KAILUA-KONA — Jennifer Jaques is pretty good a defending a net. She has been doing it nearly all her life. For the past seven years, Jaques has taken that passion she has for goalkeeping and transitioned it to coaching, where
KAILUA-KONA — Jennifer Jaques is pretty good a defending a net. She has been doing it nearly all her life. For the past seven years, Jaques has taken that passion she has for goalkeeping and transitioned it to coaching, where she has steadily increased her clientele of keepers from one to more than 25 Big Island goalies.
With the demand for Jaques’ time growing, and with parents reaching out for more one-on-one training with the current Kona Crush Academy coach, Jaques decided recently to start up her own business called JJ’s Elite Goalkeeping Hawaii, which aims to, “educate, inspire and develop the complete goalkeeper.”
And while she is a coach for one of the elite club programs on the island, she wants it to be known her business is open to anyone who wants to defend the net.
“I want kids to know that, as keeper on this island, there is potential for them to succeed and accomplish their goals and dreams of playing at the college level or even higher,” Jaques said. “I am offering personal training right now, and though I am a coach with Kona Crush, my services are available to anyone on the island.”
Jaques grew up playing soccer in California. She attended Canada College in San Francisco and helped lead her team to a conference title in her second year as the starting keeper. Jaques soon transitioned to the professional Golden State Women’s Soccer League, where she played for more than eight years.
The talented keeper eventually moved to Hawaii and took her first coaching gig with the Kona Crush in 2010. She would initially instruct a talented keeper by the name of Greyson Moore, who went on to be a four-year starter for a Kealakehe squad that dominated the BIIF scene. Moore was also a four-year All-BIIF First Team selection while leading his Waveriders squad to a 55-0-4 record and four league titles.
Finn Simmersbach soon followed Moore and the training by Jaques helped the talented keeper earn a chance to play with Shattuck-Saint Mary’s School in Minnesota. Simmersbach is currently the starting keeper for the U16 squad. He has started 12 games and has recorded a 92.3 save percentage.
“Finn is playing for the United States Development League, which is the highest tier in youth soccer for boys, and he is starting,” Jaques said. “He is self driven and determined to reach the highest level that he can.”
Jaques says she is currently coaching two of the top 2003 birth-year goalkeepers in the state as wel in Zachary Aderinto and Chris Kerr. Hawaii Preparatory Academy and Konawaena keepers Maia Mills and Kyanah Blas also work with the trainer.
Both Aderinto and Kerr play on the Hawaii Olympic Development Team. Mills and Blas both start for their respective schools as freshmen.
All these players have one thing in common that makes them solid keepers. It is not height, which is an asset for top keepers but not necessarily required, and it is not mastery of the fundamentals, though each keeper is strong technically. That trait is passion.
“Passion in the key and it leads to commitment,” Jaques said. “Do they really love the position? If so, then they will succeed.”
However, passion must also lead to control of the body and mind and that is where Jaques’ training comes in.
Jaques, who holds an NSCAA Goalkeeper 1 and 2 License, is currently offering 1-on-1 training as well as group training, with an emphasis on basic handling techniques, diving, attacking crosses, distribution, organizing defenses, closing down angles, improving reaction time, footwork, breakaways and communication.
For more information and rates, visit jjselitegoalkeepinghi.com. Jaques can also be reached by phone at 640-8239 or by email at jjelitegoalkeepinghi@gmail.com. Training sessions take place at Old Airport Park or Pualani Estates.
