A History of Skill
Jimmy Hogan
1882 - 1974
Soccer Pioneer
Jimmy Hogan is the great pioneer of soccer. Unlike his English contemporaries, he focused on technical skill development and short passing. He spread this aesthetic style across Europe, including Austria where he helped Hugo Meisl develop a technique for "dispensing with aerial passing and placing emphasis on groundwork."
Hubert Vogelsinger (with Michael age 12)
1938 - present
Professional soccer coach
Under Hugo Meisl "soccer became almost an exhibition, a sort of ballet, in which scoring goals was no more than an excuse for the weaving of a hundred intricate patterns."
Hugo Meisl
1881 - 1937
Austrian National Team coach
"I was reading Hogan's book and Miesl was my head coach when I took the coaching class in Austria"- Hubert
Hubert moved to the US in 1961 and started coaching professionally. Michael Curless attended Hubert's first soccer academy in 1981.
Michael Curless
1969 - present
AFFC founder
Michael attended Hubert's camps for many years learning how to 'perfect' his soccer skills. Michael went on to play at a high level in the US and Europe. Michael has a National A license and started AFFC in 2007 with the goal of helping a new generation of players discover the joy and value of improving their soccer technique.