Contact/About

Roby And Laszlo Boloni

About Roby Stahl

Roby is one of the first American coaches ever to play and coach full time professionally in Europe. His name is recognized worldwide by FIFA and National Teams as a high-level coach and educator. He has been instrumental in raising the level of skill and play for thousands of students from grade school through college, nationally and internationally. Roby has developed his unique teaching methodology through impressive soccer achievements at all levels.

His methodology is noted as one of the most professional and sophisticated worldwide. Roby is in constant demand as one of the most outstanding clinicians training individuals and teams in soccer today. He is an annual presenter for both the NSCAA Coaches Convention and the USYSA Workshop.

Roby graduated from the University of Akron in 1975 where he was a four-year varsity letter winner and captain for two years. During those years he was a member of the U19 Men’s National Team and the U.S. Olympic Team player pools.

Roby was one of the first Americans to play professionally in Europe, playing with the Cork Celtic FC in the League of Ireland and training with West Ham United of the English Premier League where he was tutored by legendary English National Team coach Ron Greenwood. Additionally, he played professionally for the Cleveland Cobras of the American Soccer League and was a member of the Clayton Football Club and Walthamstow FC of the Rothman-Isthmian League in London, England. While living in London he began taking coaching courses throughout the London Football Coaches Association.

In addition to his impressive playing resume, Roby has extensive coaching experiences at the youth, adult, collegiate and professional levels. His professional coaching resume includes stints as the Head Men’s and Women’s Coach for Tyresö FF in Stockholm, Sweden, Head Coach at the College of Charleston (SC), Assistant Coach at Old Dominion University, and Interim Coach for both Men and Women at the University of Central Florida. He has recently assisted the Columbus Crew (MLS) on a volunteer basis during training, with an emphasis on tactics in the attacking third. Currently he serves as the Head Coach for the Cincinnati Kings playing in the PDL.

On the youth level, Roby previously served as the Director of Coaching for the Ohio South Youth Soccer Association, Boys Director of Coaching for the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy, FC America Omni/Kumba in Orlando, Florida, Hungryneck SC in Charleston, South Carolina, and as head coach for numerous boys and girls’ youth and high school teams in various state and countries. Many of Roby’s former players are presently playing in the MLS, the WUSA, and in foreign countries. In Sweden, twelve of his former players competed in World Championships, European Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Roby has extensive experience at the international level, much gained during his five year marriage to former U.S. Women’s National Team player and FIFA “Player of the Century” Michelle Akers. Together they traveled to many countries presenting clinics for coaches, players and working with Women’s National Teams at the request of national federations.

Stahl holds a U.S. Soccer “A” License, an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, a Swedish Elite License, a Brazilian Elite License, a U.S. Youth National Instructors License, a Canadian Soccer Association “B” License and has a Master’s in Education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. He was in charge of the development of the coaches licensing curriculum for OSYSA and has instructed at US Soccer National coaching Schools in the past. Besides being licensed as a personal trainer through ISSA, he has also certified as a Level One Youth Fitness Specialist by the International Youth Conditioning Association.

Roby is a past Region II ODP Staff Coach for both boys and girls, as well as past national team coach for the Super Y League and was honored by Major League Soccer at the 2000 MLS All-Star Game as one of Ohio’s Top 100 Soccer Leaders.

Roby was the liaison for U.S. Soccer during the 1992 European Championships in Sweden and was the Deputy Commissioner of Competition for the Orlando soccer venue during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Stahl has authored seven videotapes directed at training elite players and has translated a Swedish training book into English.

About The Striker School

Roby Stahl’s STRIKER SCHOOL, LLC embraces the “Education on the Attack” the program he developed in the 1980’s. Although his programs are often imitated they can never be successfully duplicated. The carefully formulated curriculum is constantly updated through extensive international ongoing research and development. This curriculum teaches players effective and vital techniques in the attacking, middle and defensive thirds of the field, and develops the versatility of all players while teaching them to find creative solutions to the game of soccer. By this unique methodology, students attending our training sessions become better equipped technically and tactically to handle any field position they play in club, high school, ODP or college. Our program enables the student to make correct field decisions instinctively without forethought or hesitation. We cater to soccer players who aspire to higher goals and reach them. We are in every sense of the word a true soccer training center for boys and girls. We are designed for success and we are demanding. Students come away with increased confidence in themselves as players and goal scorers.

“There are only a few players who can dominate the ball, but mostly it is the ball that dominates the player!” -Johan Cruyff

The DILEMMA:

In the United States, young boys and girls starting at age 5, usually learn to play soccer from good meaning mom and dad volunteers, who for the most part, have never played the game themselves. The majority of these parents learn by instinct, books or videos. The skills a player learns in these early stages of development become the basis for their level of play (good or bad). Unfortunately, in the United States, players do not watch enough soccer live or on television. Players do not get enough physical exposure to the game at a high level to have role models teach by repetitive viewing. How else is the student to learn and grow? At STRIKER SCHOOL, LLC and the PLAYERS ACADEMY we are sensitive to these needs and our philosophy has always been to use soccer educators in our coaching staffs.

We do it best because that’s all we do and we do it full time – year round…That’s our business and we’re good at it!

THE SOLUTION:

The focus is on technical development within an age group appropriate learning environment. Every player dreams of performing at the highest level, whether it is for your club team, high school varsity, and state team or in college. These goals are realized by mastery of the technical aspects at a young age. Tactical creativity and understanding, peak physical conditioning, mental focus and conditioning will follow as your player grows and advances through the STRIKER SCHOOL, LLC. The knowledge and experience of our director and staff will allow each player to reach their full capability through the proper teaching of the most basic to the most advanced skills. After each technical session the staff will guide the players through games for teaching understanding.

Why the emphasis on technical training? Because Low technical abilities lead to a low tactical, physical and psychological performance on the field. Therefore high technical abilities will lead to a high tactical, physical and psychological performance leading you to be a more successful player! This mastery of technique allows students to play at a higher speed thus enhancing their team’s abilities to “win time” in games.

All STRIKER SCHOOL, LLC programs and DVDs are designed for the overall player regardless of their position allowing an opportunity to train with our professional staff of soccer educators. The curriculum teaches every player to solve problems in the attacking third of the field through the development of technical mastery as well as creativity through our constantly updated curriculum we can insure that attending players and coaches receive the most up to date technical training available. Our staff is on the cutting edge of new information in the development of age appropriate attacking methods to help your son or daughter begin to understand how to reach their potential. The STRIKER SCHOOL, LLC staff has experience at all levels of soccer as college and professional players, youth (club and ODP), collegiate and professional coaches as well as national and staff level coaching course instructors

Click Here to Sign Up For an Upcoming Striker School Camp