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OPEN LETTER TO SOCCER FROM A 10-YEAR-OLD PLAYER
Dear Soccer,
Oh, how you’ve disappointed me, even when you have so much potential to be great. At the end of a long season, I was lying on the ground with a broken arm thinking to myself, “Is it really worth it to give you my time and my arm?” I broke it during a drill because I was running in circles after the ball trying to prove myself to coaches and my teammates, and once I got too fatigued, I tripped and landed on my arm. Right away I felt a great pain, but an even greater one occurred seconds after when I realized I was going to miss you for at least six weeks.
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You’ve given me many highs and various lows. But the more I think about it, you gave me the highs, while the individuals who tried to control your gift with their own motives, were the ones who gave me the lows. The biggest low of all was putting too much pressure on a team full of nine-year-old boys trying to have fun playing and enjoy learning about you. For example, I was going to a club tryout for a new U11 team, and I felt like it was do-or-die, even though I know that you are not like that. It made me feel like I had to succeed at any cost, even my love for you.
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At this point, I thought there was never going to be a place where I could fully enjoy the amazing game you are. I even considered quitting you because I realized the place that I dreamed of would never exist. But I wasn’t ready to give up on you.
In that dreamland, things would be different: nobody would put too much stress on me, I would get lots of playing time in games, and the coaches would focus on the players and their development(not on their phones) and not on their foolish pride. Most importantly, it would be a place where I would feel safe and be able to learn the valuable lessons you offer. Hard work and dedication would be valued the most, unlike in the past, because the harder I worked at my old club the less playing time I would get. This cruel version of soccer went against all the ideals that you follow that are important lessons for kids to learn, like “Hard work beats talent,” “Teamwork makes the dream work,” and “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
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Overall, I have come to realize that my dreamland is just pure YOU. Soccer in its most pure and simple form. I want nothing more than to see you soon in a place just like this and I have high hopes that what Mercurius United is creating can become my dreamland, something I can share with my friends and community.
Sincerely,
C.K.
Coaches
Get To Know Our Staff
Director
Tiana Brockway-Horne
Tiana Brockway has over 20 years of experience playing and coaching at the highest levels. She played at one of the most prominent youth clubs in Washington state before beginning her collegiate career at Florida State University under Mark Kirkorian. During her college career, Brockway contributed to FSU's first ACC Championship title and two Final Four performances.She was a four-time Atlantic Coast academic team.
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She was also a third-team NSCAA South Scholar All-Region accomplishments, she was chosen to be a College Cup Speaker, Soccer America Team of the Week, ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, Backstage Pass Event Speaker, and ranks among the FSU career leaders in appearances and game starts. Brockway then went on to play professionally at UMF Selfoss in Iceland before returning to Florida. Tiana gained invaluable coaching experience as a volunteer assistant coach with the University of Tampa Women's Soccer team from 2014-2019 and as the Recreational and Girls South Academy programs director and coach with Tampa Bay United.
Coach
Kristin Grubka
Kristin Grubka played for the Florida State Seminoles from 2011 to 2014. In her senior year she started all 26 games, helping lead the Seminoles defense to a program record 19 shutouts in 2014. She won the NCAA Championship with FSU in 2014. Grubka was selected by Sky Blue FC with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. She made 29 appearances over two seasons with Sky Blue before her retirement. Kristin went on to volunteer with various soccer teams, pursue her passion of high intensity workouts, and began her business career with Publix in 2018.
Coach
Chestley Strother
Chestley Strother spent her college years at the University of Texas at Tyler where she finished her four-year career with 32 assists, 27 goals, 276 shots and 86 points in 74 games for the Patriots. Following college Strother spent a brief time in the NWSL as a practice player for the Houston Dash. She then played several seasons overseas in both Iceland and Sweden. In Iceland, Strother played for UMF Sindri, scoring 13 goals in 20 matches in 2017. Most recently Strother was with Sundvall DFF in Sweden's Division 1. The year prior Strother recorded seven assists in 10 appearances for Kvarnsveden IK in the top flight of professional women's soccer in Sweden. Strother finished her professional career with the Utah Royals FC.
Coach
Samantha Ishee
Coach
Christos Kostogiannes
Christos grew up with the game of soccer everywhere; the grandchild of Greek and German immigrants he was basically born into it. Christos is now twenty-four years old and recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelors in History and Philosophy. A local, hailing from Pasco county, he played for several clubs including West Pasco FC. He still has strong ties to the Tampa Bay Youth Soccer scene coaching previously at Tampa Bay United under Mercurius United Soccer Academy’s camp director, Tiana Brockway. Christos believes that hard work and fun go hand in hand and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge and passion for the game with the next generation of soccer players.
Coach
Marissa Mohammed
Marissa has years of experience playing and coaching at the highest of levels. She was an integral part of the women’s soccer team at the University of Tampa. While at University of Tampa, Marissa played for FC Fredericksburg Lady Gunners of the USL W League and was part of the Under 20 Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team. Marissa went on to play for the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team in 2008. As she made her decision to retire as a player, Marissa was not ready to give up on her passion of being a player of the game, therefore she pursued coaching youth soccer in the Tampa area. Marissa has her USSF “D” coaching license and is a Physical Education Teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal Day School. She is currently coaching at Sporting Tampa Bay FC.
Coach
Maria Mohammed
Maria has years of experience playing and coaching at the highest of levels. She was an integral part of the women’s soccer team at the University of Tampa. While at University of Tampa, Marissa played for FC Fredericksburg Lady Gunners of the USL W League and was part of the Under 20 Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team. Maria went on to play for the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team in 2008. Maria has her USSF “D” coaching license and is an Athletic Director at St. John’s. She is currently the Director of Goalkeeping at Sporting Tampa Bay FC.
