Coaches

• Lumumba Shabazz, Varsity Head Coach

• Sam Stern, Asst. Varsity Coach

• Mike Bona, JV Coach

• Alex Airey, Freshwomen Coach

Bio of Coach Lumumba Shabazz

Lumumba Shabazz will begin his 3rd year as the Pioneer Men's and Women’s varsity team coach. A recent transplant to the Ann Arbor area, Shabazz has been involved with Pioneer soccer for the past five years, serving as both the JV Boys and Freshmen Girls coach.

Coach Shabazz has also enjoyed a twenty-year amateur, collegiate and professional playing career with teams in Germany, the USA 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/Seattle Sounders), Steve Ralston (USA international and captain of New England Revolution) and Giovanni Savarese (former New York Red Bulls star and youth director).

In addition, Shabazz has over 14 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 challenged consistently for districts and state titles. During his time at Braddock, Shabazz graduated several top players to the collegiate and professional ranks, including Pedro Power of Miami FC and current Venezuelan international midfielder and former 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 the USSF “A” license, the Advanced National (NSCAA) diploma, and the prestigious (USSF) National Youth license. He also holds the Nscaa’s National Goalkeeper Instructor Diploma, in addition to several coaching certificates on Fitness, Speed and Agility and Soccer Camp administration from the English FA. Recently, he was awarded the prestigious SAQ International license from Alan Pearson, the world foremost authority on Speed and Agility for elite soccer performance, who pioneered SAQ programs for Arsenal FC, Tottenham FC and Bayern Munich FC, amongst many others. In doing so, Coach Shabazz has become only the 3rd such recipient of this award in the United States.

In a further bid to continue his commitment to professional coaching development, Coach Shabazz completed a two week internship in both 2008 and 2009 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.

In addition, in March 2010, Coach Shabazz travelled to Madrid Spain for an extended coaching study visit with Real Madrid FC, Getafe FC, Atletico Madrid FC, and was a featured guest of the Spanish Football federation, where he took part in lectures, seminars and field sessions around the topic of youth and professional development with many of Spain top coaches. In March 2011, Coach Shabazz will travel to Brazil with US Soccer as part of a contingent of coaches who will study the Brazilian approach to soccer and player development.

In all, Coach Shabazz brings a great deal of knowledge and practical experience to the arena of youth soccer and relishes the opportunity to help young players develop to their full potential.

January 2011

Schoolcraft Community College