  It's that spooky time of year, and we're ready to celebrate with some team spirit! We are thrilled to announce our very first FC Balboa Pumpkin Carving Contest! This is your chance to show off your artistic skills and your love for the club for a chance to win some awesome, exclusive FC Balboa merch!
We can't wait to see your amazing carvings. Let's light up the neighborhood with some FC Balboa pride! How to Enter Entering is simple! Just follow these steps: 1. Choose Your Style You have two ways to show us your skills:
2. Carve & Capture Once your masterpiece is complete, take a fantastic photo. Make sure to get good lighting so we can see all the details! 3. Share & Tag This is the most important part! To officially enter, you MUST post your pumpkin photo on Instagram.
🏆 Prizes Exclusive FC Balboa merchandise awaits the most creative carvers! ⏰ Deadline All entries must be posted on Instagram by October 31st at midnight EST! Good luck, everyone!
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We recently had the chance to sit down with renowned Croatian coach Ziggy Zigante to discuss the incredible evolution of the goalkeeper position. As Ziggy explained, the days of a keeper just being a great shot-stopper are long gone. The modern game demands much more.
So, why the change? Ziggy points to a few key factors:
Ziggy emphasized that developing these skills requires a shift in training:
While foot skills are vital, Ziggy stressed that the core attributes remain critical:
Ziggy's final advice was clear: Work hard, stay focused, respect the position, be confident, and always enjoy playing the game. He also encouraged young keepers to watch various professional keepers, especially those with similar physical attributes, and learn from them, but ultimately develop their own style. At FC Balboa, we are committed to developing complete, modern goalkeepers who embody these principles – players who can command their box, make crucial saves, and confidently contribute to our team's possession and attack.  What a night for soccer in San Diego!
Last night, our city’s professional football team, San Diego FC, made history by winning their first-ever MLS playoff game, a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers at a sold-out Snapdragon Stadium. In their incredible inaugural season, SDFC has not only broken records but has captured the imagination of our entire community. For every player, coach, and parent at FC Balboa, this is more than just a local sports story. It's a source of massive inspiration. When our players turn on the TV or, even better, go to a game at Snapdragon, they are no longer just watching distant superstars. They are watching their city’s team. They are seeing players in a San Diego jersey competing and winning on the biggest stage.| That connection is powerful. It makes the dream feel real. From the Practice Field to the Big Stage Every single SDFC player started exactly where our FC Balboa players are right now: on a local field, learning the game, working on their first touch, and dreaming of one day playing under the lights. SDFC’s success shows our young athletes what is possible with dedication, teamwork, and a relentless commitment to improvement. It proves that the pathway is there. It reinforces every lesson we teach at practice: the hard work matters, tactical discipline wins games, and playing for your teammates creates a result bigger than any one person. A City United by the Beautiful Game We are building something special here at FC Balboa, centered on player development, character, and a love for the sport. SDFC’s historic season as the #1 seed in the West elevates all of football in San Diego. It raises the standard and focuses the spotlight on our city as a true football hotbed. We want to send a huge congratulations to San Diego FC on their historic first playoff win. The entire FC Balboa family is cheering you on as you continue your run for the MLS Cup. You’ve shown our players what’s possible. Now, it’s our turn to get back to the practice field and continue developing the next generation of San Diego football stars. Let's go, San Diego!  All season long, our players wear the FC Balboa crest over their hearts. It’s a symbol of their commitment to their team, their club, and the game they love. But this October, you’ll notice another color on the pitch: pink.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to honor the incredible strength of those who have fought, and are fighting, this disease. For us at FC Balboa, this cause is deeply personal. It hits home for our entire community, and especially for one of our own, Staff Coach, John Anderson, who lost his mother to breast cancer in 2016. We play for her, and for all the mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and friends who are the true backbone of our club. They are the ones driving to practices, cheering from the sidelines in all weather, and offering encouragement after a tough game. Their strength inspires us, and this month, we play for them. Throughout October, our teams will take the field wearing pink socks, armbands, and pre-wrap. It’s a small gesture, but it’s a visible, public reminder that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Each pink accessory represents a unified front, showing every family in our club affected by this disease that they are not alone. The fight against cancer requires resilience, courage, and an unbreakable team spirit. These are the very same values we strive to instill in our players every time they step on the field—to support a teammate who is struggling, to work together for a common goal, and to never give up. This month, those lessons take on a profound new meaning. We are reminded that the ultimate victory isn't measured in goals, but in our ability to lift up those around us who need it most. We invite the entire FC Balboa family to join this effort. When you come to the games this month, wear a touch of pink. Cheer a little louder for the players showing their support. Let’s transform our sidelines into a unified, powerful symbol of solidarity and hope. Together, we are more than just a club; we are a community. This October, we are proud to play for more.  There’s nothing quite like the buzz of a Saturday morning at the football fields. The smell of the grass, the sound of the ball, and the sight of our kids in their FC Balboa kits, ready to play the game they love. As parents, we are their biggest fans, and our passion for their success is immense. That passion is a huge part of what makes this club a community.
But what happens when that passion spills onto the field in the form of instructions, critiques, or frustrated yells? While it almost always comes from a place of love and a desire to help, it can have the opposite effect on our players. At FC Balboa, our mission is to develop skilled, confident, and creative football players who love the game. A positive sideline environment is absolutely critical to achieving that goal. Here’s why, and how we can all work together to create it. The Player's Perspective: Hearing Too Many Coaches Imagine you're 10 years old, trying to control a pass with a defender closing in. Your coach, who you've been working with all week, has been teaching you to turn with the ball into space. But from the sideline, you hear a parent's voice yelling, "Just kick it!" In that split second, you're faced with a choice: Do you listen to your coach, or do you listen to the parent? This creates confusion and hesitation. Instead of playing freely, the child is now worried about making the "wrong" decision and disappointing someone. This leads to: Fear of Mistakes: Players become afraid to try new skills (like dribbling past a defender) for fear of losing the ball and hearing about it from the sideline. Mistakes are essential for learning, and a fearful player is not a developing player. Reduced Creativity: The game becomes about "not messing up" rather than expressing themselves and solving problems on the field. Lost Fun: Constant instruction turns a fun game into a high-pressure performance. When the joy is gone, the motivation to play and improve quickly follows. Our Game Plan: Let the Players Play, Let the Coaches Coach As a club, we ask you to partner with us in empowering our players. Your role on the sideline is incredibly important, but it is not as a second coach. It is as their #1 supporter. A great example of promoting a positive environment locally is AYSO North Park's "Silent Saturday." On these designated Saturdays, parents and spectators are encouraged to remain silent during the game, allowing the players to communicate and solve problems on their own, and letting the coaches' voices be the primary source of instruction. It's a fantastic initiative that highlights the power of letting the kids play without constant external input. So, what’s the best way to cheer? Be a Fan, Not a Critic: Cheer for effort, hustle, and good sportsmanship for every player on the team. A "Great try!" or "Awesome hustle, Leo!" means the world. Praise the process, not just the outcome. Offer Positive Reinforcement Only: After a goal is scored against us, the players already feel down. They need encouragement like "Shake it off, Balboa, you got this!" not a breakdown of what went wrong. Trust the Process (and the Coaches): You have entrusted your child's football development to our coaching staff. Please trust them to manage the game and instruct the players from the technical area. Master the Car Ride Home: The car ride is for support, not analysis. Avoid critiquing their performance. A great approach is to simply say the six most powerful words in youth sports: "I love to watch you play." Our goal is to create an environment where our kids can develop a lifelong love for football. By working together and ensuring our sidelines are a source of positive energy, we give our players the freedom to play, learn, and grow. Let's make every FC Balboa sideline the most encouraging and supportive one in San Diego.  SAN DIEGO, CA, October 16, 2025 – FC Balboa, a non-profit youth soccer club, is thrilled to announce a series of exclusive camps for players and coaches led by legendary coach Ziggy Zigante. Taking place this November, the camps will provide a unique opportunity for the San Diego soccer community to learn from a coach with over 40 years of experience at the highest levels of the sport.
Coach Ziggy Zigante’s distinguished career is marked by its incredible breadth, having developed talent from the youth level all the way to the international stage. His experience includes serving as a Goalkeeper Coach for the U.S. Men's National & Olympic Teams in preparation for the 1994 World Cup, where he worked with legendary Dutch GK coach Franz Hoek. Ziggy was also an Assistant Coach for the San Jose Clash during the inaugural season of Major League Soccer (MLS) and has held coaching positions at the collegiate level with Cornell University and the University of San Diego. His specialized expertise is further highlighted by his 25-year association with Tony DiCicco as a Director of Goalkeepers. FC Balboa will host three distinct camps to serve the entire soccer community: Veterans Day Player Camp (Nov. 10-11): An all-positions camp for youth players looking to sharpen their core skills and tactical understanding. Goalkeeper Player Camp (Nov. 14-16): A specialized, three-day intensive camp for goalkeepers to master fundamental techniques and advanced in-game situations. Goalkeeper Coaching Clinic (Nov. 14-16): An essential clinic for coaches of all levels, combining classroom theory with on-field sessions to provide the tools needed to develop elite goalkeepers. "We are incredibly excited to bring a coach of Ziggy's caliber to our club," said a representative from FC Balboa. "This is a rare chance for our players to learn what it takes to compete at the highest level and for our coaches to gain invaluable insights from a true legend of the game. These camps align perfectly with our mission to provide the best possible development opportunities for the San Diego soccer community." Registration for all three camps is now open, but spots are limited. To register: https://www.fcbalboa.org/programs.html About FC Balboa: FC Balboa is a non-profit youth soccer club based in San Diego, CA, dedicated to developing young athletes in a positive and competitive environment. With a motto of "Good Vibes, Great Goals," the club is committed to fostering a love for the game while building character and skill. |
AuthorBy The FC Balboa Coaching Staff Archives
October 2025
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