It is with a great deal,of gratitude and humility, that I have the opportunity to speak on behalf of my very good friend and soccer compatriot, Vinicius dos Santos. I first observed Vinicius in 1997, training youth at a inter city club in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Pequeninos os do Jockey. Vinicius was clearly very well organized, prepared and most importantly, had the undivided attention of the players. Since that time, Vinicius and I have colloborated on many different projects, here in the U.S., including training sessions for both youth and college, summer camps, tours to Brazil, futsal training, and, one on one private sessions. Vinicius lives the "beautiful" game, and from every aspect. For those fortunate enough to have had personally been trained by Vinicius, or had their children trained by Vinicius, know of where I speak. It is with a great deal of confidence that I offer these observations. I personally have coached for over 45 years, hold the highest licences/diplomas, played at the highest levels, and am a founder of the Westfield Soccer Association, one of the largest youth soccer programs in New Jersey.
KEITH HERTELL / President and Head Coach - Central Jersey Stars - Westfield, NJ
Our son started playing soccer when he was in kindergarten and saw action with school teams, City of Phoenix rec teams, Sereno Soccer club (co-captain) and Brophy College Prep (co-captain). He also was awarded an academic and athletic scholarship to play D1 college soccer at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY and started all games starting with his Freshman year. Throughout his soccer career conditioning, ball control, mental skills and team play were highly coached elements. It wasn’t until our introduction to Futsal did we realize how much more could be accomplished. Futsal takes the game to a totally new dimension. The foot skills, timing, balance, speed, accurate passing, need for quick thinking and confidence went over the top. Playing on a small pitch (indoors basketball court) and usually a 5 v 5 configuration emphasizes the use of a greater skill set than is typical seen on a regulation pitch. Futsal was a very positive activity for our son and he and his teammates were the beneficiaries of this experience and coaching.
GARY LEBLANC, Parent
I met Vinicius over 10 years ago, coaching against each other. I was amazed with the technical ability and tactical knowledge of his team and emulated my team to play like his. I mean, who better to copy than the person who literally wrote the book on the Brazilian Box Midfield! Since then, we have become lifelong friends. I spent time with him in Phoenix to watch him coach and even traveled to Brazil to watch games with him. His knowledge and expertise is second to none and he understands the most important aspect to developing a high level soccer player- their comfort on the ball, which comes from learning technique. He is an expert in futsal training. To say I highly recommend him to train your child is an understatement.
GABRIEL NOSSIER / Owner International Indoor Soccer Arena - Albuquerque, NM / www.internationalindoor.com / aclearmind.com
While playing under Vinicius, one of the tactics he implemented to hone our skills was through playing futsal. As a player, we didn't have many places to do so except through game situations and through futsal. I was able to learn a great sense of first touch and better my technique. During my time spent playing under Vini's guidance, I picked up a sense of rhythm and flare to my game. I attribute the development of my quickness and ability to read and asses situations to playing futsal.
NOEL GUEVARA / Former Sereno Soccer Club (Phoenix,AZ) & NAU player (Flagstaff, AZ)
Our daughter had many soccer coaches over the years, but excelled under the guidance of Vinicius Dos Santos. He instilled a love for the game of soccer and used futsal as a way to build her confidence with her ball skills. He has shared his passion for soccer and futsal with many players. He makes development fun and "Jogo Bonito".
JOHN & DEBORA GUEVARA / Soccer Parents - Sereno Soccer Club - Phoenix, A