Discovered By Schulz In Boca Raton Park
Jozy Alltidore recently broke Clint Dempsey’s single season record of 23 goals for an American playing in a European League.
He scored his 24th of the season for his Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in a 2-1 loss to AKC Waalwikk.
He’s been in Europe since 2008 and AZ is his fifth club, which he joined in 2011. He finally found a home with the Dutch club. He had scored 32 goals in 59 apperances when he set the American mark.
He never scored more than one goal for either of the four other clubs.
Born in Livingston, NJ in 1989 to Haitian parents, Altidore has a strong Florida connection.
His family had moved there, and one day at the age of eight, he met a former Austrian soccer player in a park in Boca Raton.
Josef Schulz and his wife had come to the U.S. to retire. On that day they were taking a walk and saw some young boys kicking a soccer ball amongst themselves. One stood out and could do things with the ball that few eight-year olds could do.
Schultz found the boy’s father and told him that his son has the potential to be a national team player. That boy was Josmer Volmy Altidore.
“I said to my wife, this is not possible, that this is in American,” said Schulz as he recalls that walk in the park.
“I saw this little child had something special, although it was nothing really organized. I asked a mother there who the child was and she introduced me to the father.
I said to father of Josmer, ‘don’t laugh at me. I think your son has all of the ingredients to become a national team player.'”
That meeting would change the lives of both Jozy and Josef Schulz.
Schulz began training a group of young players, with Jozy in tow. The group training developed into a team and the team into an academy. The Schultz Soccer Academy flourishes today in Broward County.
Jozy played for Schulz and local clubs for nearly eight years, until he was selected from the Boca (Raton) Juniors to join the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team Residency Program in Bradenton, FL.
From the U-17s he drew the attention of Major League Soccer and was taken #17 overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (now the New York Red Bulls.
That first season he was mostly in Florida, completing his high school education. His professional debut came on August 3, 2006 in a U.S. Open Cup loss to D.C. United. He played 37 times for the Red Bulls, scoring 15 goals, before signing with Spain’s #3 professional team, Villarreal. The transfer fee was reported to have been $10 million.
“At the age of 16, Josmer was the poster boy in American soccer and earned unbelievable achievements, like American young athlete of the year, rookie of the year,” recalled Schutz. “He scored already in the men’s national team several goals, for example vs. Mexico, was one of the most attractive player in the MLS in the age of 16 etc., etc.
“He was “the” person in soccer and in general for potential sponsors to build their marketing strategies around him. Some companies (like Adidas or Play Station) did, but unfortunately he did not benefit from this contracts.
“With a smart and experienced management he could have set himself for life including future generations exactly at this time.
“In addition he made a record transfer for $10 million from New York Red Bull to Villareal at the age of 18. The move was good, but in reality he again needed experienced people around him who understand the needs of a young athlete and guide him through this difficult time, especially when it’s not going perfect in the new club.
“Because of that, unfortunately during this time, his excellent reputation as the uprising young star in US Soccer turned around and almost turned into negative publicity, which destroyed also his future marketability.
“Long story short. In the most important time of his career in the age of 16 – 20, except the family support, nobody was capable to turn this negative spiral around.”
Over time Altidore, now 23, has had his problems with coaches, mostly around his work ethic and a perception that he might be “lazy” and not working as hard as he could to improve.
That has followed him to the U.S. national team where he has played 53 times, but has scored only 13 goals. There have been long periods between those goals. Counted on to be an offensive presence, his goal production has fallen short of expectations.
But in Schultz, Josmer, as his old coach always calls him, he has a believer who is not surprised with the success he has had this year in Holland.
“Josmer has all the ingredients of a world class player,” said Schulz. “He is fast, strong, tall, is technically very good with both feet for a forward, can cross with both feet and is a natural goal scorer.
“Now he realized the first time that he needs to help himself, became much more mature, takes things in his own hand, and is not waiting for support which is not there. This decision was the most important one in his career.
“The only thing he needs now is a coach who gives him freedom and believes in his natural, individual goal scoring skills. Finally at AZ Alkmaar he has this kind of coach and it shows in the number of goals he scores for this club.”
Schulz was asked of his reaction to Altidore breaking Dempsey’s record. He said, “Josmer will score many more goals this season and no other American player in the future will be able to break this record.”
So why has that not transferred into recently scoring goals for the U.S. MNT?
“Every top scorer has good players around him who can support him and provide him with quality crosses or passes,”said Schulz. “When he had this team around him he was, for example, the top scorer in the World Cup qualifying round for the World Cup 2010.
“It still will work against lower level mational teams, but on the higher level you only can score when the team creates opportunities, which is not the case right now.
“Unfortunately Landon Donovan is not around with the National Team, because he was the quality player who could hurt (opponents) with his speed and experience and create chances for other players.
“Especially goal scorers need confidence, and during the age of 18 and 20 in all the foreign countries with no professional support around him he lost a lot of this and he started to doubt himself which showed in the National Team games.
“Look for example to (Spain’s) Fernando Torres, who was the best forward a few years ago, and now is not even starter in his club team. But fortunately as quick as a forward can loose his confidence some goals can help him gain confidence very quickly, as we can see now with Josmer at AZ Alkmaar.
“Josmer is only 23 and in the right environment he will be one of the best forwards on the highest level for the next 6-7 years.”
Schultz doesn’t know U.S. MNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann personally, but he feels the kind of pressure he is putting on Altidore will push him in the areas where it is needed.
“I think he does the right thing with Josmer,” said Schulz. “Josmer needs pressure, he needed this already during the years in our academy in the age from 8-16. His heritage is from Haiti and there they have another attitude to professionalism.”
And one thing does bother the immigrant from Austria who found the young Haitian-American in that Boca Raton park 14 years ago.
“One thing, which bothers me a lot,” he said, ” is the fact, that he is the only player in any national team in the world who doesn’t put his right hand to his heart during the anthem. This would be the first thing I would tell Josmer to do.” a U.S. Open Cup loss to D.C. United. He played 37 times for the Red Bulls, scoring 15 goals, before signing with Spain’s #3 professional team, Villarreal. The transfer fee was reported to have been $10 million.
“At the age of 16, Josmer was the poster boy in American soccer and earned unbelievable achievements, like American young athlete of the year, rookie of the year,” recalled Schulz. “He scored already in the men’s national team several goals, for example vs. Mexico, was one of the most attractive player in the MLS in the age of 16 etc., etc.
“He was “the” person in soccer and in general for potential sponsors to build their marketing strategies around him. Some companies (like Adidas or Play Station) did, but unfortunately he did not benefit from this contracts.
“With a smart and experienced management he could have set himself for life including future generations exactly at this time.
“In addition he made a record transfer for $10 million from New York Red Bull to Villarreal at the age of 18. The move was good, but in reality he again needed experienced people around him who understand the needs of a young athlete and guide him through this difficult time, especially when it’s not going perfect in the new club.
“Because of that, unfortunately during this time, his excellent reputation as the uprising young star in US Soccer turned around and almost turned into negative publicity, which destroyed also his future marketability.
“Long story short. In the most important time of his career in the age of 16 – 20, except the family support, nobody was capable to turn this negative spiral around.”
Over time Altidore, now 23, has had his problems with coaches, mostly around his work ethic and a perception that he might be “lazy” and not working as hard as he could to improve.
That has followed him to the U.S. National team where he has played 53 times, but has scored only 13 goals. There have been long periods between those goals. Counted on to be an offensive presence, his goal production has fallen short of expectations.
But in Schulz, Josmer, as his old coach always calls him, has a believer who is not surprised with the success he has had this year in Holland.
“Josmer has all the ingredients of a world class player,” said Schulz. “He is fast, strong, tall, is technically very good with both feet for a forward, can cross with both feet and is a natural goal scorer.
“Now he realized the first time that he needs to help himself, became much more mature, takes things in his own hand, and is not waiting for support which is not there. This decision was the most important one in his career.
“The only thing he needs now is a coach who gives him freedom and believes in his natural, individual goal scoring skills. Finally at AZ Alkmaar he has this kind of coach and it shows in the number of goals he scores for this club.”
Schulz was asked of his reaction to Altidore breaking Dempsey’s record. He said, “Josmer will score many more goals this season and no other American player in the future will be able to break this record.”
So why has that not transferred into recently scoring goals for the U.S. MNT?
“Every top scorer has good players around him who can support him and provide him with quality crosses or passes,” said Schulz. “When he had this team around him he was, for example, the top scorer in the World Cup qualifying round for the World Cup 2010.
“It still will work against lower level national teams, but on the higher level you only can score when the team creates opportunities, which is not the case right now.
“Unfortunately Landon Donovan is not around with the National Team, because he was the quality player who could hurt (opponents) with his speed and experience and create chances for other players.
“Especially goal scorers need confidence, and during the age of 18 and 20 in all the foreign countries with no professional support around him he lost a lot of this and he started to doubt himself which showed in the National Team games.
“Look for example to (Spain’s) Fernando Torres, who was the best forward a few years ago, and now is not even starter in his club team. But fortunately as quick as a forward can loose his confidence some goals can help him gain confidence very quickly, as we can see now with Josmer at AZ Alkmaar.
“Josmer is only 23 and in the right environment he will be one of the best forwards on the highest level for the next 6-7 years.”
Schulz doesn’t know U.S. MNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann personally, but he feels the kind of pressure he is putting on Altidore will push him in the areas where it is needed.
“I think he does the right thing with Josmer,” said Schulz. “Josmer needs pressure, he needed this already during the years in our academy in the age from 8-16. His heritage is from Haiti and there they have another attitude to professionalism.”
And one thing does bother the immigrant from Austria who found the young Haitian-American in that Boca Raton park 14 years ago.
“One thing, which bothers me a lot,” he said, ” is the fact, that he is the only player in any national team in the world who doesn’t put his right hand to his heart during the anthem. This would be the first thing I would tell Josmer to do.”