Courtesy: Daily San Diego Soccer News


Helped McNary Nab Surf Spot

By Kathryn Snyder

February 14, 2010

SD Futsal star Mikaila McNary, who was playing recreational soccer in the Ramona soccer league a little over a year ago, recently made the SD Surf soccer A team.

"Mikaila was so raw when I started training her exactly year ago at my shooting clinics," SD Futsal Coach Mario Mrakovic said. "Not too long after, I watched her play defense against a boys team and that is when I noticed that she had that something special in her. She is solid as a rock. I am more than certain that she will become one of the better players in San Diego County. Her work ethic and commitment to training is second to none. She is the type of girl who succeeds by doing all the things the right way. I love to see when good things happen to good people, and her family is exceptional. I am super proud to be her mentor."

Mikaila heard about Cal South and began asking about Surf. Her father got in touch with Colin Chesters and she tried out for the B team. Tim admits he wasn't too sure about Surf initially. The tryouts were extremely physically and mentally demanding however the Surf experience as a whole was great for his daughter.

"She is really on cloud nine right now," Mikaila’s father Tim said. "The happiest day of her life was making the A team for Surf Soccer. Initially, I didn't want her to play soccer. I coached softball for 20 years and so obviously wanted her to play that. I coached her in Ramona's soccer league and when she was eight years old, she told me she wanted to get to the next level and I wasn't going to get her there. It was heartbreaking for me."

A fifth grader at Barnett Elementary, the 10-year old is an animal lover, who excels in the classroom. Mikaila also excels in cross-country where she tied for first in district. But the sport she lives for is soccer. On a recent cruise with her family, she spent the entire vacation kicking around a soccer ball.

"She's far beyond her years. She believes in less emphasis in talking, and more on getting it done," Tim said.

Tim said he can’t think of anything that was more important to Mikaila achieving the goal of making the Surf team, than SD Futsal. He plans to continue taking his daughter to Futsal clinics and camps.

"Mario [Mrakovic] had a shooting clinic and within 30 seconds, I stopped, asked him one question, and knew he knew way more than me and I've been coaching for 40 years,” Tim said.

Tim said he then taped the clinic, watched the tape six times and learned something new each time. Shortly thereafter, he signed his daughter up for Futsal because he felt there was really no other way to go.

"This is the one person I'd take my daughter to," said Tim about coach Mario. "He's really that good and that's an understatement. He has great ball control, skills, and a hunger for the game and he relates to my daughter in a way I never could.”



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com