National D

I just finished taking the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) D license course in Washington, DC. It was hosted by DC Stoddert Soccer and the lead instructor was Len Oliver. I won’t know the final results for another 4-6 weeks, but I’m pretty confident that I achieved the national license level. My goal is still to obtain the national C license before deciding anything further. The C level and beyond is a major commitment of time and money. That’s why I did not set my goal any higher than C for now.

Len Oliver is quite an amazing guy and his course was equally enjoyable. Len is a former national and professional player. He has helped to move the sport forward in the US as much as anyone in the history of the sport here (save maybe Pele). He has trained over 4200 coaches since beginning this role as a coaching instructor. He knows many people in the sport and attends most, if not all, of the DC United games at home. Len has a great love and knowledge of the game at a level you rarely see in the US. What is truly amazing is that even at his age he still gets out there and does his part to further the sport. He is still an active coach with DC Stoddert and instructs new coaches through the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) regularly. I’m glad to have been one of those coaches.