With the Ides of March quickly coming upon us and the budding of the blossoms on the trees; I think I can feel a hint of spring and the warmth it brings… Yeah Right! It’s more like the freezing Hollister wind jetting through town and me, cupping my hands together, blowing into them and then rubbing my hands on my arms to get the friction warmth, while I dance around pretending that I’m not cold.  

Although, I am looking like I need to find a restroom while snapping photos, the ladies of Hollister United were enjoying their first session of Camp Munoz.  The camp is being held at Rancho San Justo Middle School over the next 4 weeks.

Coach Munoz hold’s several Coaching Licenses – F, E, E/D, National D, and CYSA Goalkeeping.  Backing up his credentials are years of experience coaching and his team’s winning records.

Some of his coaching highlights are: 

2 years at Monte Vista Christian High as Girl's Varsity Coach. 

1 year as Assistant Coach of Men's Soccer team at UCSC. The Banana Slugs reached the Division III NCAA Finals.  

3 years at Scotts Valley High as Girls Varsity Coach. Teams have made the CCS playoffs 2 of 3 years. This season the team reached the Division III finals. Had a overall record of 14-4-4. Scotts Valley High has only had a Varsity program for the past 3 years.

17 years of coaching both Boy and Girl's teams in Santa Cruz County. Teams have ranged from U-9 to U-18.  Both Boys and Girls teams have been past District II Champions and have been Champions or placed in numerous Tournaments throughout California.

This past year, Coach Munoz’s U-15 Girls Arsenal team were District II Champions, placed third in the Union City U-16 team and were Champions of the Hayward U-16 Tournament.  Also, his U-18 Girls Blaze team were champions of the Delgado league and the U-18 Hayward Tournament.

With all his expertise, Coach Munoz put the girls through their paces and worked with them on controlling the ball.  Getting as many touches on the ball as possible with specially tailored drills is vital for this team and the individual players.  The girls may have been worn out at the end of practice, but they had smiles on their faces.

The girls were not the only ones learning new techniques; I witnessed some frantic note taking by the coaches. 

We would like to thank Coach Munoz for his guidance and are extremely pleased that he is able to take the time and effort to put on this camp.  It may be cold under the lights at Rancho, but this is just one more step for putting the girls on a path for a winning season. 

Now if I can just find some portable outdoor heaters I’d be set…