Players have traveled hours from home to compete at the Memorial Day Tournament, but GPS Coach Joao Barata is much further from home than most. Barata has come all the way from Portugal to gain experience coaching in the United States and the Memorial Day Tournament was a great opportunity for him to learn more about soccer in the United States.

Barata came to the U.S. to experience coaching in another country. GPS gives Barata a chance to learn more about the American soccer culture and make an impact on his players’ development in the short time he’s here. He explained that there are very few opportunities to be a full-time coach in his home country of Portugal, so he’s come to the U.S. to experience coaching in another country. GPS gives Barata a chance to learn more about the American soccer culture and make an impact on his players’ development in the short time he’s here.  

This weekend Barata was coaching 08 GPS-Massachusetts, but he enjoys coaching players at all ages in different stages of their development. “I coach in Portugal between U9 and U17, so I was very fortunate to have the experience to work with different age groups,” he said. “What I like most is the development of the kids and seeing them improve.”

We asked Barata if he’s seen improvement in his team throughout Memorial Day Weekend. “Yes, of course. They work hard, which is the most important thing. They can always have fun playing soccer, but they still need to try their hardest to improve and that’s the most important aspect in my opinion. It’s a good experience for them.”    

Want to learn more about what’s going on at the Memorial Day Tournament? Click HERE