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Pioneer Men's Soccer

Coaches


Bio of Coach Lumumba Shabazz

In 2009, Lumumba Shabazz will begin his second year as the Pioneer Men’s varsity team coach.
A recent transplant to the Ann Arbor area, Shabazz has been involved with Pioneer soccer for
the past three years, serving as the Girls Varisty coach last spring and both the JV Boys and
Freshmen Girls coach in previous years.

Coach Shabazz has enjoyed a twenty-year amateur, collegiate and professional playing career
with teams in Germany, Colombia, the US and the Caribbean. He has also represented Trinidad
and Tobago at both the junior and senior national team levels. He played collegiately at both
Long Island University (NY) and Florida International University in Miami with MLS stars like
Jeff Cassar (Dallas Burn), Roger Thomas (Jamaican International and Miami Fusion), Tyrone
Marshall (Jamaican international and LA Galaxy/Toronto FC), Steve Ralston (USA international
and captain of New England Revolution) and Giovanni Savarese (former New York Red Bulls
star and current youth director).

In addition, Shabazz has over 12 years coaching at the club, high school and collegiate level in
New York, Miami and Michigan. He previously coached at G. Holmes Braddock High in Miami,
Florida, where the team won numerous sportsmanship and fair play awards, league and district championships, and challenged consistently for the state title. During his time at Braddock, Shabazz graduated several top players to the collegiate and professional ranks, including Pedro Power of Miami FC and current Conference USA collegiate player of the year, Juan Guerra. Additionally, Shabazz also served as the assistant collegiate coach at Pratt Institute (NY) for two seasons in both the Men and Women’s programs.

Coach Shabazz currently holds both the National B License and the National Youth License administered by the United States Soccer Federation. He also holds the NSCAA Goalkeeper Level 1 and 2 licenses, in addition to several coaching certificates on Fitness, Speed and Agility and Soccer Camp administration from the English Football Administration.

In a further bid to continue his commitment to professional coaching development, Coach Shabazz completed a two week internship at West Ham United in London under the tutelage and watchful eye of legendary master coach, Professor Tony Carr. West Ham United of the English Premier league is one of the most prestigious professional soccer clubs in the world, and their Youth Academy, where Shabazz spent most of his time, is world renowned for developing excellent young players. Under Professor Carr, who has over 40 years of coaching and developing superstars like Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick of  Manchester United, and Joe Cole and Frank Lampard of Chelsea, Coach Shabazz studied tactics and technique, game analysis and the latest in soccer sports science.

Coach Shabazz is also a dedicated lecturer and clinician who educate young players around the country on the role of nutrition in developing sporting excellence. He has also lectured extensively on issues of leadership, goal setting, and teamwork. His humor filled, inspirational lectures are often very well received because Shabazz teaches that the many lessons and values that a player can learn in soccer are often a great metaphor for what that player can learn in life.

Coach Shabazz is currently finishing work on his first book for the youth soccer audience called Make the Ball Happy. Similar to the Chicken Soup series storied format, MTBH will feature inspirational soccer stories and lessons that anyone who is passionate about the sport will enjoy. MTBH summarizes Shabazz’s soccer philosophy quite succinctly because it emphasizes the fun, joy and passionate side of playing. It also emphasizes the development of creative dribbling skills, ball mastery and the willingness to take risks when confronted with challenges. MTBH is due to be self published and released soon.

Lastly, Coach Shabazz is looking forward to his tenure as varsity coach because the program has quite a number of talented players and Shabazz is confident that he and the rest of the coaching staff’s experience and hunger for success will result in great steps forward for Pioneer soccer.

 

Bio of Mike Bona

Coaching Licenses:

NSCAA National DiplomaBowling Green, KY.
July 2003
USSF National DGrand Rapids, MI
February 2002
NSCAA Regional Goalkeeping Diploma Milwaukee, WI
November 2005

Coaching Experiences:

Michigan Rush Soccer Club, MIJr. Academy Coach
Fall 2008 - present
Team and Private Trainer Orlando, Fl
2006-2007
East Orange Soccer Club, FLU17/U18 Boys Asst. Coach
Fall 2006
Rochester Youth Soccer Club, MNU17 ladies C1
2006
Minnesota Coerver TrainingRochester, MN
2006
Rochester Youth Soccer Club, MNCenter of Technical Development
2006
Dover-Eyota High SchoolHead JV/Asst. Varsity Coach
Fall 2005
Rochester Youth Soccer Club, MNTry-Out Evaluator
2005
Lakeshore United (now West Michigan Fire)
Staff Coach
Michigan: GVSA Select Club
2003-2005
Lakeshore United* Staff Coach Michigan: GVSA Select/Elite
2000-2005
Great Lakes Soccer Academy Lead Camp Trainer
2001-2004
The Soccer SpotHead Staff Instructor
2000-2004
East Side Athletic Club Camp Trainer/ Men's Team Asst.
1995-1997
Groose Point Academy Asst.Elementary and Middle School
1996

Playing Experiences:

Bombaz Minnesota: SMASA "B" League
2005
Various teams Michigan: Soccer Spot Coed/Men's D1
1998-2004
U of M Dearborn Club Team Michigan: Ann Arbor Men's League
1997-1998
Eastside Athlete Club Michigan: Great Lakes Men's League
1995-1997
Schoolcraft Community CollegeVarsity NJCAA Division 1
1995-1997
Livonia Franklin High SchoolMSHSAA Division 1
1991-1995
LYSC Wings '77 Michigan: Now known as MSPSL
1994-1995
Kensington CobrasMichigan: Now known as MSPSL
1993-1994
Livonia Youth Soccer ClubMichigan: Local Youth Program
1986-1993
Livonia family YMCAMichigan: YMCA program
1982-1985

Education:

1998 -- 2000 Hope College, Holland, Michigan -- BA Elementary Education
1995 -- 1998 Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Michigan -- AA Liberal Arts

 

Bio of Coach Sam Stern

As a graduate from Pioneer High School in 2004 and former player in the men’s soccer program from 2000 to 2003, Samuel Stern is well acquainted with the elite quality of academics, athletics, and character at Pioneer High School. In fact, Sam has never really left, having moved on to the University of Michigan where he has completed his teacher’s certification in Social Studies and Psychology and will finish his double major in History and Psychology this fall. Sam continued his playing with the University of Michigan’s club soccer team, the winners of a national club title in 2006, and a participant in the 2007 Final Four.

However, what Sam considers to be a more profound an experience than his time playing at U of M, Sam began his coaching career at Pioneer High School. After earning his National E license, Sam took on the Pioneer Men’s Freshman soccer team in the Fall of 2006. After a rewarding season with the Pioneer men, Sam assisted Chris Morgan with the Varsity women in the Spring of 2007. Sam continued to assist Coach Morgan with the undefeated Varsity men in the Fall of 2007, and most recently assisted with the Varsity women in the Spring of 2008.

While coaching and going to school, Sam has also been committed to a variety of human services in the Ann Arbor area. Sam has been a board member of C.O.P.E. (Center for Occupational and Personalized Education) alternative school since 2005, aiding the agency in its mission to provide a secure and productive academic environment for at-risk students struggling to achieve their goals in public school. Sam has also been a director for the TOPSoccer program (The Outreach Program for Soccer) in the Ann Arbor area since the Fall of 2006. A program for which Sam’s players often volunteer, TOPSocer is a soccer program for children with mild to severe mental and physical impairments.

For Sam, coaching is an opportunity to teach the game that he loves and perhaps more importantly, teach the life lessons of that game to young people. Sam coaches like his hair is on fire and seeks to express the game and its value through powerful relationships built with his players. As one attracted to roles of leadership, committed to human service and teaching young people, coaching soccer has always been a natural ambition for Sam, and he is grateful for the privilege to have begun and to continue this journey at Pioneer High School.

 

Bio of Coach Slobodan Pavlovic

  • Over 20 years of hands on international/professional coaching experience built on professional playing background at the highest level in Europe.
  • 1998-present: Players development coach with N.A.clubs like Wolfs Livonia, Novi Jaguars, Ann Arbor Arsenal, Vardar.
  • 1995-1997: SC White Eagles TSL, Toronto -- Head Coach -- League and Cup winners in 1997.
  • 1993-1995: SC Toronto Italia CNSL, Toronto -- Head Coach -- League and playoff champions of Canada in 1994)
  • 1989-1992: FC Sloboda, Sarajevo BiH -- Semiprofessional soccer club 3rd division -- Technical Director -- facilitated further club growth and future transition into the 2nd division
  • 1986-1989: FC Sloboda, Sarajevo BiH -- Head Coach -- Facilitated team transition from 4th to 3rd division.

Playing Career

  • 1959-1968: FC Sarajevo, Sarajevo BiH, Young team player, member of the selected regional team.
  • 1968-1974: FC Sarajevo/Partizan BiH, Professional football player.
  • 1974-1978: FC Sloboda, Sarajevo BiH, Semiprofessional player.
  • 1978-1986: FC Vratnik, Sarajevo BiH, Semiprofessional player.
  • 1989-1992: FC Verona, Sarajevo BiH, Professional player, Professional Indoor Football League.

Education

  • "A" Coaching license, Member of U.S. Soccer Coaches Organization # 20133.
  • Professional Coaching Diploma from "Higher School for Football Coaches"
  • Faculty for Physical Education Sarajevo, Colleague level.
  • General education at MSc level.