Meet Coach Smith
For more than 30 years, I've coached competitive, academy, high school and college soccer, including players who have gone on to play professionally.
I've served as an Academy Coach and Age Group Director with Colorado Rush and Sporting Blue Valley and hold a USSF “C” License and US Youth Futsal Level 3 License.
After three decades of coaching, I've learned something simple:
Joy drives improvement.
When players enjoy learning, they become more curious, confident and motivated to improve on their own.
I still train and play because I believe in "testing what I teach". Staying on the field keeps me connected to what techniques actually feel like under pressure and reminds me that learning soccer should be challenging, rewarding—and fun.
My faith in Jesus Christ shapes how I coach. I believe God has given me soccer as a ministry, and I try to honor that by serving players well, being a positive role model and remembering that developing the person matters just as much as developing the player.
My hope is simple: that every player I coach develops a deeper love for the game and grows as a person, regardless of where soccer ultimately takes them.
“Play skillfully and shout for joy!” — Psalm 33:3
— Mark Smith
Founder, Smithway Soccer
Why I Built Smithway Soccer
We bridge the gap between team drills and individual mastery with a system built for at-home success.
Parents have asked me the same question for years:
“What should my child work on to get better?”
The problem isn't a shortage of drills. It's knowing what matters most right now.
Most developing players don't need advanced fine-tuning. They need the foundational techniques and concepts that can create the biggest improvement first.
Smithway Soccer was built to take away that guesswork and bridge the gap between team practice and individual development.
A Better Way to Train at Home
Foundational Skills
Prioritize the techniques that give developing players the biggest return first.
Guided Discovery
Help players learn to recognize problems and find solutions instead of simply copying instructions.
Independent Development
Give players a clear progression they can follow outside team practice.
You're Part of the Development Team
Young players improve fastest when coaches, parents and players understand what they're working toward.
Smithway gives families simple guidance so parents can support development without becoming the coach.
Independence
Shared Progress
Field Support
Players learn to take ownership.
Parents can understand what their player is working toward.
Simple videos and Field Guides make it easier to help without overcoaching.