Player Testimonials
Coach Heidi has impacted my life tremendously since the moment I met her. Prior to meeting Coach Heidi I was on the verge of quitting the game I loved. Then one day my dad forced me to get out of the car and give soccer one last chance and I can confidently say that my first practice with Coach Heidi was actually the beginning of my soccer career. Coach Heidi developed me into the soccer player I am today. She gave me a new perspective of the game technically, tactically, and mentally. She has been apart of all the ups and downs that I have encountered in this life and never once stopped believing in me. She taught me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind too both on and off the soccer field. I am forever grateful to be able to meet someone who is so passionate and sentimental about the game and their players.
Bri Valencia - Arsenal FC ECNL/Missouri Southern D1/Hawaii Hilo D2
Since I was nine years old, I’ve had the opportunity of playing on Coach Heidi’s team. I’ve been able to improve not only my IQ of the game, but also my technical abilities and character. I still cannot believe how I have been so lucky to have found an amazing coach so early that I have been able to quickly get ahead of so many my age! I still remember how proud she would be when I would incorporate a skill into the game and now, about nine years later, I’m able to move around the ball without even thinking about it! This year, I was one of the team captains on Heidi’s 00 team by using the leadership and poise she has modelled to me. I’m so thankful that I have had these years with her, and I hope that many other young athletes capitalise on this opportunity to learn from her!
I’m honoured to have been asked by her to participate as a coach, since I have done everything extra she has offered simply to improve myself. I honestly look back and cannot believe how much I have benefitted from such opportunities! I get recognised by other coaches and my teammates for having such precise footwork and hope to also help those looking for ways to improve themselves as soccer players!
Kenzie Meyer- Arsenal FC ECNL
Training and being coached by Heidi brought my game to the next level. Her honest and encouraging nature on the field helped facilitate my improvement as both a player and person. In technical trainings, Heidi focused on ball mastery and my first touch. She helped develop a creative vision for the game as we pushed forward on the attack, or worked to possess the ball in the backline, or challenge in 1v1 situations. From personal experience, Heidi helped develop the side of my game that was the weakest, challenging me to become more dynamic in the air by working with me and helping me to learn how to redirect, pass and use my head as a surface to receive the ball. In retrospect, if Heidi did not challenge me I would not have been aggressive or dangerous in the backline or inside the box. All in all, Heidi has impacted my game immensely, in ways that surpass just traditional trainings. Her passion for the game, and her dedication for the improvement of her players are unmatched, rare and incredibly special.
Maddie Kimball - Arsenal FC ECNL/Oberlin University D3
When I first started club soccer at 8 years old I didn’t know how lucky I was…Heidi Solis was my coach. She has so much knowledge, patience and ability to coach soccer skills and knows the importance of keeping the ball at your feet. By the age of 11 my juggling record was 3537 and now I am very confident on the ball. I’m graduating from Vista Murrieta High School and have a scholarship to Cal State Long Beach…all thanks to my start with coach Heidi!
Amanda Meichtry– Arsenal ECNL/Cal State Long Beach D1
Heidi Solis is not only a great coach but also an amazing person. She has helped form the foundation of my soccer career and taught me all the necessary skills I needed to carry me through my time with the Mexican National team and playing 4 years at the collegiate level. She helped shape who I am on and off the field and the lessons she taught me have made me better prepared for my future endeavors.
Jessica Moreno - Legends FC/Mexico National Team/Central Florida University D1/CSU San Marcos D2
I have had the pleasure of playing on Heidi Solis’ soccer team for 9 years, and in that time I have had the incredible opportunity to get to know Heidi not only as a coach, but also as a friend and mentor.
Because I started playing for Heidi at such a young age, she has had the opportunity to influence my growth and development as a person and player for basically my entire childhood. I’ve often thought how grateful I am to have had such a wise, caring, committed woman of God to serve as an example of a respectable adult, and I know that Heidi has had an instrumental role in shaping me into the person I am today.
Beyond helping me grow as a soccer player, Heidi has provided me with confidence and reassurance to pursue my interests and be proud of the person that I am. Even when she was going through trying times, Heidi was always asking how I was doing and genuinely taking an interest in my personal life. During my sophomore year of high school, I tore my ACL, which required surgery and a 6 month recovery. This injury was devastating for me, as it meant being detached from the sport I loved and called into question my future as a player. Had it not been for Heidi’s support during the most difficult time of my life, I am not sure if I would’ve returned to soccer. Almost daily, she sent me bible verses and inspirational words of encouragement to remain positive, along with advice on how to improve my soccer knowledge while my body was still recovering. She always greeted me with a smile and hug whenever I would come to watch practice, and she kept me involved with the team to make sure I felt included.
This memory I have of Heidi’s commitment to my wellbeing is only a sliver of my recollections of the kindness she has shown me and my teammates over the years. She has opened up her home to us for team get-togethers, has gone far out of her way to drive girls to practice, has paid out of her own pocket for girls to eat when the team would travel together, and has always made herself available for emotional support when her players needed it. Heidi created an environment for her players where they felt safe and cared for, which is incredibly rare among club coaches, who usually see their players as easily dispensable numbers on a roster. On top of taking so much time and effort to ensure the wellbeing of her players, Heidi was also a devoted wife and mother, and it always amazed me how she found time to be such an attentive mother to not only her 2 children, but also the 40+ soccer players she treated like her own.
Heidi’s continued presence as a confident, caring woman of God has also helped me in my own relationship with Christ. Before every game, she prays with the team and encourages her players to lead prayer as well, and the loving way she treats others is evidence to her strong relationship with God. The example that Heidi has provided for me has shown me how to be in a competitive, demanding sport while also treating others with respect, and she has taught me the value of honoring God through using the gifts and talents He has given us for His glory and goodness.
I will always be thankful for having had the opportunity to play for Heidi. I could not have asked for a better coach, role model, and friend, and the positive impact that Heidi has had on my development as a person and player is priceless. Heidi is one of the strongest, wisest, most intelligent and caring people I have ever met, and I continue to look forward to learning from her and growing because of her.
Hali Oakes - Arsenal FC ECNL/Biola D2
Coaches have the opportunity to teach life lessons and shape the life of their players, which is just as Heidi did for me. Heidi was my soccer coach from the 7th grade up until I committed to play soccer at California State University San Marcos, coaching me in both club and high school soccer. She genuinely loves the game, cares deeply about each and every player, has an insatiable thirst for knowledge about players and the game itself, as well as the ability to provide positive encouragement and constructive feedback to further one’s development. Heidi is a holistic coach that cares about every part of the athlete. She doesn’t just focus on the physical parts of an athlete, but helps improve on one’s mental fitness, as well. This is essential in the game of soccer, especially at the higher level, and also something of which she had helped me to improve on tremendously. I without a doubt would not be where I am at in both my soccer and personal career if it weren’t for Heidi, as she has inspired me to be the best version of myself.
Gabi Manno - Arsenal FC ECNL/CSU San Marcos D2
Coach Heidi is the most sincere coach I have ever met. She genuinely cares about her players and wants the absolute best for them in every situation! She was one of the major coaches who made me the player I am today and I am forever grateful for her. She introduced me to so many different ball skills that I still use and will use for the rest of my soccer career. She is a great confidence booster but also has very high expectations for her players and will always push you to do your absolute best! Coach Heidi is the type of coach you want to play110% every training session and games.
Rola Badawiya - Arsenal FC ECNL/Cal State Long Beach D1/Cal Baptist D1
Heidi is one of the most influential people in my life. She shaped me into the woman I am today, and I am so thankful to have had her as a coach. Not only did I learn crucial skills and gain confidence as a player, but was able to embody what it meant to be a Christian athlete and leader. I still have the quotes from Coach John Wooden she used to teach us 10 years later taped to my mirror.