MILLIONS OF YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS DREAM ABOUT THE WORLD CUP, AND FOR A FORMER SCHULZ ACADEMY PLAYER IT BECAME REALITY

Altidore  as an 8 year old in a game for Schulz Academy showing already his power

        Josmer with his U8 team mates and in a U9 game

Shooting and heading the ball already like a pro

 

“I knew that at the level Josmer was going to end up, finishing is the most important thing for him. We were working on these skills already very early as young as 8. I remember buying every week 10 extreme  light plastic balls at the Supermarket in order to work with the players already on finishing drills, especially heading the ball. Otherwise they would have had headache from the normal weight balls, and developing fear of heading, or missing out on the basics of the correct heading of the ball”, remembers Josef Schulz.

U 8 Team Photo

U 9 Tournament Champion

Always optimistic and full of confidence already in early years

U 9 National Champion in Disney (3 vs. 3)

U 10 National Champion in Disney (3 vs. 3)

U 13 Florida State Cup Champion as a U 12 Team

In the Dallas Cup Final vs. Monterrey de Mexico as a U 14

With Matt Luzunaris at a U 16 US Youth National Team Camp

Moving with 16 to Red Bull New York

Scoring many goals as a 16 year old in the MLS for Red Bull New York

Fighting for the ball with an Austrian defender at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Canada and receiving the top scorer award for the US U20 National Team

Starting his Men’s National Team carrier

Meeting important people

Representing soccer products with other celebrities

Signing a huge contract in Europe’s La Liga with Villareal CF

Josmer at his current club, Hull City, in the English Premier League

Starting and scoring in World Cup qualifiers for the US Men’s National Team

Top scorer in the World Cup qualifiers for the US en route to South Africa 

Fighting for the ball with Brazil’s Luisao at the Confederations Cup in South Africa

With this goal Altidore broke the 2 year unbeaten streak of Spain at the Confederations Cup

Against Spain Altidore showed that he can compete on the highest level with success

Jozy Altidore of USA battles with Lucio of Brazil during the FIFA Confederations Cup match between USA and Brasil at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on June 18, 2009 in Pretoria, South Africa

Visiting his former coaches and signing autographs for young players

Talking with his former coach, Josef Schulz, during a training session in the winter break

Millions of young players start as early as 5 with organized soccer and all of them dream about playing in the World Cup in front of millions of spectators and billions of watching on TV.

“When I saw Josmer the first time when he was 8 playing a pickup game in a park with other young players, I had a feeling that this young talent could make it all the way, and I approached his dad immediately”, says Dr. Josef Schulz, who discovered Josmer Altidore in a park in Boca Raton at the age of 8.

“Although that young, I saw in Josmer all the ingredients a soccer player on the highest level needs to have: Size, speed and especially an extraordinary understanding of the game. These things came naturally to him. The teaching of the technique was our job, and I think we did a pretty good job, because normally players with this size and power are technically not that sound, as he is. He really is the full package, and the World Cup 2010 in South Africa could be his big break through. I just hope he will have more playing time with his club, so he gets into the necessary game shape, which is on this level the most important thing”, continues his former coach. 

And Josef Schulz sends a message to all the young players out there: ”Josmer showed that with talent and hard work, even growing up in a small town like Boca Raton, you can make it all the way. This should be a motivating example for all the young players around the country, to work hard, keep dreaming, and dream big”.    

Josmer at a birth day party for coach Schulz at the age of 11

And after all: Celebrating the first World Cup participation 2010 in South Africa