Prior Lake Soccer Club Testimonial Coach: John H. Wagner

SUMMARY: This is a testimonial from John H. Wagner about his experiences at Prior Lake Soccer Club. John enthusiastically recommends the Prior Lake Soccer Club, highlighting his family's nine-year positive experience. He emphasizes the convenience of its location, his rewarding experience as a coach witnessing player development, and the confidence the club has instilled in his children through supportive coaching. Ultimately, he underscores the club's commitment to player success, quality coaching, holistic development encompassing physical, technical, and personal growth, and strong ethical standards.

Prior Lake Soccer Club Testimonial Featuring Coach John H. Wagner

Read more about a member's experience at Prior Lake Soccer Club, a soccer club in Minnesota.

How long have you been a part of Prior Lake Soccer Club? What attracted you to the club?

My family has been a part of the Prior League Soccer Club for about nine years. I have four kids, and they all started out in kindergarten playing at the recreational level. Some of them moved on from soccer, but a couple transitioned into the competitive program. And, honestly, what drew us to the club in the first place was simply proximity. We live in Savage, and Prior Lake was the closest club.

What has been your favorite experience at Prior Lake Soccer Club?

My favorite experience at the club has definitely been coaching. You know, I've been coaching some of these kids since they were in kindergarten, and now they're, you know, in the U10 or U12 programs. And watching them go from stumbling over the ball, dribbling in the wrong direction to putting together combinations, dribbling around defenders has been pretty special, and it's a lot of fun. Also just watching them turn into young adults. So that part has been really rewarding for me. And also through coaching, I've gotten to know a lot of the leadership in the club, which I continue to be impressed by.

How has Prior Lake Club impacted your son/daughter? Share an example.

Prior Lake Soccer Club has been a real source of confidence for my children. I think you look at some of these coaches that have been in leadership at the program that run a lot of these winter activities, and they're very respected within the club. And, obviously, the children know who the top coaches are. And when they work with these coaches and they get some positive feedback, it could just be, you know, a high five here or a fist bump there, but you can see it on their faces. And my kids have absolutely, you know, they come home and they tell me about that when it happened. So it's really special to see that and to see it really come from the top down of the club.

What do you like about the facilities used by Prior Lake Soccer Club?

For spring and fall, the predominant facilities are Lakefront Park in Prior Lake, which is a beautiful park. Fields are nice there, and they're all kind of in the same spot. So you're not always going to a different location. It's where you practice. It's where you play your game, so it's all kind of in one spot, which is nice. For the competitive program, there's a few additional facilities that are available, but usually Shrine Memorial Park is the primary site for games and practices. And there's a lot of fields that are consolidated there in the park. There's ample parking, and it's an easy walk from the parking lot to the fields, which is nice. In the wintertime, there's the Dome space that's used for training at the Savage Community Park, and that is a beautiful facility. They just laid in the turf there, and it's a really nice winter facility. So, yeah, the facilities are definitely a plus.

Would you recommend Prior Lake Soccer Club to a friend or colleague? Why?

I would absolutely recommend Prior Lake  Soccer Club to a friend or colleague. I think when you look at the club from a holistic perspective, you see players that come out of this program that are playing at college. You look at the coaching staff, and you've got individuals that have played at a very high level. You've got educators. You've got coach educators, and they support the rest of the coaching staff and they make everybody better and elevate the coaching staff throughout the entire club. You got kids that wanna play, that are happy to be there, so that's always a good litmus test of how the program is doing, and it's growing. You look at player development, and there's a focus on physical development and technical development, obviously, but there's also developing the person. And how do we help these kids become better versions of themselves and being a better human? And I think helping them to overcome difficult situations on the field by making a choice and evaluating the impact of their decision, whether it was right or wrong, those are the kinds of things that are encouraged in this club. And I honestly, I think it's a microcosm for decisions that need to be made in the future in life, and it's gonna help these kids grow as individuals. And there's a real commitment to that at this club. 

So high ethical standards, absolute positive intent, and a focus on doing the right thing. And I think that's really special, and I would absolutely recommend Prior Lake Soccer Club. And clearly, I'm a big fan. I've been a part of the program for nine years and continue to be a part of it for more. 

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