‘Soccer Whisperer’ of Stone Ridge

Soccer trainer/coach Joel Casas, 59, formerly of Rosendale and now of Stone Ridge, is on a mission of belief -- belief in one’s self to work hard, learn from the mistakes, and to know, as he said, “Like the Little Engine That Could, just keep saying, ‘I think I can, I think I can,’ and you will.” Casas, who has been playing soccer since he was a toddler, has been running a soccer clinic at Marbletown Park this summer (5:30-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays) and also coaches girls age 14 and under in the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) league in the fall and spring, consistently instilling a “can do” attitude.

“I was born in Mexico, where soccer was everywhere, so I started playing as soon as I could walk,” said Casas. “However, when I came to this country, nobody in my neighborhood played
soccer, so I would only play soccer with my family.” Not having friends that wanted to play soccer, Casas would juggle a soccer ball for hours. “It was a shame that youtube.com
wasn’t around when I was young, because I used to do all the freestyle juggling that would have gotten a lot of views,” he smiled and said. “My neighbors actually liked to watch me juggle even though they didn't like soccer. They often said I should join a circus.”

But Casas was serious about soccer and belief in his love of the sport and how it helped him through his childhood. “Back in the ’60s and ’70s, there was still a lot of open racism, and I often wondered why people would say bad things to me considering that I never knew who they were or did anything to them,” he said. “A priest told that they wanted me to feel bad about myself, to have low self-esteem.” The message of the cartoon version of “The Little Engine That Could” had a profound effect on him, as did sports figures like Muhammad Ali, Willie Mays and Pele, who helped him learn to raise his self-esteem.

Casas began to share that power of positive thinking with his fellow students. “I actually started teaching my teammates soccer in junior high school because the soccer coaches really didn't know much about the game,” said Casas. He tried a lot of things until he developed his
personal coaching method when he was just 17. “I had played soccer with a Haitian
community since I was 13 years old, and also at the age of 17 they brought
me to New York City, where I actually got paid to play,” Casas explained. That Haitian community was very special to him at the time. “Just about all the guys who played there were all-Americans in college, and I knew six of them went on to play pro.” The group connected Casas to the AYSO, where he got to put his method into action. “And I have been using it ever since.”

He explained how anyone that wants to play soccer in this area can be part of the Rondout Soccer Club. “The club is part of the AYSO, and they help the team with everything that they need to know about running a soccer program for kids,” said Casas. “The AYSO has come a long way, at least around here. They really have stepped up their program with the help of the Internet.” Casas was pleasantly surprised that the program shared his positive beliefs, but a bit of help was needed in putting that across to the kids. That’s where he comes in. “The problem is that the AYSO doesn't know how to teach the method to the parents so they can teach the kids,” said Casas. “You have to remember, everyone is a volunteer. But I am going to fix that problem.”

And so he started the summer program. “The main reason I support the AYSO program is the fact that we have an awesome community. All the people that help run the program are volunteers!” Casas explained how Dave Bowers, the commissioner for the AYSO program, “stepped it up” this past season by playing against other clubs. “Apparently, the kids felt that there was a lack of competition,” said Casas. With the break in the summer, he said that the kids felt like they were starting over each season. “They don't have to worry about that anymore. That’s why I started the summer clinics to help the kids be active throughout the year.”

And the clinic is open to everyone, not just AYSO members. “I want kids to feel good about what they are doing. Actually, I constantly focus on that in many ways so it really sinks in,” he said. “I have a professional agility course, and several of kids have told me that they feel
like pro athletes when they run the course,” Casas explained of the summer clinic routine. “It is not easy to run that course, but the kids love the challenge. Then there are drills that involve agility with foot skills and personal self-esteem.” He emphasized, “The self-esteem is not just for soccer, it is for kids to understand that they are capable of doing a lot of things.” Casas said the idea is to teach students to enjoy life by learning, broadening their knowledge and realizing the possibilities are endless. He also documents students’ growth, so they can see how they have evolved. “There are also a lot of pictures taken of the kids and they can see themselves online." He explained, “Most of the time I spend correcting the kids with the mistakes that they don't know are making, and that is exactly what these clinics are for. The summer time is actually the best time for them to fix the errors they were making, be it on or off the field.”

The only battle Casas has is not with the students, but rather with the weather and the field itself. “The fields are not in a condition to learn on,” he explained. Sandy Damon Sheeley, Marbletown Youth and Recreation director, who is charge of the fields, is incredibly helpful, but it’s a constant challenge to maintain them. “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but hopefully, education for the kids is more valuable than having grassy fields.”

Once the summer clinic is over, Casas will continue to coach girls 14 and under and hopes to help with the transition of teaching kids how to learn soccer “the right way,” as he said. “This community and its kids deserve the best for all their hard work. I think that it is time for them to get rewarded.”

Students can still join Casas at his summer clinic through the end of August, and for information on the AYSO fall and spring seasons too, email soccerwhisperer@yahoo.com or go to his Facebook page, Soccer Whisperer.