Soccer is a game of resilience, teamwork, and drive. It takes an immense amount of physical and mental strength to push through the exhaustion, stay focused, and play at your best for 90 minutes. Coach Dan Cinelli recognizes that success on the field comes from training both the body and the mind, and he brings that approach to every athlete he works with at J Sports Academy. 

Q: Tell me about your experience in soccer. How did it all start for you and what motivated you to start coaching others?

Soccer was instilled in me at a young age. My father is from Italy and started playing soccer with me when I was just two years old. When I started playing at the youth and intramural levels, my passion for the game only grew. I was able to expand my knowledge and grow my skill set, as well as build a community within the sport. This grew my love for soccer, and it’s something that I’m happy to be a part of every day. 

Q:What do you think are the most important abilities a player needs to excel in soccer?

Excelling in soccer is much more than just your skills on the field. For me, passion, hard work, and discipline are essential to excel in the game. The players who put in the work on and off the field are the ones that are going to succeed. These are the core values that I have learned in soccer that I take with me in everything that I do, and I make sure to teach them to the athletes that I coach. 

Q: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from a coach that you hope to pass onto the athletes you coach? 

There are bad calls made on the soccer field and there are bad calls made in life. How do we learn from these calls? We should take these experiences, grow from them, and better ourselves as athletes and as individuals. 

Q: How would you describe your coaching style, and how do you adapt it to fit different types of athletes?

I’m a very laid-back coach and have an open-door policy to every child and athlete. For me, it’s important that they enjoy the experience and gain the knowledge and skills in a fun, relaxed environment. I think you get the most of our athletes when you’re not putting too much pressure on them. 

Q: What is your favorite part about coaching at J Sports Academy?  

It’s so fun being around all of the children I get to coach every day. It’s especially rewarding to see the returning campers and how much they grew as an athlete and as a person during the school year.