Faces of the SCV: West Ranch junior scores with his own soccer school 

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Geoffrey Shi

When he was 5 years old, Geoffrey Shi gave one more sport a chance. He’d previously tried basketball and swimming, wasn’t interested in either, but when he got into soccer, he discovered an activity that was truly for him. And he got good at it. 

In December 2022, at 14 years old, he started a free soccer school to help kids who were just getting into the sport. He’d eventually use his program to raise money for and assist Children’s Hunger Fund in Sylmar. 

“I just wanted to introduce these kids to soccer,” he told The Signal during an interview with him and his dad at Starbucks in Stevenson Ranch. “And I wanted to train them to be better soccer players.” 

Shi, a 16-year-old junior at West Ranch High School, was born in West Los Angeles. When he was 3 years old, his family moved to New Mexico for a few years, where Shi would first play soccer. The family would return to California when Shi was in second grade and they’d put down roots in Stevenson Ranch. Shi’s father, Yong Shi, said he wanted to raise his kids in a better area, one that was “more wide-open” and “more family-friendly.” 

Sixteen-year-old Geoffrey Shi watches as his students from his soccer academy scrimmage during a training last Sunday evening at Jake Kuredjian Park in Stevenson Ranch. Michael Picarella/The Signal

Shi would use that space to thrive in soccer. In eighth grade, he joined MLS Next, which is a youth soccer league in the United States and Canada controlled by Major League Soccer. 

“It’s the top youth soccer league in North America,” Shi’s dad said.  

The league’s website says that MLS Next players have access to “the highest levels of competition” and training that will “prepare them for their futures both in soccer and in life.” 

While in MLS Next, Shi trained under Martin Vasquez, a former professional soccer player and current assistant coach for the Sacramento Republic professional soccer team. Outside of MLS Next, Shi received training from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish former footballer who some have said is among the greatest strikers of all time. 

The genesis for what would become Geoff’s Soccer Academy came when Shi saw too many kids in his community lacking certain skills on the field, which, he said, he feared would eventually slow or harm their future development. Wanting to make a difference, he decided to do something about it. 

In December 2022, he formed his soccer academy, built a website for it at GeoffSA.org, and he set out to put together a roster of kids from ages 5 to around 11. Shi said he posted notices on social media for willing participants, and he made posters and hung them up in local parks. Shi’s dad was quick to remind his son about another way he got players. 

Sixteen-year-old Geoffrey Shi explains to three students how the next soccer drill works during a training last Sunday evening at Jake Kuredjian Park in Stevenson Ranch. Michael Picarella/The Signal

“Also, remember,” he said to his son, “you went to talk to parents in the park.”  

Shi’s dad said that his son found kids playing soccer and asked their parents, who were nearby, if they’d be interested in having their kids train with him. It worked. Many really liked the idea. 

Shi’s first meeting brought in 19 students. Several of those kids, to this day, are still with him, and a handful have gone far in the sport. Asked if Shi, at 14 years old and with no teaching or coaching under belt, was nervous, he said no. Shi’s dad said that his son’s skillset gave him the confidence to help the kids. 

“He was training with very competitive clubs for years,” he said, adding that his son was the only player to come from the Santa Clarita Valley on his MLS Next team, which was made up of the top players from all over Los Angeles County.  

Geoff’s Soccer Academy takes place almost every Sunday evening at various parks in the area. Last Sunday, Shi worked with eight kids at Jake Kuredjian Park in Stevenson Ranch, doing soccer drills with them, having them run and setting up a scrimmage of four on four. The kids were very active, were laughing, and, according to some of the parents nearby watching, learning. 

Geoffrey Shi helps a student of his soccer academy, which he started in December of 2022 when he was 14 years old, during a training last Sunday evening at Jake Kuredjian Park in Stevenson Ranch. Michael Picarella/The Signal

“I do see the change,” said Ke Su, a parent of two kids who have been in the academy for about two years. He said he’s seen improvement in his 7-year-old son, London Su.  

“I love watching fútbol games,” Su continued, “even though I don’t know how to play fútbol at all. But I watch it. One day I realized London can do some technical moves. I can tell he learned something, which is really cool. All of them are improving their skills.” 

Su added that he’s impressed with Shi and with how well he works with the kids, how well he communicates with them — he’s not like that teacher who’s too serious, but rather Shi is showing the kids that soccer is fun, and that’s important, according to Su, when young people are first getting into a sport.  

“They like him,” Su said. “He’s like a big brother. He encourages them to keep playing. And I think that encouraging them at this point in their lives is important.” 

Nine-year-old Naomi Esposito has been training with Shi for about two years. She said she’s learned much about soccer, including how to do a “toe tap.” She added that Shi also makes each practice a lot of fun. 

Geoffrey Shi, who’s a West Ranch High School junior, explains the next soccer drill to students during a training last Sunday evening at Jake Kuredjian Park in Stevenson Ranch. Michael Picarella/The Signal

In addition to the Sunday training sessions, Shi has provided soccer camps for the students in his academy, which was ultimately a result of a trip he took about a year ago to Children’s Hunger Fund in Sylmar. Shi said that the field trip was eye-opening. 

“I saw how poor the children were, and I felt bad,” he said. “I wanted to help and wondered how I could raise money to donate to it.” 

Since Shi’s soccer school is free of charge to those kids who participate, he couldn’t just take proceeds and donate them. Instead, he brought the cause to the parents of his participants and offered a summer camp and a spring camp as a means to raise funds (giving money was not mandatory, Shi said). To date, those efforts have raised over $700 that Geoff’s Soccer Academy donated to kids in need at Children’s Hunger Fund in Sylmar. 

According to Janet Atkinson, development officer at Children’s Hunger Fund, their goal is to equip churches all over the world with food and finances that assist children and their families in need. She said in a telephone interview that, in her interactions with Shi, he seemed excited to make a difference in the world by helping others and by helping those in his academy become givers, as well. 

“He wants to serve his community, teaching them soccer, but also teaching them about generosity,” Atkinson said. “I think that’s very admirable. It’s really encouraging when I see kids wanting to help other kids.” 

As for Shi’s future aspirations, the young man said he isn’t looking to play soccer professionally. For now, he’s enjoying the work he’s doing for the kids in his academy, helping them appreciate soccer and giving them the skills that they need to elevate their game. 

Geoffrey Shi works with students of his soccer academy, which he offers for free to kids from ages 5 to around 11, during a training last Sunday evening at Jake Kuredjian Park in Stevenson Ranch. Michael Picarella/The Signal

As for how long he’ll continue doing his soccer academy, Shi said he’ll do it as long as he can, at least until he graduates high school and goes off to college. 

“And then I won’t have much time,” he said. “So, I might just have my dad do it,” he added with a chuckle. 

His dad was quick to respond: “No, no, no, I don’t —” 

“He played soccer when he was young,” Shi said. 

“No, I can’t coach them,” Shi’s dad admitted. “I just know how to help. They kick the ball far away, and I go get it and bring it back.” 

Shi’s dad said he goes to each of his son’s weekly trainings and the camps, but he’s really just a bystander. Sometimes he’ll go for walks around the park with the parents of the kids participating. Overall, he admires his son for what he’s doing. 

“He’s been doing this almost every Sunday for about two years,” Shi’s dad said. “I’m very proud of him because he’s shown the ability to organize, he’s shown leadership, he manages everything like his website, his schedule, his training. It’s good exercise for him. And he’s doing good things.” 

Know any unsung heroes or people in the SCV with an interesting life story to tell? Email [email protected]. 

Geoffrey Shi

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