If you’re looking for Jonathan Lum, check the soccer pitch.
As vice president of the Sacramento Soccer Alliance, Lum says he has “no specific duties” for the nonprofit that provides community-based competitive soccer to area youth.
No specific duties mean he really does everything.
He runs tryouts. He coaches three teams—62 kids—five days a week with games every weekend. He recruits players and coaches. He orders uniforms and manages equipment. He runs meetings.
“I am nobody, but I am the glue that keeps it together,” he says.
And he does it for no money. The soccer alliance is run by volunteers, plus two paid coaches. Lum wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“My wife is always asking me why I do this,” the Pocket native says. “Because I want to bring good soccer to the area and teach these kids the right way to play.”
Lum started playing soccer in kindergarten in Greenhaven. As his skills improved, he sought more competitive outlets such as Capital Valley Futbol Club. He played at John F. Kennedy High School and for Cruz Azul in an adult league. He ran summer soccer camps at Cosumnes River College.
But the game never came easily.
“I was a late bloomer,” Lum says, “and a lot of the boys I coach now are also late bloomers, kids that got overlooked the first time around. That’s why I teach soccer—for perseverance.
“It’s a taught trait. That’s what I want all these boys to do: keep on trying. That’s life. I had so many doors slammed in my face, I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for that.”
Lum’s wife played soccer through high school. Their three sons followed mom and dad into the game. The eldest, Evan, absorbed the lessons of perseverance.
Lum joined the soccer alliance when Evan was in fourth grade. “I used to get dirty looks about him,” Lum says. “He’s a late bloomer like me, but he’s a hard worker. After (a star player) left, Evan started running 3 miles a day and doing two-hour workouts a day. Now he’s a leader in the back.”
Lum prides himself on finding ways to connect with players on all three of his teams, age groups 11–14. It works. His 2010 team, the Lightning Boltz, won 11 championships.
“The 2010 team is a top seven team in Sacramento,” Lum says.
Lum’s coaching reputation attracts players from around the region, including East Sac, West Sac, Elk Grove, South Sac, Land Park and Greenhaven. Kids and parents want high-quality, competitive play without the high price tag of year-round competitive clubs. The alliance keeps fees down and offers scholarships.
Along with the kids, the soccer community keeps Lum inspired. He often finds himself coaching against people who coached him in his youth or who played on the same team. One example is Tim Wehling, a longtime teammate who became a co-coach with Lum.
Lum fields phone calls from local high school coaches who ask how many alliance players they can expect when freshman year starts.
“I like giving kids, just regular kids from the area, the opportunity to play at this level,” Lum says. “It’s really neat to see these kids grow and play.”
For information, visit sacramentosocceralliance.com.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
