San Diego

Kanji has taken an unusual pathway to owning and operating Mighty Kicks – he did not fall in love with the beautiful game until he attended college at Northwestern University, but once he did, he was hooked for life. Soccer quickly became a transcendent spiritual home that helped him grow in virtue, confidence, and leadership in ways that overflowed into many other areas of his life.

In high school, Kanji only played two years before quitting the sport, in part due to negative coaching that led to an unhealthy team environment, and in part due to his consequential lack of skill, confidence, and joy for the game. That experience taught him the crucial role a coach plays in creating an environment where joy and self-worth can flourish.

That positive environment is the driving vision for Kanji’s team at Mighty Kicks San Diego – crafting an experience for our kids that will open wide for them a doorway to a world of possibilities both on and off the pitch. The worldviews of children under the age of 9 are incredibly malleable, and so our goals are simple: develop positive self-image, believe they are capable of taking on new challenges, and develop virtuous habits in the ways they play with other children.