INTERNATIONAL STORIES FROM LES BLEUS YOUTH SOCCER TEAM!

INTERNATIONAL STORIES FROM LES BLEUS YOUTH SOCCER TEAM!
It’s very unusual, to find a kids’ soccer team made up of many boys with international backgrounds, right in the heart of suburban Overland Park, Kansas! But the draw of “Les Bleus” (The Blues) starts with their outstanding coach, Laurent Denis.

Laurent was born in France, and since he was a boy, he has loved soccer. In his youth, he was an enthusiastic team member of “Les Coqs Rouges” (The Red Roosters), a city football (soccer) club, and played until he was 18.

Laurent moved to America in 1995 to start his own business. (He and his wife Kathy own the magazine and website Restaurant Guide of Kansas City.) At the same time, he began teaching young children to play soccer. He earned his Advanced Regional Diploma in coaching and the NSCAA National Diploma. Since then, Laurent has been coaching some of the best youngsters at the soccer “rush.”

"Les Bleus were finalists in our first tournament in Topeka, and won our division at Heartland Soccer (http://www.heartlandsoccer.net/), undefeated!” this coach reports. “It was our first time playing competitive soccer, and we were able to move to a higher level of competition. It’s still all about having fun!”

Laurent has served as Director of Johnson County Park & Recreational Academy, and is currently coaching his premier teams of U10 boys. For him, coaching has never been a job, but a passion.

“My goal is to instruct, provide and increase coaching knowledge, in order to maximize the development of our youth soccer football players,” he says. “I want to create a great atmosphere for parents and kids. What we have is a big family. My kids and I play the same way. Next season, I will join the FC Porto Club. We will combine the international soccer team for guys like me with the U10 boys’ team next season.”