Originally from Indpendence, MO Josh started playing soccer around the age of 3. He played in many leagues in and around the KC area while growing up including at All American Indoor Sports where HappyFeet had it's beginnings. Josh was a member of the Yellowjackets at Graceland University where he learned that soccer is more about the skills it helps you build rather than the wins and losses. "The games fade away in time but the skills you learn on the field become a part of who you are off the field."This became the philosophy of his coaching career. Josh coached at the college level for 12 seasons at six different universities in the Midwest and New England regions. Today it is important to Josh that the next generation of soccer players be taught from an early age that mastery of skill and discipline of character are the cornerstones of any successful soccer career. "When you can be disciplined enough to make the right choices in the face of pressure and to practice the small skills and details that no one else wants to work on; you will find success where others can't." This philosophy is what drives him to teach young children and the coaches of Legends that soccer is a great building block to a successful future. Josh lives in Billings with his wife Tasha and their two children Kinsley and Jayce. Along with their two dogs, three fish, and one rabbit.
Owner & Operator, Matt Holdaway has played soccer and worked with children his entire life. Matt played soccer at William Jewell College in Kansas City, helping his team become NAIA Heart of America Region V Champions and reach the Final Four of the 2006 NAIA National Tournament.The majority of his youth soccer experience was marked by coaching styles focused on one and two-touch passing, emphasizing winning at all cost. It was not until college that Matt was first exposed to playing a style of soccer that emphasized the skill and footwork of the individual player. This past experience adds to Matt's passion for coaching the HappyFeet Legends way.Matt has a passion for people. He loves working with kids of all ages, helping them to develop into confident, highly-relational young men and women. This has been a theme throughout his life. From church-work and mission trips, to working in orphanages and soccer camps, he has always found life in giving to younger generations.Matt continued that journey of service to younger generations by joining the HappyFeet Legends organization in Kansas City. It was there that Matt’s passion for developing children and his love for the game of soccer were united. As he studied and experimented with coaching the HappyFeet Legends way, he became more and more confident that focusing on the primary skill of individual foot work was critical to developing children into both brilliant players and people. Matt then had the opportunity to experience running HappyFeet operations during his time as the HappyFeet Program Director for the home office in Kansas City. This responsibility helped prepare him for the transition to operating multiple HappyFeet Legends franchises.Over the past 10 years, Matt has helped grow a team that operates HappyFeet Legends programming in NW Arkansas, Springfield MO, and Nashville TN. Through the addition of key support positions and systemizing many administrative tasks, we are able to allow our local Directors and their team of coaches to focus solely on what is most important - positively impacting the lives of children in our programs through soccer, the HappyFeet Way!
Exciting changes are here! We want you to know our coaches and staff are excited to serve you with the approach, philosophy, and values they have built over the years. You can check out our new website at:
