"Coach Vinny" 

The youngest of three brothers, Coach Vinny grew up 10 blocks above the NW line in diverse and metropolitan Washington D.C., playing and watching soccer from a very young age. Raised by an early childhood educator of the deaf and a solar energy analyst/entrepreneur, he was able to combine his mother's clear communication skills with his father's analytical curiosity into his enthusiastic and informative coaching style.  Coach Vinny currently holds his USSF 'B' license, and will be pursuing his Youth-A license, and the Pro-A license.  He prefers to take his time between licenses to grow his concepts and develop his soccer mind progressively over time. 

"Coaching soccer on the Big Island, to me, is a variable-less experiment because of how young professionally run developmental soccer is here.  It's a new frontier. This island offers a unique opportunity to structure youth soccer development cohesively in an entire district.  I'm excited for the 10 year results. And I get to be a pioneer with an amazing and supportive community in paradise!  What more can I ask for?"

-Coach Vinny on his excitement for the growing Big Island soccer culture.

While pursuing a degree in Biology at St. Mary's College of Maryland, Vince started on his DIII soccer team all four years, becoming the Captain of the team his senior year and Coaches Choice player of the year, 2 years in a row.  He was recognized as a leader and a talent by his fellow players by being gifted the St. Mary's College soccer team's coveted and revered No. 7 jersey.  

During his California tenure, he coached at UC Davis, for the men and women's club soccer teams; leading the men's team for their first ever divisional championship, and the women's team to their first regional championship.  As a player he captained the Sonoma Sol leading them to the 2007 United States Soccer Association (USASA) National Championship.  After an injury halted his playing career, Coach Vinny transposed his skill, desire and passion for the game into youth development and coaching.

While coaching and playing soccer for various organizations, Vince concurrently was pursuing a research biology career in regenerative medicine, which brought him from UC Davis to Harvard Stem Cell Institute at Massachusetts General then onto Chaminade University in Oahu.

He moved from Oahu where he coached for the Honolulu Bulls to the Big Island in the fall of 2013, not only for the love of a strong and beautiful woman (now wife) but for the creative and invigorating opportunity to spearhead a growing soccer culture on the Big Island.  Vince took on the Kona Crush Soccer Academy as the Director of Coaching where he utilized his homemade philosophies on character development, soccer development, and coaching education to create an unprecedented youth program on the island.

At the end on 2019 (with no idea what was right around the corner), Vince & Holly took a European sabbatical trip to learn & observe both futbol programs and vineyards in Netherlands & Italy. After much research and many interviews, they decided to settle down in Seattle, Washington, where Holly could further pursue her passion & career in the wine business, and Vince could expand his reach to aspiring youth. Currently he is a staff coach for OL Reign Youth Academy.

Credentials

Coach Vinny brings his love and experience of soccer and science to his serious (and more often than not- downright silly!) coaching style that youth and their families have enjoyed and responded to for many years.

For detailed credentials please check out his: