Boys soccer finds sudden success with Burns at helm
Manteca High boys soccer coach James Burns organizes the warmup before a non-league clash at Ripon Christian. (Moises Ramos/The Tower)
Manteca High boys soccer coach James Burns speaks with his team during a halftime huddle. (Moises Ramos/The Tower)
By CHRISTIAN AMBRIZ
The Tower
The Manteca High boys soccer team has found its footing under second-year coach James Burns, an alum of the program.
In his first season, the Buffaloes won 10 games and reached the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs for the first time in a decade. Manteca also beat its crosstown rival Sierra enroute to clinching a playoff berth.
Burns teaches Journalism and multimedia at Manteca High during the day, but after school, he spends a lot of his free time on the soccer field. Along with training the Manteca High program, he coaches with the Manteca Futbol Club, the Delta College men’s soccer program, FirsTouch Futbol, and Ninja West Football Academy.
Burns credits his first coach, Kenny McDonald, for influencing his coaching style. In his youth, Burns was a member of the city’s first State Cup championship team, a Manteca Rangers team coached by McDonald. Burns says McDonald showed the players how to play tactically and with attitude.
Those same concepts find their way into Burns’ teams today, including Manteca High’s program. More than 35 players have attended offseason workouts following a banner season, and there is hope that Manteca can be just as disruptive despite heavy graduation losses.
Junior Mateo Esparza will captain the Buffaloes. Esparza was a first-team all-Valley Oak League selection last winter.
“When Burns came, I really found more of a love for soccer,” he said.
Burns comes off as strict when on the field. He believes that being strict with his players makes them more disciplined, which results in better performances.
The Tower sat down with James Burns to discuss his experiences being the soccer coach for Manteca, his influences, and his way of coaching.
THE TOWER: Was journalism always a dream of yours?
JAMES BURNS: From like an early age, I remember writing stories and creating my own comic books. I always loved to write. Writing really came naturally to me. At the same time, I played soccer, and I loved sports. I would stay up and watch ESPN, and I would memorize the stats. If I can't be a professional soccer player, how can I stay in sports and continue to write, because I loved to do both? So, for me, it was about becoming a journalist and being a sports reporter. That was my dream job, and it still is, I would love to go back one day.
TT: Did you ever sacrifice anything to become a teacher?
JB: Yeah, I sacrificed my first love. I walked away from journalism to become a teacher. Unfortunately, the journalism industry was a bit unstable. Newspapers were folding, they were laying off a bunch of people. When you work in a sports department, it's like a team, and your teammates all have their own strengths. You work together to meet the deadline. You're always working together to meet a goal, just like you would in a regular team.
TT: Is there a reason why you're a strict coach?
JB: With the players on the teams that I've coached, I see the potential that they have, and I know that the kids can play beyond their club team, beyond high school, maybe into college or an academy. Maybe it's a pro team. I've been blessed to give them some of these opportunities, and so for me, I'm not strict because I want to be strict. I think I'm strict because I want to make sure those players get the chance to realize the potential and be the best they could possibly be, and sometimes when you're young you don't realize it. Looking back, I wish I had a coach like me when I was 16-, 17- and 18-years-old, because I may have done more with my soccer career.