OAKTOWN FC Summer Conditioning Program

by Coach Daniel

OAKLAND, Calif.— OAKTOWN FC just wrapped up a two month summer conditioning program in our community. The program consisted of two sessions per week, working with local students-athletes from the East Oakland area. We developed this with the intent to prepare players for competitive play. The primary goals were to develop fitness, foster community, and support players in achieving their long term footballing goals. 

Some of the equipment we used during the program were portable goals (top center), dome cones (bottom center), and small hurdles (left).

Developing Fitness

We started each training session with a five mile run. Afterwards, we moved into thirty minutes of plyometrics and explosive exercises. Lastly, we finished with some technical ball work.

As coaches, we sought to prioritize improvement over specific results. We had players time their runs, and they were asked to record their heart rates once before, during and after the run to track their improvement. Our target heart rate during the run was 140-160 BPM. After the run we hydrated and moved into a rigorous plyometrics and explosive training regiment for thirty minutes. This part of the program was meant to increase speed, agility, balance and strength. With tired legs and being mentally worn from the plyometric training, we then transitioned to technical work. We asked players to push through the fatigue to make optimal decisions, employ meticulous first touch and accurate passing.

Player Wellness

We were grateful to find no serious injuries during the program, besides some very sore muscles. However good hydration, a healthy diet and plenty of sleep had players recovering quickly. We sought to find a balance between pushing physically and avoiding injury. We achieved this by checking in with players throughout the training. We typically had 2-3 coaches who joined in on the runs and maintained communication about any signs of exhaustion like nausea, dizziness, sharp muscle pain or seeing spots. We set expectations to improve every week. Coaches advised against pushing to the point of risking injury and we saw encouraging results.

Results

We had a group of players and coaches that improved their fitness without injury. We at Oaktown FC are very fortunate to work with some of the most talented players in the region who live in the East Oakland area we serve. Some of them will move on and play at their respective clubs and into high school seasons. They will be better prepared physically and mentally for the rigors of competitive play due to the effort they exhibited throughout the OAKTOWN FC summer conditioning program.

Agility, acceleration and explosiveness are all attributes we focused on in the plyometric training portion of our summer program.

Reflecting on COVID-19

We were able to run this conditioning program successfully while adhering to Alameda County COVID guidelines. Working closely with players, parents and coaching staff, we put together protocols that maintained health for all those involved. While adhering to social distancing, parts of the game like joy, creativity, and tactical elements of futbol are missed. However, the threat of COVID will eventually pass. We look forward to enjoying the beautiful game without restrictions in the near future.

Oaktown FC Stance on Racism

By: Emilio Navarro-Perez

OAKLAND, Calif.— Social injustice, racism, and, in particular, police brutality has existed since the formation of this country, we, OAKTOWN FC (OTFC), as a club and organization feel that it is imperative we make it clear to the public and all stakeholders where we stand on the matters of racism, white privilege, our aspirations towards becoming an antiracist institution, and how we have elected to deconstruct white supremacy. 

We do this in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, those who have been adversely impacted by racism, and those fighting for equality, equity and civil rights. OTFC stands with our Black community members and families. Below we will share what we are doing to address and intentionally disrupt white supremacy in our organization. We feel that it is in the best interest of everyone involved with OAKTOWN FC to understand our stance as a club in regards to racism and white supremacy. Ultimately, our intention is to have a positive impact in our community of East Side Oakland. 

For OAKTOWN FC, this is not and has never been a moment, this has been and always will be a MOVEMENT.

Context/History

Since the formation of the United States, the system of racism has shaped and impacted every aspect of our lives; and sports are not spared from this reality. Racism has continued to evolve from overt laws and practices to a more sophisticated disguise inclusive of covert policies and actions.  Its impact on day-to-day life is ubiquitous and continues to exist. Some examples to illustrate how insidious and pervasive racism and white supremacy are sustained and perpetuated through policy, society, and laws include:

•  Red lining

• Voter suppression

• Mass incarceration

• The War on Drugs

• Over-policing communities of color and the lower-resourced

• Police brutality and excessive force

• Inequalities in healthcare and education

• Environmental racism. 

Currently, many people are being intentional in their efforts to educate themselves on how to acknowledge, address, and deconstruct racism and what it means to be anti-racist. The time has come where we can no longer stand idly and be neutral on this matter. Given that racism has been intentionally produced by society, one must do their due diligence in attempting to eradicate racism, racist ideology and white supremacy. Simply perpetuating covert socially acceptable forms of white supremacy, and assuming that good intentions are enough, is a fallacy. Thinking about racism, its history, and its context in society are simply insufficient and inadequate. WE must take action!

Experience and Parallels

As a club we cannot deny the lived experiences and reality of many of our players, families and community members; many of whom we work alongside. We stand sympathetically, empathically, and in solidarity with our most vulnerable marginalized group in America, currently and historically, our black and brown community members and families.

Over-policing, excessive use of force, police brutality, and mass incarceration has had a detrimental intergenerational impact on many communities of color across the country oftentimes destabilizing and debilitating a sense of community. 

I share my own experience to draw parallels to how living in an over-policed community while being a BIPOC can shape one’s interactions with law enforcement. My story is not intended to take away from what has been going on to Black people in this country but rather to lend an understanding of the shared trauma that both Black and Brown people experience.

Having family members be victims of police brutality, mass incarceration and personally experiencing police abuse of their power is simply traumatizing. At 18, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) aimed an AR-16 rifle at my friends and I, without any explanation or reason. 

At 20, California Highway Patrol pulled me over, claiming that I was speeding and swerving lanes and attempted to book me and arrest me on DUI charge, which was false. 

At 21, while hanging out with my childhood friends, SFPD illegally searched my car with my friends present and called for backup attempting to arrest us, assuming we had drugs in the car. 

I have heard of other family members being beaten by police, had their lives threatened by police, and have witnessed police beat neighbors of mine. None stand out more than one time when I was driving down the street in my old neighborhood of Hunters Point and witnessing SFPD round up and detain 10-12 black youth for no apparent reason. These are experiences that have stuck with me and they continue to fuel my passion for the work that I do, and we do as a club for the youth of East Oakland. 

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Dominique Wells, Riah Milton, Tamir Rice, Erik Salgado, Oscar Grant, Mario Woods, Steven Taylor, Sean Monterosa, Nia Wilson, and Jace Young are just a few names that have lost their lives As a result to racist policing, racism, and white supremacy.

We feel that not just these lives that have been taken are not the only injustice of racism, but a by-product of systemic institutional and socially acceptable forms of racism and white supremacy. There are many other aspects that continue to have long term effects in our community and many like it, such as mass incarceration, predatory lending, racial profiling, cultural appropriation, anti-immigration policies/practices, tokenism, colorblindness and white savior complex. These are all interlinked and examples in which white supremacy and racism continue to evolve and exist, unless we address it. 

Once we acknowledge inequities, we need to admit and accept privilege. In order to assess privilege I leave you with this: 

“But privilege isn’t about what you’ve gone through; it’s about what you haven’t had to go through.” 

- Janaya Future Khan 

Organizational Structure as an Anti-Racist Organization

Through the writing of Ibram X. Kendi, How to be an Antiracist, introduces the idea of what it means to be an antiracist and challenges readers to reflect, analyze, wonder, question, and critique every aspect of your life and what parts have been shaped, influenced, and have been impacted by white supremacy and racism. 

As he puts it, 

“The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist.' It is 'anti-racist.' What's the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist.”

― Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist

Therefore, the first step is acknowledging that we all are suffering and subscribing to racism unconsciously regardless of race and in order to dismantle these ideals, WE must be intentional in combating racism, internally, socially, and structurally. 

As an antiracist organization, OAKTOWN FC has been intentional in the community we work in and the coaches we work with in order to create an empowering environment that does not lend itself to perpetuate some of the detrimental values noted above. We find that not addressing these issues lends itself to further traumatizing, retraumatizing and, ultimately, can be problematic given the lived experience and the reality of many members of our community. 

In East Oakland lies beauty, beauty that must be curated, maintained, and created by the community members. We can all benefit from the beauty of East Oakland and it should be enjoyed, respected, and acknowledged by all. OTFC wishes to continue to provide opportunities for members of the East Oakland community. OAKTOWN FC will continue its pursuit to be for the community, by the community and from the community.

Going Forward

OTFC will continue to reflect and challenge racism and anti-black sentiments that have permeated our conscious and unconscious way of thinking. We will not stop in addressing these realities for everyone we work with and we will always be an organization that strives to create an environment where everyone feels welcomed, honored, respected, and treated with dignity. We understand that the first step of being an antiracist is acknowledging that we are influenced by racist ideology, and as a result, OAKTOWN FC will constantly strive to reflect and continue to be intentional in dismantling racism and disrupting this pattern of thinking. 

Actionable steps OAKTOWN FC has taken and will continue to take in becoming an antiracist Futbol Club:

• Challenge our own patterns of thought to disrupt racist ideology

• Address staff, players, families, and communities members that create a hostile and unwelcoming environment for players

• We will continue to give coaching opportunities to Black Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC)

• We will continue to sponsor coaches of color to attain their coaching licenses

• We will continue to work in our community of East Oakland to structurally make our trainings accessible to the families and communities we serve

• We will continue to support families and players any way that we can and see fit to ensure their commitment to training

• We will always strive to create a practice environment that is empowering to mitigate ‘otherizing’ any group of people

• We will work with organizations that are aligned in our values to address these inequities

• We will continue to hold high standards for coaches and players to meet the demands of rigor of our futbol training

• We will ensure that our coaching staff is at least 75% BIPOC at all times

• We will continue to look for opportunities to serve the Black youth players, families, and community members of East Oakland

• We will continue our work by onboarding Black coaches, and expanding our programs to work closely with schools that serve predominantly Black youth in East Oakland

• We will continue to have a coaching staff that reflects the players they coach to ensure that there is an empowering practice environment for all stakeholders involved

• Coaches will continue to conduct their coaching through a culturally sensitive lens to address the unique needs for youth that need extra support to address social inequities that exist in the current club soccer landscape both locally and nationally

• We will ensure that each goal as a club is addressing one of the needs of diversity, equity, and inclusion

We were created for that reason, and wish to continue that pursuit. Many players have been priced out of soccer, and we wish to challenge the status quo. OTFC is disrupting capitalism in our society by making the game accessible to all regardless of income and financial hardship. Reframing our values as a club will better address the desire in becoming a diverse, equitable, and inclusive club that serves all. We also have to acknowledge our neurodiverse youth that we work with and accommodate accordingly. As we continue to serve, we are committed to continuing to provide access to our training and coaches for the youth in East Oakland. The lived experience for many in our community is undoubtedly tied to social stratification based on class, education, social capital, immigration status, and, obviously, race. 

As always, we are for the community, by the community, and from the community. 

WE ARE OAKTOWN.

East Oakland’s Pride Believes in OAKTOWN FC

OAKLAND, Calif.— OAKTOWN FC host East Oakland’s very own Jonathan “Jonny” Orozco.

Jonathan Orozco has been following Oaktown FC even before he signed for The Oakland Roots. Since the beginning of the formation of OAKTOWN FC, Jonny has been intrigued with the work of OAKTOWN Futbol Club (OTFC). 

Supporting from Afar

Upon arrival, Jonathan watched the community pick up games from the sidelines and chatted with one of the founders of Oaktown FC about the goals, mission, and purpose of Oaktown FC and the East Oakland community. 

Orozco after signing with the Oakland Roots.

Giving Back to the Community

Jonathan was very pleased to see that people from the community were giving back in a positive and productive way through the sport of Futbol. Building community, growing the sport, and having the youth of East Oakland stay active are cornerstones that Jonny and Oaktown FC aligned on its invaluable resource to youth from the same community Jonny grew up in. Orozco noted that he grew up just four blocks from where OAKTOWN FC has their community pickup games in Brookfield Village off of 98th in East Oakland. Orozco stated he would have loved something like this growing up, given that he started playing club soccer at 14, but prior to that only played in the streets.

A Unique Pathway as Inspiration

Jonny’s path is one of inspiration for many youth players coming out of East Oakland. Having attended Madison Park Academy as a middle schooler, and later attending San Lorenzo High School, Orozco went on to play at Las Positas College, a junior college in Livermore, prior to attending and playing for San Francisco State. Throughout his Journey, Orozco admits to not knowing what to do, even taking three years off before getting back on track and finishing up his education while also having the opportunity to play at the Division II level. 

Coach Daniel noted that, given Orozco’s path, “not everyone needs to play for a prestigious club soccer program in order to play in college or even pro. There are many pathways.” This pathway is one that OAKTOWN FC aspires to widen for youth players from East Oakland. 

Orozco captaining San Francisco State University

Orozco’s Message 

While speaking to the group of high school aged players, Orozco touched on the importance of coachability, training, and tactical understanding of futbol as the biggest difference coming from playing in the streets. He also emphasized the importance of having an education, something that Orozco was able to attain through his desire to play soccer. 

As the Oakland Roots 2020 season looks to kick off at the end of the month, Jonny will have an entire club and community of East Oakland rooting for and supporting #98 from inside the stadium, East Oakland, and Brookfield. Orozco is an example of what East Oakland should be proud of. He is East Oakland Pride, “El Orgullo”.

OAKTOWN FC Coach Attends United Soccer Coaches National Diploma Course

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.— OAKTOWN FC Coach goes across the country to attain National Diploma offered by United Soccer Coaches.

At the end of  OAKTOWN FC’s inaugural season, head coach Emilio Navarro-Perez was on track to continue his coaching education. 

While many players and families of OAKTOWN FC enjoyed their winter break, Emilio flew across the country to collaborate, network, and learn from other coaches involved with the beautiful game.

Emilio recalls this amazing opportunity as one of validation and realization that coaching is his passion. His Mentor coaches were Vince Ganzberg and Deb Raber. Vince Ganzberg is the education content coordinator for United Soccer Coaches and Deb Raber is the head coach of the women’s soccer team at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. 

Both Vince and Deb have had extensive careers in coaching and teaching the National Diploma Course in order to help soccer coaches become more effective in teaching the game. Both admired the work of the 99ers (the US Women’s National Team that won the 1999 World Cup). Vince shared one drill the late great Tony DiCicco used to do with them, and Deb actually worked with him in the WPS, when he managed the Boston Breakers.

The experience was one to remember. Emilio recalls, “It was great seeing coaches at various levels of the game, both domestically and abroad that attended this great coaching experience.”

Ultimately, the experience for Emilio was humbling and rewarding. Humbling in that Emilio was able to represent OAKTOWN FC at a national coaching event, and rewarding knowing that OAKTOWN FC  will have a more educated, more passionate and more equipped coach to lead them. 

Some names to remember

Emilio worked with many coaches from various levels in the game, and former players who are embarking on their coaching journey. Many coaches that Emilio met were plying their trade at various levels of the game. Here are some to name a few:

Jane Walsh DIII Salve Regina

Kellen Kasiguran DII Gordon College

Evren Gunduz HS Dover-Sherborn

Michael Augustson Club St. Vrain FC

Ethan Shim DI West Virginia University

Jlon Flippens DI University of Maryland

Coach Emilio with mentor Coach Deb Raber.

Coach Emilio with mentor coach Vince Ganzberg at Central Broward Regional Park after Emilio’s coaching field session.

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A Note from Emilio

During the week long intensive course, both Deb and Vince were impressed with the energy of the group of coaches involved. One moment that stood out and touched me was on the final day. 

Before saying goodbye, Vince said, “‘The biggest question is, would I want this person coaching my son? To all of you, Yes.” He followed up by saying that our coaching group was a “great group”. 

Having grown up playing soccer in the streets and having a passion for the game as a child, it meant a lot that my mentor coaches, in particular Vince, challenged me to be a better coach. During reflection of my coaching trial, he stated, “You know the game.”

He is right. All my life I had an inkling that I knew the game, now I leave Florida knowing, for certain, that I do know the game. All I have to say is, Thank you coach Vince and Coach Deb.

The most gratifying moment for me was returning home and being excited to go back to work to coach. I truly feel grateful to be able to serve my community of East Oakland and players from there.