- meet the team
The Trainers Behind Your Success
Christian Mendoza
Christian Mendoza is the Head Performance Technical Trainer and co-founder of Footy Academy. A Bay Area native, he played collegiate soccer at De Anza College before continuing his career at Menlo College. He also competed at a high level in futsal, which helped shape his technical approach to the game.
With over eight years of private training experience, Christian has worked with elite youth players and professionals, focusing on the details that translate directly to game performance.
At Footy Academy, his training emphasizes technical precision, decision-making, and developing players within a demanding, high-performance environment built around what matters most: the player’s development.
JP Mendoza
JP Mendoza is the co-founder of Footy Academy SV and a lead performance trainer dedicated to developing elite-level players. He competed at the highest youth level in the country through MLS Next, playing for top clubs including the San Jose Earthquakes and De Anza Force. He continued his career at Menlo College after graduating from Piedmont Hills High School.
With over eight years of training experience, JP has built a reputation for delivering high-level, detail-oriented sessions designed to translate directly into game performance.
His training philosophy centers around one key principle: confidence. He believes confidence is one of the most important attributes a player can develop, and his training environment is built to help players perform freely, play boldly, and reach their full potential.
As a co-founder of Footy Academy, JP is committed to creating an elite environment where players are challenged, supported, and developed both on and off the field.
Axel Valle
Axel Valle is a Bay Area footballer and Footy Academy trainer with a strong competitive background at the collegiate and semi-professional level. He played at Cañada College before continuing his career at Menlo College, developing within a high-performance environment.
Axel has also competed with Almaden FC, contributing to back-to-back championship seasons and earning a return for the 2026 campaign.
His training focuses on technical precision, decision-making, and applying skills under pressure—helping players translate training into real game performance. Axel is committed to developing confident, disciplined athletes prepared for the next level.
Marco Torres
Marco Torres is a footballer from San Jose, CA and Footy Academy trainer with elite-level club and college experience. He played for Santa Clara Sporting, a program that was consistently ranked #1 nationally in club soccer, before continuing his career at De Anza College, where he competed in a demanding collegiate environment.
While at De Anza, Marco helped his team secure a Conference Championship and received several individual honors, including Midfielder of the Year, 2× First Team All-Conference, First Team All-State, First Team All-Region, and De Anza Men’s Soccer Player of the Year.
His training emphasizes technical mastery, soccer IQ, and a detail oriented style of play, ensuring that players turn skills from training into effective and efficient actions during real matches.
Felipe Aguayo
Felipe Aguayo is a Bay Area footballer from Redwood City, California with a strong competitive background at the youth, collegiate, and semi-professional levels. He developed in the Juventus SC system, consistently ranking among the top players nationally before continuing his development in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy the highest level of youth competition in the country at the time.
Felipe went on to play collegiately at Cañada College Colts before competing at the semi-professional level, where he finished as the league’s top scorer and helped lead his team to a championship.
His training focuses on technical quality, attacking creativity, and helping players translate training habits into real game performance.