Meet Arturo Hoyos | Founder of Elite IQ Football

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arturo Hoyos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arturo, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most significant factor behind my program’s success has been the passion I display towards helping further develop my players. I make sure every practice is designed to the highest of levels, in quality fields, with competitive and hardworking players. Furthermore, I teach Albert Puig Football Concepts (APFC) which are individual and collective concepts that help players problem-solve effectively on the field. In addition, my trainings put players in environments where their decision-making and creativity is constantly being challenged and fostered. Working with my teams made me realize that there is an untapped niche in the  Zone 1 age group (U6-U12) for girl players. Specializing in that area for the past 3 years has opened doors not only for me as a coach, but for my players nationwide.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
At the beginning of 2020, I was working as a substitute teacher and had my future job lined up to teach English in Japan. However, once COVID-19 became an official global pandemic, I was laid off and lost the job that was waiting for me in Japan. It was then that I turned to coaching as my main source of income. What started off as a part-time opportunity with just a few players, has now blossomed into an entire soccer academy offering sessions to five age groups as well as private small group training sessions.

The road has not always been a smooth one. Soccer in this country, unfortunately, is not prioritized, and therefore, finding proper fields and obtaining appropriate permits is a challenge from an administrative perspective. However, having a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, having worked for a school district and in local government, I know where to access the resources necessary to make sure Elite IQ Football runs efficiently.

Elite IQ Football is the only all-girl Zone One soccer academy in San Diego, that is one of the factors that set me apart. Although, what truly sets me apart from other programs is that I am one of few who teaches universal and individual concepts with constant decision-making throughout all my practices, to each of my players. At the moment, I have 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 groups who work with me on a weekly basis and we compete in tournaments as well. It is amazing how quickly these players can improve when proper teaching and coaching techniques are used and tailored specifically to each player.

However, what I am most proud of is not the championships that I have won with these groups. What I am most proud of is seeing my players truly elevate their game from when I first started working with them to present day. One of my most consistent players, for example, had a challenging season two years ago. Her coach barely gave her any minutes and she almost stopped playing the sport. Because of this, I made sure that when she trained at Elite IQ Football that I would help raise her confidence, football IQ, technique, and help her love the game once again. Fast forward two years later, she’s now been invited to play with various leading local and international teams and is one of the more advanced players in the program. Witnessing a player’s progress like that is what I am most proud of by far.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was in town for the week, let’s say my wife since she is currently living in Tokyo, we would have many places to check out. We would have breakfast in La Jolla, Little Italy, or Point Loma to be near the water. You can never go wrong with starting your day by eating at Caroline’s Seaside Cafe, Queenstown Public House, or Ketch Grill and Taps. After walking that off, we’d drive south to Chula Vista and get the best tacos in San Diego by stopping by Tacos el Gordo or Tacos Machin. However, if we decide to go for authentic Mexican seafood, we would stop by the one and only TJ Oyster Bar. And if we are still hungry after all of that and want to get dinner, we would probably disagree on what we want. Yet, we would either have ramen at Mitsuwa Marketplace, burgers at Shake Shack, or pizza from Bronx Pizza.

As far as activities are concerned, we would end up at a San Diego Wave game no matter what! We love going to sports events and supporting our hometown’s women’s professional soccer team is a must. We would also catch a Padres game at Petco Park and enjoy a local Ballast Point pint while we cheer on the team. Additionally, we would go kayaking at the Carlsbad Lagoon or go on a hike with my Weimaraner, Riga, around Torrey Pines.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout to the following awesome organizations:

– APFC
– Davison Distributions
– Dodd Studios
– Hangar FC
– Head Up Vest
– North Foto Club
– Manos Libres Media

Website: https://www.eliteiqfootball.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elite.iq.football/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eliteiqfootball/?viewAsMember=true

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elite.IQ.Football

Image Credits
– Dodd Studios – Jorge Aguilar – North Foto Club