Meet The Coaches

Coach David  has been part of the soccer community from a very young age. He is very passionate about the sport and started his soccer career at the age of 5. He has been the captain and leading goal scorer in the GTA whilst playing for the Richmond Hill Raiders Soccer Club. Upon the end of his season with Richmond Hill, he was scouted by the Carlos Rivas Soccer Academy, travelling worldwide and playing soccer abroad. He has been a soccer coach since the age of 15 and continues to be a helpful role model and coach for all the children in the Greater Toronto Area. He spends a majority of his coaching schedule interacting and bonding with his soccer students, providing them a very enjoyable and positive atmosphere. He is always ready to spend quality coaching hours with his students and pursue them to reach their ultimate potential. David is currently a post secondary student at the University of Toronto, hoping to further educate himself as he is completing a Physiology and Chemistry double major program.  David is happy to be a part of Soccer Shots, and is always ready to help the younger generation build character and skills, all while having fun!

Coach Alifiya began her involvement in sport in her hometown of Markham at a very young age. Her sporting excellence and love for keeping active led her to the captain position of numerous teams including soccer, volleyball, and flag football. More than just an extracurricular activity or pastime, sport involvement has remained an outlet for Alifiya to express herself and cultivate meaningful relationships. Creating a healthy and fun environment for young athletes like herself encouraged Alifiya to pursue volunteer coaching and refereeing opportunities throughout her high school experience for elementary school sports. Now completing a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with an enhanced minor in Business, Alifiya aims to pursue a teaching career in her future and share her passion and love for sport with her students.  She is excited to be able to have a positive impact in the lives of children in the Markham and Richmond Hill communities through Soccer Shots, and all the fun that comes with it!

Coach Ginia started playing soccer at the age of 5 for the Unionville-Milliken Soccer Club. Her passion for the sport led her to grow up with the club spending 10 years of her soccer career playing on Unionville. She continued her career with the Glen Shields Futbol Club securing the Ontario Cup and Central Soccer League Cup with the club. Ginia has had a lifelong passion for educating young minds and promoting physical activity. She is currently studying to become a high-school teacher under the Concurrent Education program at Brock University, majoring in Mathematics with a second teachable in English. Ginia is excited to bring forth her passions to the Soccer Shots team and to coach youth in the beautiful game of soccer!

Coach Gubetha (Coach GG) was born and raised in Scarborough. She is a Mental Health Studies student at the University of Toronto. Growing up Gubetha played in various sports including being on a soccer team called the Scarborough Rangers. Over the 3 years she played in this league, she developed a love and passion for this beautiful sport. Now after going into her field of study, she specializes in working with children and children development, alongside working with children within the autism spectrum to provide education and vital life skills. Gubetha is excited to be a positive impact in children’s lives at Soccer Shots, by encouraging self-love, passion, and determination within themselves.

Coach Kabilan (Coach K) was born and raised in Markham, Ontario. When he was just 8, he played rep soccer for the United Soccer Sport Club, and that was where his love for the game was cultivated. As he gained great experience playing for United, this facilitated him to play for his high school varsity soccer team at Middlefield Collegiate Institute. During high school, he volunteered at his former soccer club, where he coached young children basic soccer skills and vital life skills. In addition to soccer, he also has a passion for playing basketball and is a big Toronto Raptors fan. Coach Kabilan has recently completed his bachelor of science degree in kinesiology and health science at York University and is aiming to pursue a career in physiotherapy. During his time at York, he was able to gain tremendous experience volunteering as a physical activity guide for a non-profit organization called KINKIDS, where the goal was to deliver guided active play for young children in efforts to encourage fun and fitness. He believes his professional experience can help inspire and develop important soccer and life skills for the youth. Coach Kabilan is looking forward to sharing his passion for the beautiful sport of soccer and is excited to positively impact the children’s lives through coaching at Soccer Shots!

Coach Alexandra was born and raised in Markham, Ontario where she participated in a variety of sports. She started playing soccer for the Markham Soccer Club at a young age and continues to play to this day! Her strong passion for working with children and playing soccer has led to many volunteer and co-operative experiences. Most recently Alexandra worked with children as a Teacher’s Assistant with the York Region District School Board, as well as a volunteer with the City of Markham and Markham Sports Dome supporting their sports camps. This has provided her with invaluable experience working with children of various ages, stages, development, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, as well as children with special needs. She is an energetic, friendly team player who ensures a safe and inclusive environment for all. Alexandra is entering her last year of her high school studies and plans to pursue her passion for working with and educating children on and off the field by becoming an elementary school teacher! She is elated to bring her passion for soccer and working with children together by working with the Soccer Shots team!

Coach Nicholas was born and raised in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He has been involved in many sports throughout his life including soccer, hockey, and volleyball. However, soccer has always been his favourite and the sport he has participated in throughout his entire childhood. At the age of 4, Nicholas began playing house league soccer for the Richmond Hill Raiders Soccer Club and then made the transition into playing for the Raiders competitive team as he got older. His passion for physical activity, fitness, and heath promotion is what led him into obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Toronto. Nicholas has gained valuable experience working with children in the two years he worked at My Gym Children’s Fitness Center. During his time there, Nicholas led exercise programs for children that aimed at developing physical literacy, cognitive function and social skills. Nicholas is excited to be a member of the Soccer Shots team and hopes to share his love for soccer with all the kids he coaches!

Coach Taylor has been playing soccer ever since she was in grade 5. She was born in Downtown Toronto, but moved to Markham when she was 3. She has been a part of both Markham Soccer Club as well as Richmond Hill Soccer Club. She played rep soccer, house league and even OPDL soccer for a few years. Now Taylor is attending Ryerson University where she is studying Business Management and majoring in Real Estate. After University she hopes to continue her education and take her Real Estate licenses. On her free time she likes to play soccer and spend time with her friends and family. Coach Taylor has spent some of her elementary and high school years volunteering at Markham Soccer Club camp, where she has helped and volunteered working with various soccer age groups. Coach Taylor is excited to be joining Soccer Shots where she is able to meet new people and help younger children.

Coach Kassandra (aka Kassie) was born and raised in Markham and started her soccer career at the age of 3. Sports and soccer have been a major part of her life and has made her the resilient and lively person she is today. She started out playing with Unionville Milliken Soccer Club and has been furthering her career throughout the years. She played at the OPDL level for 3 years, first with UMSC, then switched to Richmond Hill Soccer Club in 2017. While she attended Bill Crothers Secondary school, she played on the varsity flag football team and loved participating in all things sports. Coach Kassie is currently studying at the University of Toronto for her Honours Bachelor’s of Arts degree, majoring in Media, Journalism and Digital Cultures. She loves to express her creative side which is why she is looking to pursue a career in film editing, though she also loves to help people which is why she is also considering a career in law. Nonetheless, soccer has always been her passion and she most recently played for the Women’s D-League at her campus in Scarborough. Coach Kassie is a bubbly, fun loving coach who has had much experience working with kids. She volunteered with the YMCA by assistant coaching soccer programs for 2 years, as well as helped lead a soccer camp with her trainer last summer. She loves to work with kids and hopes to inspire them to chase their dreams, learn important skills that will help on and off the field and have fun along the way! 

Lauren has been playing soccer since she was 3 years old when she first moved to Shanghai. She played throughout grade school and continued when she moved to Canada for high school. In high school she volunteered with The York Hills Centre for children, youth, and families in Richmond Hill where she organized and ran activities for children with emotional, social, and behavioural challenges. She joined Soccer Shots as a coach as it combined both her passion for working with children and soccer. Currently, she is going into her fourth year of Life Sciences at Queen’s University.

Coach Reena was born in Toronto and raised right next to Richmond Hill. She began playing soccer at a young age with various clubs in the GTA. She was also a member of multiple other sports teams in elementary and high school including basketball, softball, and track and field. Reena is now pursuing a degree in the Life Sciences at the University of Toronto. She keeps active there by playing on the university’s Scarborough soccer team. She likes getting outside and being active, especially during the summertime with her friends. She enjoys working with kids in a fun and active environment, and has plenty of experience from working as a summer camp counsellor for six years. Reena especially likes helping kids build their confidence and skills, and is excited to do so as a member of the Soccer Shots team! 

Coach Nicole was born in America and then moved to China before relocating to Canada in 2015. She currently resides in Stouffville, Ontario. Eager to make friends at her new school Nicole decided to try out for the soccer team. Instantly she fell in love with sport and for the next six years she further developed her skills playing as a right wing. In 2017, Nicole attended a CAIS soccer tournament held in Victoria, BC where she began to understand the real life skills that soccer teaches. Including communication, teamwork, and leadership. In grade nine, Nicole was selected to play on her school’s senior varsity team where she was a key member for the last four years. Nicole played her last season of soccer at her school as captain of the varsity team. In the fall, Nicole will be heading to Western University to pursue a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies (BMOS) with pre acceptance to the Ivey School of Business. Nicole is excited to join Soccer Shots and spread the joy soccer has brought her!