sport with a desire to teach and run a
business. In 1988 he established the America Athletic
Society Soccer School. During the 14 years he directed the
school he trained numerous players who went on to play with
many of the great Clubs of Brazil, including Flamengo, Vasco
da Gama, Internacional, Corínthians, Cruzeiro, Vitória, as
well as several in Europe. He was the technical evaluator
for several of the most renowned clubs in Brazil from 1989
through 2001, including Corinthians, Sport Club
Internacional, Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama, Clube de
Regatas Flamengo, and the Nacional Futebol Clube.
Several of his players were selected to the to the
qualifying round of the Brazilian National Team. Altogether
Rafael placed almost 100 players in various professional
clubs.
After his
playing career Rafael returned to college life not as a
player but as a student, at the University Mackenzie,
Sao Paulo, Brazil, earning a B.S. in Chemical Engineering
and becoming a certified teacher of mathematics, chemistry
and physics. He took a break from soccer to work for the
Multinational Pepsico Co., until he received an invitation
to teach "Soccer" in the USA in 2002, where he
remains today.
In the United
States, Rafael coaches athletes by using the same philosophy
taught in the soccer academies of Brazil, emphasizing the
individual aspects of the sport. This method of
training emphasizes the individual aspects of the sport,
beginning with development of the motor coordination
necessary to the movements of soccer, and then incorporating
techniques for the development of ability and dexterity.
Rafael's players are taught to have discipline, dedication,
and team spirit not only on the soccer field but in all
areas of life.Rafael was the first coach to use Circuit
Training on his regular activities and Soccer Summer Camp,
focusing on development of young players, some as young as 3
years old. He also regularly integrates his futsal expertise
into the training sessions, enhancing players' ability to
make fast movements and sharp dribbles.
Rafael is
highly respected for his technical ability and training
capacity in the Brazilian style, including the famous
circuit training that always gives Brazilian players that
personal skill edge. He holds a professional Brazilian
coaching license as well as numerous other certifications.As
a Brazilian his passion is to make of the Soccer the sport
most popular in the country.
When he is not
coaching or playing soccer, Rafael's other pursuits include
learning languages, studying other cultures, and writing for
a variety of soccer magazines, as well as periodically
returning home to enjoy his family and farm in Brazil.
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