Kevin Sparks - 98 Boys White

Kevin is a native of Bloomington and grew up playing and learning the game of soccer in the Cutters Soccer Club.  As a player, Kevin won back to back state championships for the Cutters Soccer Club during his U18 and U19 seasons.  Kevin attended IU and was a member of the IU men’s soccer team.  During his time at IU Kevin became involved with the club coaching in the Cutters Academy as a trainer.  Kevin spent 4 years as a varsity assistant for Bloomington HS South before being named the head varsity coach in 2011.  Kevin holds the USSF “D” Coaching license.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: I coach youth soccer because when I was playing youth soccer I was given some amazing opportunities that allowed me to take my passion for the game to high levels.  It’s very rewarding to provide our local youth with the same opportunities.

Carl Salzmann - 95 Boys White

Carl is a young and passionate coach who has been coaching soccer over at Edgewood High School for two years. He also assisted with Cutters travel team before he took the current coaching responsibility with Cutters 95 Boys White. Carl holds the USSF “E” Coaching license.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: I love the game and I want to see soccer grow in the community. I also feel that soccer, as an organized team sport, teaches our youth skills that will help them later in life such as responsibility, teamwork, orginization, perseverance, sportsmanship, leadership and so on.

Coach Tony Starks

Coach Tony Starks is originally from Lafayette, Indiana and began coaching with the Lil’ Mavs Soccer Club while still in high school.   While attending undergrad at Indiana University, Tony worked as a trainer in the Cutters Community Soccer program.  After graduation, Tony received a teaching position with Bloomington North High School and has continued his coaching development as an assistant with the North Girl’s soccer team.   Tony holds the USSF “E” License and the NSCAA State Goal Keeper Diploma.

Why I coach youth soccer: “Soccer is a beautiful game that teaches so much more than how to kick a ball. A good soccer team is built around the concepts of hard work and fun. By sharing difficult and enjoyable experiences with teammates, soccer helps develop special bonds between players and coaches. Most importantly, soccer teaches you life lessons like dealing with adversity, building confidence and trust, the benefits of hard work, and the importance of cooperation.  While I am a fierce competitor, my true passion is teaching young people how to do things and how to do them the RIGHT way. Soccer provides a fun and relaxing environment to learn these challenging life skills.  That’s why I coach”.

Jeff Thomas - 97 Girls

Jeff Thomas is the current coach of the 97 Cutters Girls travel team. Originally from New Zealand he is a long time Bloomington resident and father of three current players at Cutters. Jeff is currently also Volunteer Assistant Coach for the IU Women’s team.  He previously coached the Cutters 98 boys and was an assistant with the Bloomington High School South Girl’s team.  In 2008, Jeff received the honor of Recreational Coach of the Year from the Indiana Youth Soccer Association. He holds the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, the USSF “C” License, NSCAA Level 1&2 Goal Keeping diplomas and the USSF National Youth License.

Why I coach youth soccer: My coaching philosophy for youth players is to try to make every day challenging but fun for the players, and to help them develop a love of the game regardless of results or performance. I know that the players I coach are spending only part of their soccer journey with me, but I seek to improve a player’s technical ability when the opportunity to instruct them arrives.  I want to build self-reliance, a sense of responsibility, fair play, and shared teamwork among all the players on my teams.  And in the end, I hope for them to enjoy soccer as much as I do.

Peter Van Leusen 96 Boys Red

Originally from Germany, Peter grew up playing and learning the game of soccer for his local club KTSV Preussen Krefeld.  Peter came to the states to attend school at  Goldley- Beacom College where he was an All-American for the GBC Lightning.   Peter began coaching in Delaware and was a state ODP staff coach for three years.  Peter’s studies brought him west to Louisville where he coached for the Javanon S.C. before moving to Bloomington to begin work on his PhD.  Peter has been active on the Cutters coaching staff since 2008.  Peter holds the USSF “D” License and the NSCAA Regional Diploma.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: The game of soccer has taught me many important life lessons, connected me with players from all over the world, and provided me with opportunities which I would not have had otherwise. My goal is to share some of these experience through coaching youth soccer while learning from and about my players at the same time.

Coach Darren Wright

Darren is originally from Nashville, TN and relocated to Bloomington after finishing his graduate degree at the University of Missouri.  Darren grew up playing youth soccer for the Nashville Sting where his team won a state championship and appeared in the finals on several occasions.   In College, Darren was the captain of his Kentucky Wesleyan team from 2003-2006 and was Academic All-Conference each year.   After college, Darren began coaching for a program in Kentucky called Top Soccer
working with handicapped youth who wanted to play sports.  From 2005-2006 he coached the U14 boys Henderson Flash club team in Kentucky before heading to Missouri for graduate school.  During his time in Columbia, he coached the 92 Boys for the Columbia Pride Soccer Club for two years.   Darren hold the USSF F Coaching License.

Why I coach youth soccer: For me, youth soccer is a combination of two wonderful things, soccer
and youth. Having played soccer since the age of 4, it is a game thatI know and love. Not only is it a fun game to play, but it has helped teach me about a number of important things in life includingteamwork, discipline, respect, the benefits of hard work, the benefits of practice, leadership, respect, and courage. Similarly, having worked with youth through coaching and teaching for the past 7 years I find myself amazed by young people on a regular basis. I enjoy both teaching and learning from them and am encouraged by the reality that they are our future, but I also understand they need guidance through the process of becoming the future. Ultimately, youth soccer is a combination of two things I am passionate about and coaching youth soccer allows me to interact with them both on a regular basis. It also provides a natural framework through which I can help young people develop both as soccer players and as individuals.