By now many of you are aware that I have decided to resign as coach for the Fillmore High School Boys’ Soccer Program. By way of this letter, please consider this as my formal resignation from the varsity coaching position. It would be amiss if I didn’t thank those who supported me and played a significant role in the soccer program. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Community of Fillmore, the Boosters Club, and Fillmore High School; Parents; Coaching Staff(s); Fellow teammates; and all of the players I had the privilege to get to know and work with throughout my tenure as coach.

First, I cannot express all of the emotions I am feeling as I sit here writing this letter. As I reflect on the journey as a soccer coach at Fillmore High School, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished. Our mission has always been about developing young lives, teaching that learning how to work as a team is the ultimate measure of success. My goal was to provide a program wherein young men and women would learn about discipline, dedication, loyalty, character and integrity. With those values it was and is my firm belief that students and athletes would leave high school prepared for the challenges ahead and eventually have a positive impact on society. I can honestly say, I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity to work with Fillmore students and players. I have benefited and learned so much from the kids and as a result, feel they have made me a better person.

To the Community of Fillmore, the Boosters Club, and Fillmore High School
I have coached soccer at Fillmore High School for 16 years (2001-2016). I started with coaching the Girls Soccer program and subsequently the Boys Soccer program. In a unified effort you supported the soccer program and contributed to the development of a successful program. My mission was to build and develop the character of our players not only on the soccer field, but also in the community and in the classroom. As you know, we were not able to win a championship every year. In those years, I personally felt that I let the school, parents and community down. However, I understand competitive soccer and know some years were more successful than others. Nonetheless, please know that it was our goal to strive for excellence and represent Fillmore in a manner in which you were proud of the players and the coaching staff.

To the Parents
Thank you for allowing your sons and daughters to participate and play soccer. Thank you for your continued support throughout the years. As a community and a school we didn’t always have all the resources we could have used. Thanks to you, you made it happen. As a parent you may not have always agreed with my decisions. I always tried to do what was best for the team, players and school. I instituted a program based on discipline, responsibility, and teamwork. It was a system wherein team success was based on working as a team. This was to hold everyone accountable. The ultimate lesson was to make our players better members of society.

To My Coaching Staff(s)
I could not have accomplished anything without you. We were one. We worked as a team. We failed and succeeded together. I couldn’t have asked more from you. Your commitment to the program, the players, and the community was invaluable and I personally could not have run the program without you. I will forever be indebted to you and cannot express the how fortunate I was to work with you.

To My Fellow Teammates from the Early 90s
It would be a mistake to fail to acknowledge you. We brought 2 Championships to our school and those memories will be forever memorialized in school history. Thanks for being great teammates and allowing me the opportunity to cultivate the love of soccer to this community and school. As the head soccer coach of Fillmore High, I hope that I have made you proud of this program. I will always remember that we as players gave our heart, sweat, and tears. We showed that with hard work, teamwork and a little luck we could accomplish great things.

To All of My Players
Honestly, this is very difficult for me to write. This “Old Man” is not the best at expressing his feelings. As I am writing this, I have 16 years of memories coming to my mind. First, I would like to say thank you for the memorable years. I will never forget my experiences coaching all of the different soccer teams that have come through the program. I hope your memories are positive, enjoyable and that you learned something.
One thing that you heard me say throughout the years was – “The easiest thing in life is to quit. If you quit you don’t have to go through the pain and frustration that will lead to success.”

Please remember that sometimes failure is the key to success. Never give up. Perseverance, resilience, and just plain grit will help you achieve your goals in life.

I have been asked why I am leaving the program, especially, after the fantastic season we just had. Guys, about four years ago, the most beautiful gift a man can receive in life, was given to me. The man upstairs blessed my wife and me with the gift of a child. Being a father to my daughters and committing to my family has now become my priority in life. So, I hope you understand my decision to resign as soccer coach.

One last lesson for you:
The most valuable thing in life is “TIME.” I do not want to miss any time raising my kids. I only will have one shot at being a good, loving and responsible dad. I want to be there for their practices, games, and even school plays. Over the years as a coach, I have seen different levels of parent participation. I saw some of you play the entire season without your parents ever coming to watch you (for whatever reason). I know how that made you feel. I know how much it meant to some of you when you knew your parents were in the stands supporting you. Just remember “TIME” is irreplaceable.

So, please understand the only reason why I am resigning as the soccer coach of Fillmore High School is my responsibilities to my children and family have become my priority in life. I do hope that I have had a positive impact on your lives and your experience participating in the soccer program. I will miss being around all of the hard work that you put forth. Please know that I gave everything that I had to give to this program and to its success. I do feel that I let some of you down. On the other hand, some of you became champs! Nonetheless, I sincerely believed in every player I coached – Yes, I believed in you.

As you know, it is not my nature to speak of failure nor success. However, I hope you will remember me as your coach in a positive way and that we were successful. The reason why we were successful is because we both know that we gave everything that we had.

With that said, I start a new journey in my life. My daughters are my next adventure. To resign as the soccer coach was a very difficult decision to make. However, for where I am in my life it was the right decision. I will always be a fan! My blood bleeds blue! Be Proud! Be Strong! Be Humble!

Thanks again for your dedication and loyalty. Thanks to the Community, Fillmore High School, the Boosters Club, and Parents.

Finally, I wish the best of luck to the new coaching staff! Continue to break records! I will always be your biggest fan!
Respectfully yours,
Coach Lomeli