OPRF Strikers SC is proud to have one of the most highly qualified coaching staffs for any community based soccer club in Illinois. Our professional coaching staff provide age appropriate training for all our Strikers teams. We encourage our coaches and trainers to develop their careers by taking coaching courses and licensing. If you are interested in coaching for the OPRF Strikers please contact Murray Findlay, Director of Coaching.

 

Team	Coach	Team	Coach
Girls U-9	Bridget Gallogly	Boys U-8 Orange	Elliot Grey
Girls U-10	Bridget Gallogly	Boys U-8 Navy	Elliot Grey
Girls U-11	Renee Vai	Boys U-9 Orange	Elliot Grey
Girls U-12 Orange	Dan Cross	Boys U-9 Navy	James Callan
Girls U-12 Navy	Greg Zaskowski	Boys U-10 Orange	Mick O'Malley
Girls U-13 Orange	Renee Vai	Boys U-10 Navy	James Callan
Girls U-14 Orange	Michael Cockroft	Boys U-11 Orange	Dan Cross
Girls U-14 Navy	Michael Cockroft	Boys U-11 Navy	Milan Culafic
Girls U-15 Premier	Jamie Lyons	Boys U-11 White	Milan Culafic
Girls U-16 Premier	Gavin Richards	Boys U-12 Orange	Jamie Lyons
Girls U-17 Premier	Tommy Hunka	Boys U-12 Navy	Jamie Lyons
Girls U-18 Premier	Murray Findlay	Boys U-13 Orange	Dan Cross
Girls U-18 Select	Murray Findlay	Boys U-14 Orange	Mick O'Malley
		Boys U-14 Navy	Mick O'Maley

 

Our coaching philosophy takes a developmental approach to improving all of our players and helping them fulfill their potential. We aim to provide our players with a firm grounding in the fundamentals of the game, helping develop a skilled, possession-based style of play. Practice sessions maximize time with the ball and build through a progression of skills over the course of the season, and from one season to the next.

The goal is to produce a controlled and thoughtful passing approach with a true understanding of the game. This type of game develops individual skill, quick incisive and intelligent movement of the ball. At the youth level, this philosophy will not necessarily immediately produce winning results and there are undoubtedly more successful short-term (quick fix) methods of producing a winning team.

We aim for long-term player and team development -- not purely winning games. Our coaches encourage and teach the type of skills needed to construct a short passing, possession-based game. This provides each player with confidence in his or her ability and the platform to reach his or her full potential.

Different aged players require a separate and a more specific training curriculum. Our club provides age appropriate training at for the following age groups:

• Acorn Academy (U-7 to U-11) teaches players the sound fundamentals of the game. Individual skills and techniques are taught at this level with an emphasis on small sided games and two player combinations (1 v1, 2 v2 and 3 v3).
• Junior Academy (U-12 to U-14) builds on the player’s basic skills and techniques taught at the Acorn level. Group play is emphasized with a greater focus on positional play. Small sided games are still used with the addition of 4 v 4 and 5 v 5 models.
• High School ‘Premier’ level (U15 to U18) the emphasis at practice will be more on team tactics and strategies. The aim is for players to develop a greater understanding of the game as well as improving their skills and techniques.