 Meet Stefan Clemens, once coached by LMSC Technical Director, Mo, he has been coaching LMSC boys and girls for 5 years.
Q...How old were you when you first started to play soccer? What club? A...I first touched a soccer ball when I was an infant, and I began playing recreational soccer when I was 4 years old. At the age of 8 I started playing competitive club soccer with the Lamorinda Soccer Club. I continued playing club soccer with Lamorinda for 9 years, from U9 to U18. Mohamed Mohamed was my coach from U12 through U18. Q...What was your most memorable/funniest soccer moment? A....My most memorable, but also funny, soccer moment was converting the 9th penalty kick as a freshman at UC Santa Cruz in an NCAA playoff game vs. Redlands University from the Los Angeles area to win the game and advance to the quarterfinals. After a scoreless match through 120 minutes of play, my "Banana Slug" teammates stepped up to take penalty kicks. As a freshman, I was placed ninth to take the PK in case it got that far. Both teams looked solid in their first shots, making one after the other. To be honest, I didn't expect to take the PK because I was far down the list of penalty takers. Nonetheless, I would be ready if my time came. And it did. Even through 8 penalty kicks, a Redlands player stepped up to the spot to take the first 9th penalty kick. As the Redlands player approached the ball to take the 9th kick, an over excited Banana Slug fan broke apart from the rest of the roaring crowd and streaked behind the goal as the player took his shot. Our Santa Cruz goalkeeper tipped the ball with outstretched hands to save the goal by deflecting the ball off the post and out. It was an amazing save and our fellow fan definitely helped by distracting the shooter mid kick. Redlands players and fans were furious, the home crowd went wild and the streaker was tackled and escorted off the field. My shot came next. A do or die moment, I stepped up with confidence. I placed my penalty shot to the lower left hand corner and decidedly won the game for my team. The next thing I knew, I was on the bottom of an enormous dog pile. Not only did we beat our rivals from the south, but I played a big role in helping my team to get there. I will never forget this moment of my freshman year in college, that game, that experience, playing with a talented and committed group of players at UC Santa Cruz who fueled my passion for the game. Q....Did your parents help/support you? How? A....My parents supported me in every way as a youth soccer player. They set the example of committing to sports about which you feel passionate and I took that to heart. My family and I watched professional games together, both live and on tv. I kicked the ball around with my dad over the weekend when I didn't have a game. My mother drove me to and from practice, sometimes twice a day, so I could be with my team for practices and games.  Q....When did you first get a red card? yellow card? A.....The first red card was in high school when I recovered defensively into my own goal, after my keeper was beat, to save a shot with my hand. I was not proud of the moment, but my gut instinct told me to save the ball from going in the goal to give my team and my goalkeeper one more chance to save the goal. As I was sent off the field with a straight red, the referee next pointed to the penalty spot. The opposing team just barely made the PK as my goalkeeper got a touch on the ball as the shot came at him. Q.....What is the best advice a soccer coach ever gave you? A.....Mohamed Mohamed, current Technical Director of LMSC, was my coach from U12 to U18. During those years, Mohamed has given me endless amounts of advice and direction, on and off the field. One thing that stands out clearly in my mind is when Mohamed said, "What goes in one ear, comes out the other" referring to the listening skills of me and my teammates. Not many players soaked in the information. After thinking about what he said, I started paying more attention to his instruction and I developed the important mental side of the game. Although it was not advice, he chose his words carefully to ignite the initial process. Q....Who is your favorite player? Team? A.....Favorite team, Manchester United. Favorite player, Cristiano Ronaldo. Q....How is LMSC different/same now than when you played? A....LMSC has many lasting qualities like loyalty and quality of training. LMSC is different in the fact that it has progressed with time and it has established a strong collective style of play throughout the club as a whole. Coaches, club wide, are more knowledgeable and they are guiding our players in the appropriate age level phases of the game.  Q....Do You still play? where? A....Playing soccer is my passion. I currently play with the Bay Area Ambassadors and the Rosal indoor team. I played professional soccer in Fiji for annual tournaments with the local professional side, Navua. Q....You played at UCSC, what was the most difficult thing about playing college soccer? A...College soccer is fast paced and physical. The most difficult thing about college soccer was adjusting to the speed of the game and developing a calm mindset amidst quick decision making on the field. As a center midfielder, vision of teammates and defenders before and after receiving the ball was critical. Q.....Famous UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden said "Players with fight never lose a game, they just run out of time." What do you think he meant? A....This is a great quote and pertains to many athletes who go above and beyond. In any sport, there is a winner and a loser. Players experience highs and lows during their career, but how they manage themselves in times of defeat really shows their true character. To me, this quote means that a player has a never give up attitude. Even after a loss, a player and team should identify their weaknesses, work on improving that area of the game, and come back to the next game with desire and passion to recapture the win. Players with fight never lose a game because they are giving their hardest effort in the process. The right attitude is essential in sports to keep focused and act professionally during game day.
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