testimonials
"Passion, compassion, the ability to convey both technical and tactical information to players of all ages and playing levels has been a trademark of Academia de Fútbol Ventura from its founding over 30 years ago, by Coach Gus Ventura and his son Coach Tony. Every minute your player works with the academy will show results both on and off the pitch. Their knowledge of the game, teaching style, and ability to bring out the best in youth players are second to none. In addition to their superior technical training, their infectious love for the game will leave a lasting impression with your child.
I have had the pleasure of coaching alongside Coach Gus for over 25 years, both high school level and at the Michigan Premier level, have coached Tony, and also hired them to coach with me at Huron High School. As a testament to my belief in their skill as technical and tactical coaches I selected them to oversee the Freshman and JV programs at Huron. Over their time at Huron, I received positive feedback from school administrators, parents, and most especially players.
I strongly encourage parents who are interested in providing a platform for their child to grow their skill level and love for the game to talk to Coach Gus/Tony as I believe it will be the start of a positive experience for your child."
- Terry Collins
Former NCAA Division 1 Coach, Regional ODP Coach, State Team Coach, 2 State Cup Championships (Virginia, Michigan), High School Coach (Virginia, Michigan)
"I am happy to provide this description advocating Tony Ventura who has be a soccer coach for my son over a three year period at both the Club and High School level. What sets Tony apart from other coaches is his ability to actively listen with the players, a skill that was likely learned within his family, as both his father and brother are longtime soccer coaches. His experience and thoughtfulness have been evident as my son has been able to grow under his tutelage, and it seems our communication improves after he has a discussion with Coach Ventura.
While there are a lot of fine coaches available at this level, Coach Ventura has been exceptionally adept at maintaining program direction and integrity, while advocating for the players. I am especially excited that such a thoughtful coach is taking initiative in establishing new directions. Coach Ventura invests additional time and thought to gently make the most of teachable moments from the field. Tony also goes that extra step, taking a walk with the boys individually apart on the field both giving soccer guidance and providing that focus adolescents need from trusted adults. I consider my son a general success, having direction with very good grades, Varsity level soccer skills, and close friends to share the trials of teenage maturation.
I have no doubt that Coach Ventura has helped ensure that direction, consistently advocating for my son, giving him strong support and earning the respect that only great coaches deserve. Coach Ventura and I have also had the chance to chat on various occasions and I have found him both forthcoming and personable. I trust him and give my highest recommendation for Coach Ventura. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions."
-Roger E. Morey, parent
"I participated in Academia de Fútbol way back in the 90's and still have fond memories of the teachings that Gus and his family were able to provide me. Along with the excellent individual skill sessions in Gus' backyard that helped me grow as a player, I also grew as a person and created some pretty good friendships, both with other players in the program as well as the Ventura family. Academia de Fútbol helped me learn from a young age about accountability and hard work and if I wanted to get better, it was going to take both of these things to succeed.
I can still smell the grass and visualize all of the juggling, dribbling and shooting skills that were instilled in me through hours and hours of repetition.
Overall the Academia de Fútbol was a great experience in my life and I definitely will one day be recommending my children to partake if they decide that soccer is in their future."
- Andrew Stokes, player
"Gus and the Ventura family are as passionate as they are knowledgeable about developing soccer talent. Without their instruction I would not have been half the player I became. I've had many good coaches and trainers over my 20 years of competitive soccer, but none were as committed to my development than the Venturas."
- Nick Mekas, player
"Coach Tony has been a key figure in my development as a soccer player. When I first met him, I did not have half the experience in competitive soccer as many of my teammates did, yet he still believed in me and helped me grow. One thing that I will always thank him for is how he helped me grow to be not only a more confident player but a more confident man as well."
- Saliou Mbengue, player
Coach Tony spent a week with my nephew over the summer in ’22. He came from out of town for a camp that unfortunately was misaligned with his age. Tony moved his calendar around and was able to squeeze him in for nightly sessions and saved his week of training. In the end, the time spent with Coach Tony was exponentially more valuable to him than the camp would have been. The one-on-one tutoring on the fundamentals he provided created a fantastic springboard for him to build on in the season(s) to come.
Tony is extremely knowledgeable and thorough with his approach. He developed a customized training schedule based on the opportunity areas I provided him ahead of time and then tweaked that as he saw my nephew either picking up or needing additional work with certain concepts. His knowledge of coaching concepts and drills is excellent and his approach to working with my nephew was tremendous. Not only is he very skilled and knowledgeable about the game, he is an extremely nice and personable man who worked well with my nephew. His follow-up to the sessions was very detailed as well. He provided an excellent recap, online resources and even offered to continue the training virtually as my nephew was not local.
I would highly recommend training with Coach Tony if you are looking to build your child's soccer skills and knowledge.
- Steve Kennedy, uncle of player
"Tony Ventura was an excellent coach for our son. He made the experience of soccer both competitive and fun. Tony was the first coach that my son has had since starting club soccer, and he certainly has been his favorite. Tony’s absolute love of the sport was clear, and he continuously sought to bring out the same passion and joy for the sport with his players. Tony’s focus on effort and skill development over winning was clear and appreciated. He also served as a positive role model, staying poised and calm no matter what was happening on the field or on the sidelines. I can’t say enough good things about Tony, and would recommend his services to anyone who was considering working with him!"
- Sara Zocher, parent