Simo Idrissi

Simo Idrissi is a Moroccan-American soccer coach and former professional soccer player who was the head coach, technical director, and league advisor in America and Morocco for the last 10 years. Simo previously managed IZK
professional club in Moroccan, the MAT professional club in Morocco, Colorado Rapids, and the School of Mines Club Colorado. Moreover, in the last 10 years, Simo was finishing his educational licensure and obtained an associate's degree in computer information science, a bachelor's in sports science, and a master's in sports science. He also accomplished a B license from USSF, A license from USSF, a youth license from USSF, an Advanced diploma from USC, and an award diploma that combines the C, B, and A license of England coaching education curriculum.
=Playing experience and career=
===Early life, and soccer introduction and playing career===
Simo Idrissi was born in 1980 and grew up in Khemisset, Morocco. His Elementary and high school were in the same city where he joined the IZK youth category. Then he joined the youth cadet category for one season with the FUS first-division professional club. He returned to the Ittihad Zemmouri Khemisset football club and progressed with categories up to the Adult team. Then he moved to El-Houcima city, where he joined a second-division football club for two seasons. Education drove Simo to travel to Beirut, Lebanon, where he joined Homenmen Beirut for one season. Simo then immigrated to the United States and joined amateur and semi-professional teams as a player. 
===Morocco===
Simo Idrissi was discovered by multiple coaches in a school soccer tournament in Khemisset from 1983-1984. He was admitted and called to join the minimes team for the IZK club. Simo left IZK after two seasons of playing and signed with the FUS club. He later returned to the IZK club to play for the junior team and was promoted to sign a contract with IZK. Afterward, Simo moved to El-Houcema city for relocation and contract signature.
===Lebanon===
Traveling from Morocco to Lebanon was to study and was an opportunity to join a Lebanese-Armenian soccer club Homenmen Beirut for one season.
===United States===
When Simo moved to the United States, he played with multiple soccer amateur teams in division I, II, and III or semi-professional levels. He has achieved 15 goals and 90 assists while playing both in the attacking and defense lines. All the amateur teams were located in Colorado state.
===Playing appearances and positions===
In all his playing experience between Morocco, Lebanon, and the United States, he made 290 league appearances with all the teams he played with. He achieved 23 goals and 185 assists; recognized as “One of the Most Impressive Players” in the Moroccan league. He took roles of a right-defender, right-midfielder, and central midfielder. Simo Idrissi was named team captain more than 10 times during his professional career.
=Coaching experience and career=
=== olorado School of Mines, Golden, CO===
Head Coach
When the Athletic Titouan professional club (M.A.T) contract ended as a technical director and a head coach, Simo returned to the United States and was contacted by friends encouraging him to coach a soccer college boys team for the School of Mines. 
Coaching high-intelligent student-athletes in this well-known institute taught Simo new challenges and pathways on how soccer is perceived in the higher educational atmosphere. Five players joined the team from a varsity level that had experience with NJCAA and NCAA regulations due to their busy schedules and other student affair management. 
Simo was able to capitalize on the opportunity to support players' academic and athletic initiatives, take soccer seasons in orderly matters, and enthusiastically lead players to play in a fun, competitive, and safe atmosphere. Traveling to California with the team for a tournament was another opportunity to experience, understand and learn more about the teams that have higher levels. The tournament's games and activities were a real challenge and the same time and a fun moment. Simo applied coaching methodologies and ran a student-athlete program. 
Applying the formation of 1-3-5-2 was a teachable moment for everyone on the team because it was a moment for players to be introduced to this highly physically demanding and tactical solution.
Without a pre-seasonal preparation plan, Simo led the School of Mines team to practically put all the tactical trends into the application and show enough confidence in every league and tournament game. There was a time of coaching and leading self-assessment for Simo Idrissi to take home and a time of developing the coaching philosophy. 
===Maghreb Athletic Tetouan Professional Soccer club (M.A.T.), Tetouan, Morocco===
Technical Director / Head Coach
When Covid-19 became a worldwide issue, The Rapids competitive teams were sent home for quarantine. The duration of the pandemic wasn't a desirable moment for everyone. At that time, Simo was in terms of contract negotiating and communication with a M.A.T. representative to discuss joining the club as a technical director and a head coach. 
By July 2020, Simo traveled to Morocco to discuss his contract with Mr. Raduan El Gazi, the president of M.A.T. in Titouan, Morocco. In 2021 Simo was named a technical director and a head coach by signing a project contract as technical director. 
The contract agreement focused on developing the youth program, coaches selection, and taking the adult team technical management to another level. The youth, adult players, and coaches were highly talented, well-behaved, and with a deep desire to learn higher and professional programs.
Simo started meeting schedules with coaches, parents, and players. He also shared the strategy that can lead M.A.T. to better goal accomplishments. Created periodization plans, a tryout program, a player identification requirement list, and scouting. Took time with all the coaches to know them individually and dove into their competencies.
===Rapids Soccer Club Colorado===
Head Coach – Elite Teams of U11, U15 & U19
Rapids is one of the professional soccer clubs in the United States. The club has many brunches that allow scouting and player registration processes for all ages. 
After spending eight years in Moroccan soccer coachings, player development, and supervision activities, such as helping maximize clubs' success under the umbrella of the North League to achieve youth and coach development, and was covered side by side with the philosophy of the North league Football Association of Morocco. Maintaining, creating, and mentoring soccer programs implementation to improve the management of technical aspects of clubs. 
Simo returned to the United States to coach with Rapids. He was named the 2019 Rapids head coach. Simo joined the club to coach competitive teams of U11, U15, and U19 boys. 
===North League Soccer Association, Tangier, Morocco===
Director of Coaching / Technical Representative / Football Developer / International Advisor
Successfully coached under the umbrella of the association. Scouted among teams and coached players for selection. Coached with clubs and drove optimal player identification for dynamic winning results.
Teach the principle of physical education, exercise science, mental enhancement, and safety management to players and coaches.
===Ittehad Zamouri Khemessit Professional Soccer Club (IZK), Khemissit, Morocco===
Head Coach / Coach Supervisor
Applied strong leadership talents toward managing coaches and training sessions to exceed game-winning objectives. Led players in development-centric new soccer strategies, roles, and responsibilities.
Spearheaded player identification process to build reports and analyze statistics. Created profiles for 150 talented players, categorized to take 30 days to accomplish across five (5) team of 30 players each.
Taught 1-4-3-3-, 1-4-1-4-1, 1-4-4-2, 1-4-2-3-1, and 1-3-5-2 formations. Achieved “Good Standing” in the league rank for adult team, as well as achieving qualification for youth team to play within the “Top 10” teams.
===Boulder County Force Soccer Club===
Head Coach – Competetive Teams
Skillfully managed teams within competitive Colorado Soccer Association leagues, including building relationships among club staff, parents, and players. Facilitating results-focused training to match players’ abilities. Implemented novice tactical situations to coordinate and manage the training sessions across all positions in coordination with coach strategies and game schedules. Progressing the tactical aspects was the core goal of player development to reach academy levels. Enforced safety throughout coaching sessions. The time invested in the categories set for player development and enhancing winning mentality.
===Arsenal Fort Collins Soccer Club===
Head Coach – U13 & U15 premier Leagues
Led targeted coaching of competitive Division I and II leagues, including driving player development; instruction of tactical situations, positioning, and roles; and promotion of high-performance competition.
Achieved zero player injuries throughout coaching tenure. Won all Division II games under the Colorado Soccer Association. Coached new methods to overcome Division I and II game challenges. Enforced safety throughout coaching sessions. The time invested in the categories set for player development and enhancing winning mentality.
= Simo's Recent Soccer Articles =
===Article 1: Elite Soccer Coaching and Enhancing Players’ Mentality===
Elite soccer coaching requires the continual evaluation of players’ performance factors, such as movement load, quality of intensity, time quality, and ball passing timing. During pre-season practices, coaches and their assistants communicate to players that the team goal is to win every game and that the coaching staff has worked hard to make the plans to accomplish this goal. Changes to the initial plans will undoubtedly need to be made at appropriate times – both within matches and throughout the season – but the goal to win every game will never change.
The titles of this article are:
1- Gathering Elite Soccer Player Data and Recognizing Players’ Behavior and Performance
2- Coaching Elite Soccer Players When an Opponent’s Skill Level Is the Same or Higher
3- Creating Patterns of Play, Pre-Organization, and Player Innovation
4- Employing Conscious, Unconscious, and Subconscious Thinking to Improve Elite Soccer Players’ Performance
5- Personality Variations and Elite Soccer Team Communication
6- Elite Soccer Teams Must Buy into Leadership Styles and Strategies
===Article 2: Athletic Training in the Off-Season and Elite Soccer Players===
Athletic training plans for the off-season must be carefully designed to help elite soccer players cope with mental and physical exhaustion. Often, such athletes may also be recovering from the minor or major injuries that occur during competition.
To aid soccer players, coaches and athletic trainers give their athletes a much-needed break from intense workouts. However, it is also critical to design precise athletic training programs to further improve athletes’ performance and build a legacy of winning players for future seasons.
The titles of this article are:
1- Developing an Off-Season Athletic Training Program
2- The Five Phases of Athletic Training for Elite Players
3- Cortisol Due to Stress Can Also Impede Athletic Performance
4- Off-Season Athletic Training Plans Must Be Carefully Designed
Category:1980 births
Category:People from Morocco
Category:American soccer coaches
Category:Soccer players
Category:Directors
Category:Advisors