Former professional indoor soccer goalkeeper Brent Reis embraces the trials, mentorship and growth of being a goalkeeper from AYSO.
The goalkeeper position is one of the most specialized positions in the sport of soccer, requiring the player to hold a big weight of pressure as the last wall of defense against goal hungry opposition. This is a role that AYSO alumni and proud goalkeeper player/trainer Brent Reis accepted with complete enthusiasm on his first day of playing organized soccer.
Brent recalls his goalkeeping path started in Region 28 when he noticed his four brothers always played attacking roles on the field – he wanted to stand out.
“I was the oddball of the five total brothers and just wanted to be in goal. If you have a kid that wants to be a goalkeeper, put them in goal,”says Brent.
The rest was history. Brent would later go on to enjoy six years of professional indoor soccer with the Anaheim Bolts and Ontario Fury, and is now a well-known goalkeeping coach under the branding of “Different Breed”. He believes goalkeepers are just a unique set of people, a title that he has embraced wholeheartedly through his coaching and playing.
“Goalkeepers have a way different vision of the game,” he says. “A different mindset and different understanding.”
Through his coaching, Brent tries to convey the philosophy that it is not all about winning and puts it simply, “just have fun and be confident and if it hits you, it hits you.” A simple yet admirable piece of advice that is backed by his continued love of a life in between the goal posts.
Even though playing the game is a big part of his life, Brent still finds time to give back to AYSO in any way he can. He trains a pair of goalkeepers from Corona AYSO and has kept contact with a very special goalie from Mojave River AYSO in Region 665 who goes by the nickname of “Captain Defense”.
Brent and the Ontario Fury squad gave the Mojave River team a visit before their match. That was when Brent met Captain Defense, also known as Jordan. Jordan, an AYSO Very Important Player (VIP) who shares a similar passion for the shot stopping position, made a great impression on Brent which resulted in him giving the young player a pair of gloves he brought to the visit. 
“I love going back to help AYSO because that’s what I grew up on. It brought a culture into me about always having fun and keeping it about the kids. I have a humbler background and opinion of things when playing at a higher level,” says Brent. “Better understanding of people and life. AYSO does things that normal clubs don’t do.”
Brent understands the impact that AYSO has had on his life and his illustrious career.
“AYSO gave me memories that I am going to cherish forever and a better perspective and care for this organization. Things like this [VIP] program just gave me a better sense of loyalty and care because I grew up with that organization. Now when I see the different things that they are [AYSO] able to do, it just makes me feel ten times better knowing that I came from that.”
