THE COACH.
THE STANDARD.
FA Qualified Coach & Scout · Orlando, FL · Powered by Performance Lab
COACH AJ.
EST. 2024FILE / 001ORLANDO · FL
THE LAB · COACH FILE
FA QUALIFIED · SCOUT
SUBJECT / AJ◆ ◆ ◆NO. 001
Coach AJ · Founder
Pro Pathway
Has coached kids into the pro pathway at…
- Manchester United
- Manchester City
- Leeds United
- Burnley
Now developing the next generation in
ORLANDO, FL
AJ is an FA qualified coach and scout with experience across grassroots and academy-level football in the UK and the United States.
He has taken teams to national level competition and worked directly within the player identification pathway — referring players into the pro pathway at clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Leeds United and Burnley.
Now based in Orlando, FL, AJ founded The Lab to bring that same standard of development to US youth soccer. Not watered down. Not Americanised. The real thing.
His sessions are built on the same principles used to develop players at the highest level in Europe — technical precision, decision-making under pressure, and the mentality to compete in tight spaces where the game is actually won.
"Most kids are taught what to do. I teach them how to think."
FA QUALIFIED
COACH & SCOUT
ACADEMY LEVEL
PRO PATHWAY
THE PHILOSOPHY.
European development. Applied in Orlando. No compromise.
Think First. Act Fast.
The best players don't just have technique — they have clarity. Every session at The Lab is designed to put players in situations where they must read the game, process quickly and execute under pressure. That's what separates good players from elite ones.
Small Space. Big Development.
European football is won in tight spaces. First touch, body shape, awareness — these are the details US soccer development consistently undervalues. We build them into every rep, every session, from U6 upwards.
Comfortable Being Uncomfortable.
Comfort produces average players. At The Lab, pressure is intentional. Players learn to perform when it's hard, when they're tired, when the space is gone. Because that's what the game actually looks like at the next level.
WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT.
"The game is simple. Developing players who can play it at the highest level is not."
— COACH AJ · THE LAB