Farmersville head soccer coach Michael Jordan hits 400 wins Friday Dec.10, thinks back on the quality of teams he’s coached
FARMERSVLLE– Five Valley championships and 12 league championship titles were already listed on Farmersville head soccer coach Michael Jordan’s resume. As of Friday, Dec. 10, he can tack on 400 total wins too.
Coach Jordan is a Fresno native who attended Bullard High School, Fresno City College and Fresno State. He began his teaching career at San Lorenzo Middle School in King City, Calif. Once moving back to Fresno, he received a teaching offer at Steve Garvey Junior High in Lindsay. From teaching to the athletic director at Steve Garvey, Jordan heard about the new high school being built in Farmersville and knew he wanted to be the first soccer coach that school had ever had.
“Here I am 35 years later and I still have the same passion and desire to coach,” Jordan said.
For coach Jordan, the love of soccer began at six years old one Saturday morning when he turned the channel to a soccer game on Univision. He played throughout high school and college and began coaching at 17 years old.
Aside from coaching, he is also a teacher at Farmersville high school, teaching an apex class. Apex is a class where students can recover any credits lost to failed classes at an accelerated pace.
Many different teams have formed at Farmersville high school, but the one thing coach Jordan said they all have in common is pride. No matter the circumstance, they are a team, and together the pride is carried more than just on the field. On or off the field in school, they bring themselves as leaders while representing Farmersville. Jordan treats and guides them through life as a family.
“They’re well aware that other people maybe don’t show us respect or speak harshly about us, I make sure my boys don’t listen to any of that noise,” said Jordan. “We have something to build off of and to continue that it will settle for nothing less than their very best because that’s what this town, the school, this program deserves.”
Like any coach would agree, a valley championship title win is a remarkable memory, much less five. The brutal fact is, yes, a valley championship title was a great memory for coach Jordan, but he values the way his players behave off the field just as much.
“I really pride myself on how my boys behave. Are we perfect? No, but that’s what we strive for,” said Jordan. “I have great boys. I put them up against anybody they’re going to do the right thing, more times than not.”
Perhaps one of the most pointed examples was when his player, Leno Camacho, saw a little girl in danger beyond a school fence. Not one to stand by, Camacho heroically jumped over the fence to save the girl who was being attacked by a pit bull.
As a father and coach, Jordan teaches his players to work hard and always give 100% as nothing in life comes easy.
“It’s hard work that pays off. It’s dedication, passion, and you do what you can with your family. These players of mine, we are a family.” said Jordan.
