Meet Fatih Koc | USSF Soccer Coach & ISSA Master Trainer

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

Hi Fatih, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I graduated in French Language and Literature in college and got my master’s degree in international business administration in Istanbul. I was managing all customer service departments nationwide in one of the biggest companies there that was a subscription streaming service company like Netflix and was the owner of the broadcasting rights of the Turkish Super League and other soccer leagues in bein sports channels. When it comes to job satisfaction, I realized that job would never lead me to a happy, prosperous future. However, working in the same work routines and hours, from Monday to Friday 8 am – 5 pm. Including overtime and some weekends work schedule was the other reason to seek to find something with more freedom. Especially after I traveled to 9 countries in Europe, I decided to live abroad otherwise I would never find out what I truly am capable of or how far I could go so I did need to take a risk to get my reward in this journey and decide on my willingness to accept the consequences of failure instead of being bored and dreading to going to the office. Otherwise, it would be called sure-thing taking.

I started this self-discovery journey with 20 $ in my pocket while I was starting a new life in the USA. I was supposed to go back to my country but I decided to stay in California on my way to the airport giving up my career, my parents, and friends. Nobody knew me and I didn’t know anyone. This was the biggest challenge in my entire life by taking the biggest risk ever. I wasn’t afraid to take this risk and pursue something meaningful to follow my California dream. There were a lot of sacrifices like missing my parents and staying in my car some days but I knew that eventually would come with great rewards that s why I never felt scared or uncomfortable. After living in West Hollywood for 4 years, i needed to move somewhere more chill and more relaxed and this was The America’s finest city, San Diego. Especially after covid, living alone made feel need a company. I decided to rescue a dog from San Diego Humane Society to share my life with and then realized actually this cutest dog of the world , Gamgee, is the one who rescued me. Since the summer of 2020, i’ve been living in this beautiful city.

I grew up spending most of my time playing and watching soccer. It was always my passion and came first priority. Even when I was in college, sometimes this passion caused break up with my girlfriend(s), but I never gave up on it. On the other hand, fitness also was always something I’d love to spend a huge amount of passion on. These two passions gave me to strength to stay here in California regardless of the difficulty of competition among the brands that already existed for a long time in the sports industry. The sports industry is fast-paced, exciting, and full of diverse opportunities, and it’s always changing with plenty of opportunities to innovate so first I got a USSF soccer coaching license and then a personal trainer certificate. It was just for personal development in the beginning but I eventually became Master Trainee with 5 other certificates including Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, Online Coaching, Recovery, and Corrective Exercise Certificates. These qualities did help me succeed and advance in my career. Clearly, the risk is essential for success in every aspect of life even in telling someone ‘ I love you

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve always loved sports and soccer always been an important part of my life. I think anyone’s personal sexual orientation should not be a barrier to playing soccer but unfortunately, some people have not always seen this the same way, even in California and even in 2022. We need to create an atmosphere in soccer at both professional and grassroots levels to ensure that LGBTQ+ soccer players and supporters have a place in the game to prevent any discrimination. Anti- LGBTQ+ always poisons the process and prevents the athletes from realizing their dreams. Nobody has to feel lonely, upset, or ashamed. I’m trying to turn this dark environment into a much brighter, colorful, rainbow as much as I can because unfortunately, lgbtq+ people do still sometimes face or fear physical violence within soccer. At this point, the varsity gay soccer league has clear policies on how to deal with discrimination and inequality.

I’m honored to bring the first queer soccer league to San Diego in the fall, of 2021. Since then, I’ve been managing Varsity Gay Soccer League which is the largest LGBTQ+ recreational sports organization nationwide. On the other hand, i’ll be also the director of Soccer tournament of VGL sports festival this year in Labor Day weekend. The teams around California and other states come and play soccer with parties and celebrations  in the heart of San Diego. However, I was able to build and own non-profit adult recreational soccer clubs, WeHo Lions and SD Lions, where everyone  feels welcome and play soccer  regardless of sexual orientation, gender, identity, ethnicity, religion, age or skill levels. We’re still growing up and i hope we will also have some youth programs soon. Those are great opportunities for the athletes like me to increasingly voice their preferences in socially responsible brands such as diversity, equality, race, gender, and sexuality. I believe in Sports have enough power to unite everyone. I do provide a soccer environment where everyone can play soccer all together regardless of their sexual preferences. I’m showing a perspective everyone that lgbtq+ people are always part of the soccer community: as players, coaches, fans, and officials regardless of out or not. However, It’s so sad to see that some people still are unwilling or refuse to play any sports in any sports league named or used any gay term in the brand name. It’s not easy to break those walls and barriers but as it is always said, LOVE WINS.

Besides being soccer league manager, I’m hosting 9v9 and 11v11 pick-up games for adults in the outdoor soccer industry. I’ve been also working with athletes looking to stay active through private training sessions 1 on 1 or group soccer lessons for youth players at home, on nearby fields, or at soccer camps. I’m teaching my passion to youths by creating an enjoyable and fun environment that focuses on their development, not just winning a game. Watching their development is a gift for me.

I have also had some experience last season for the first time ever coaching a semi-pro team in UPSL as an athletic trainer. It was a short journey for me with a lot of acknowledgment. I’m still open to more opportunities to improve and strengthen my soccer coaching skills at this level in the future.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m not a huge fan of bars or cool restaurants but coffee shops always are my favorite spots. Spill the beans coffee in the seaport village is one of the cutest coffee shops in the town. It’s a good spot to watch the ocean and take fresh air while enjoying your coffee. They have plenty of drink options and some nice snacks but at the weekends, you can wait longer than usual so be prepared to queue.

Sunset cliffs you would not want to miss watching the sunset at this beautiful spot. It’s a fantastic place you can spend part of a day walking, hiking or surfing. You can watch the ocean with some amazing waves. It’s a unique coastal environment with surfers. If you like hiking, the trail at sunset cliffs is sandy and uneven with some sections hugging the boulevard.

The Nolen rooftop is a nice rooftop you can see the entire city. If you’re a whiskey person like me, they have a lot of whiskey-based cocktails. They have also various seating options from bar seating to large tables. This place is a good option to hang out with your friends or for a date night though. If there’s Padres a baseball game, it’s more crowded than usual.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
the answer is simple: my parents. Having their support in every part of my life is priceless. My mom is my best friend. Being away from her is the most challenging part of my life. Thanks to Facetime, we’re able to see each other and talk to her every day. She’s a full resource of positive energy and is supportive by encouraging me all the time. Staying connected helps me go through the process of becoming a better person. They always listen without judgment and respect my feelings and concerns. They always understand my challenges. We have a trusting relationship that is the most meaningful I’ve ever had. Knowing I’m loved for who I’m and that they’re always there to support me is the biggest freedom for me.

Website: https://fk.issacertifiedtrainer.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fkoc23/ and www.instagram.com/weholions

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fkoc23