Every morning that I have a training session with Paulinho, I try to arrive as early as possible. Usually there is a scrimmage taking place between the pupils of his soccer school. These boys, and on occasion one or two girls, look to be between the ages of six and eight years old.
Unlike many of the games that I have watched in the U.S., these kids display technical flair and a tactical understanding of how and where to pass and play the ball. It is never a dull moment. Sometimes, Paulinho allows some younger players to participate. It is quite evident that these boys are around four or five years old. However, there is one kid that stood out.
This little boy had a really cool haircut (It is the Mohawk that you see a lot of the soccer players and musicians wearing right now.), and he was directing his teammates on the plays. I could not help but laugh because this kid knew what he was talking about, and he was placing the ball perfectly.
A few training sessions later, I was in the middle of a shooting drill with Paulinho, and I could not help but hear a loud echo of Paulinho’s comments. There was a yell of “Boa (Good)!” and “Isso (this)!” when I would place the balls perfectly in the corners. When my balls would graze the bar or slightly fly past the goal, I would hear “Aww!”
I looked up, and sitting Indian style on the top deck of the lifeguard platform, was the little Mohawk boy. I started laughing, and he just smiled. Paulinho’s assistant, who is a goalie for Paulinho’s women’s beach soccer team, informed me that the mini-coach was in fact her son, Kuaun.
Kuaun, whose name translates to filho do sol (Son of the Sun), is five years old. He is hands down one of the cutest and funniest little boys in the world. To make it even better, it appears that he has a lot of soccer experience under his belt already. The world should get ready for the Son of the Sun.
Until then, Kuaun is content diving to block shots, crossing balls to his teammates, yelling encouragements to me during my training and riding in the backseat on his mom’s bike down the beach boardwalk. The Son of the Sun has a busy schedule, but he was kind enough to pose for a few shots for the camera. Enjoy!
Unlike many of the games that I have watched in the U.S., these kids display technical flair and a tactical understanding of how and where to pass and play the ball. It is never a dull moment. Sometimes, Paulinho allows some younger players to participate. It is quite evident that these boys are around four or five years old. However, there is one kid that stood out.
This little boy had a really cool haircut (It is the Mohawk that you see a lot of the soccer players and musicians wearing right now.), and he was directing his teammates on the plays. I could not help but laugh because this kid knew what he was talking about, and he was placing the ball perfectly.
A few training sessions later, I was in the middle of a shooting drill with Paulinho, and I could not help but hear a loud echo of Paulinho’s comments. There was a yell of “Boa (Good)!” and “Isso (this)!” when I would place the balls perfectly in the corners. When my balls would graze the bar or slightly fly past the goal, I would hear “Aww!”
I looked up, and sitting Indian style on the top deck of the lifeguard platform, was the little Mohawk boy. I started laughing, and he just smiled. Paulinho’s assistant, who is a goalie for Paulinho’s women’s beach soccer team, informed me that the mini-coach was in fact her son, Kuaun.
Kuaun, whose name translates to filho do sol (Son of the Sun), is five years old. He is hands down one of the cutest and funniest little boys in the world. To make it even better, it appears that he has a lot of soccer experience under his belt already. The world should get ready for the Son of the Sun.
Until then, Kuaun is content diving to block shots, crossing balls to his teammates, yelling encouragements to me during my training and riding in the backseat on his mom’s bike down the beach boardwalk. The Son of the Sun has a busy schedule, but he was kind enough to pose for a few shots for the camera. Enjoy!
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