“Use your head, cooperate, develop strong friendships”

The mission of the Higher Ground Academy soccer program is to provide a setting in which healthy competitive teams thrive. Through our program the students learn how to train for individual fitness and skills, how to cooperate and be responsible in support of common goals, and how to value each person’s role on the team. The participants are asked to transfer these attributes into the school community as positive role models and leaders.

Winning is not the focus of our program. The focus is on becoming a good soccer player        and playing attractive soccer as a team in competitive games. Winning and losing are the natural outcomes of competing. Our students are encouraged to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

We accomplish this in a college preparatory school in which academics are everyone’s first priority. We insist that our student athletes are first good students, second good citizens, and third good soccer players.

The school schedule provides a one hour and fifteen minute block of time for soccer training each day. Conducting a practice during the school day provides a physical education break from their rigorous academic schedule, allows for participation in after school programs and enables the students to take the regular school transportation to home at the end of the school day. We avoid having games on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons so our Junior and Seniors can be involved in the Admission Possible program which prepares for and helps in the college application and scholarship process.

For outdoor facilities, we use the McMurray Turf Fields in Como Park in St. Paul.  When we train inside, we use the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center, Concordia University’s Gangelhoff Center and Concordia University’s newly domed Sea Foam stadium.

Staying connected with our students in a nonacademic setting on a year round basis helps us to develop strong relationships with our soccer athletes. For the boys, our after school fall program consists of a full schedule of games against high schools throughout the Twin Cities.

In the winter, we have entered two teams in the Corner Kick Indoor 6v6 Soccer League with games at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. (Corner Kick is closed this season, but will reopen in November, 2010). For two months beginning in mid January, we play in the U18 Saturday morning 11v11 league in the Stillwater dome.

When the snow melts, our spring season consists of friendly games against teams from local youth clubs and participation in a charter school league.

Our summer season kicks off with the NSC Cup Tournament over Memorial Day weekend. We enter a U19 team in the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association’s Classic 1 League which plays games during June and July. One of the highlights for our students is participation in the USA Cup International Soccer Tournament in mid July. Teams from all over the world travel to Minnesota for this wonderful festival of soccer. August is our break before school and soccer begin again after Labor Day.

For the girls, we provide soccer training throughout the school year. They play a modest schedule of games in the fall and in the spring. Several of our female student athletes play on youth soccer teams during the summer.

Buzz Lagos, who coached the Minnesota Thunder professional soccer team for 16 years, is the director of our soccer program. He brings a wealth of expertise in developing youth through soccer. Coach Lagos is assisted by Farah Osman with the boys and Fartun Osman with the girls. Coach Farah provides great energy and enthusiasm for our program. He has earned an International Brazilian B License and a US National D License. Coach Fartun provides an excellent role model for our girls. This mother of four played basketball and ran track for Somali National Teams. She has a National Youth Soccer Coaching Badge and an MYSA State D License.

STAFF