In this month's Coaches Profile, we are excited to introduce Coach Victor Aguilar who leads BVB 09/10 - Black Teams. Below we asked Coach Aguilar a series of questions to provide insights on what has led him into the coaching world, fun facts about him, and advice he would give to young upcoming players.
What motivated you to begin your journey as a soccer coach, and what brings you the most joy in coaching?
My coaching journey wasn't something I had planned or something I was seeking. I played soccer up until high school, but coaching never crossed my mind. I guess you can say the sport found me, thru my kids. My daughter, the oldest at the time, wanted to play soccer. We started looking for a team, signed her up, and the rest is history. What triggered the coaching was the training my daughter was getting. The coach was inexperienced and the training was subpar, I didn't feel it was benefiting her. After that season with no prior coaching experience, I decided to start my own team and start teaching the beautiful game.
Here we are 12 years later and counting. It's been quite the experience, it's taught me a lot, and has helped me grow as a person. My biggest satisfaction, joy, is witnessing my players develop individually and watching them achieve personal breakthroughs, goals. As a team, I love seeing them achieve team success as collective, thru all the hard work they put in as a team.
Can you describe a coaching moment that stands out as one of your greatest achievements?
There are 2 moments that stand out, obtaining my USSF D license and winning my clubs/teams first league championship when I was independent. My D license means a lot because I obtained that on my own. I didn't have any guidance or mentor to help me thru the process, but I got it done. My first time ever winning a league championship was special. We put a lot of hard work into that season, parents, players, and coaches. Again, shows that with hard work, determination, and consistency anything can be accomplished in life.
What’s something unique or surprising about you that people might not expect?
Music, I love music, it's been a big part of my life. I listen to a broad range of music, it's good for the soul. It brings people together, it's uplifting when you're down, helps break the ice when meeting new friends, and broadens your horizons to other cultures.
Who has had the biggest impact on your coaching philosophy, and how has their influence shaped your approach to leading teams?
Definitely would have to say Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool FC. The possession, high energy, intense, style of play along with a strong team collective is what attracted me. What I loved about Klopp's leadership was the relationships he built around himself, you could see that it wasn't just about the game of football, he cared about people beyond the sport. The energy, the connection he had with the fans and the ability he had to make everyone around him better was awesome to see. Aside from winning silverware, he turned doubters into believers. Showed everyone what hard work and consistency do with the right mindset.
What guidance would you offer to young players looking to enhance their skills and reach their goals?
To all current, young, and upcoming footballers I would say this. Enjoy and love the process of development. Stay focused, ask questions, be consistent, be coachable, give 100% effort and always do your best. Very important to have a strong, positive, resilient mindset, keep in mind the way you train is how you're going to play and do everything in life. Success doesn't come easy so go the extra mile, get some 1 on 1 training sessions, work on your weaknesses and sharpen your strengths, play pick up games, and the most important thing of all, HAVE FUN!!
Benjamin Grajeda
Communications Specialist
BVBIA - El Paso