About Us
Our Directors
John Moschella

Growing up in Ozone Park Queens, John loved and played every sport except for soccer. He certainly had an interest in soccer but there were no organized leagues for school age children.
John's parents emigrated from Italy and brought with them a love of soccer, a love that became more profound when the great Maradona played for Napoli, his father's favorite team, but even that never quite turned John into a passionate soccer fan.
John married Lisa Rella in 1981 and they moved to Staten Island to raise their family, landing in Great Kills in 1984. Joining St. Clare's Parish they enrolled Nicole, their oldest daughter in the soccer program. John became an assistant coach for Nicole's St. Clare team and that experience did what John's father and Maradona could not, it changed John into a passionate fan of the game of soccer.
Like so many before him, John's love for his children and newfound passion for the game led him to become the coach of his son John's team, the St. Clare Jets, through the U14 age group and years later he coached the St. Clare Magic for his youngest child Amanda.
John did not stop at coaching at the recreational level and having found his passion discovered to his surprise that all those mornings spent watching Napoli with his father had taught him a lot about the game, lessons he was able to apply as his oldest children began playing travel ball. Those years were busy for John and Lisa; they spent many weekends passing each other in the parking lot at Miller Field as they divided up the responsibility of bringing their children to their many games on Staten Island and across the region. On those rare occasions when they could all rendezvous at a game, it was great sending family time together. From rec games to travel games to state cup matches to collegiate games they enjoyed ringing their cow bells and cheering on teams.
This initial exposure to travel soccer introduced John to such influential mentors as Doctor Gabriel Nigrin Otto Hortsman & Paul Riley, who taught John what the game could and should be for all levels of players.
John later went on to coach Amanda's travel team, the Staten Island United Storm, at the highest levels of MOSA and JAGS as well as taking them to tournaments across the North-East. Amanda went on to play for the New York State Olympic development program & the Albertson Fury of the Elite Clubs National League.
One of John's most satisfying moments is when players that he has coached go on to play at the colligate level, he is also extremely proud of his own children's soccer careers playing for New York State, and as scholar athletes at Stony Brook University & The University of Vermont. His son John won two NCAA Division 1 conference tournaments and received a try out in his senior year with the then Metro Stars of Major League Soccer.
John has been an integral part of Great Kills Soccer Club for over 25 years as a coach, U6 age group director, Boys director and President. He led the transformation of the club from the parish based St. Clare to the community based soccer program that is now Great Kills. Great Kills Soccer Club is one of the largest and oldest clubs on Staten Island, and has been in existence since 1977. One of the biggest impacts John has had is transforming our under 6 program into an educational environment, teaching soccer fundamentals to our youngest players in a fun and challenging atmosphere.
John also served as a Director of Staten Island United, focusing on training, coach development and tournament entry for the many teams in the club, scheduling teams to travel all over the north east to play in prestigious tournaments.
What John has enjoyed most over these many years are the friendships he and Lisa have made with the many parents and children they have encountered along the way. Having seen the bottom and top level of competition in the game, John enjoys running the clubs U6 program and teaching a new generation of children alongside his players who have now returned to teach the game. John can still be found on Saturdays at Miller Field with the U6 program.
It is hard to say who has the bigger smile on their face, John or the children he coaches. John's long journey has taken him from disinterest to passion, student to teacher and coach to mentor.
John's parents emigrated from Italy and brought with them a love of soccer, a love that became more profound when the great Maradona played for Napoli, his father's favorite team, but even that never quite turned John into a passionate soccer fan.
John married Lisa Rella in 1981 and they moved to Staten Island to raise their family, landing in Great Kills in 1984. Joining St. Clare's Parish they enrolled Nicole, their oldest daughter in the soccer program. John became an assistant coach for Nicole's St. Clare team and that experience did what John's father and Maradona could not, it changed John into a passionate fan of the game of soccer.
Like so many before him, John's love for his children and newfound passion for the game led him to become the coach of his son John's team, the St. Clare Jets, through the U14 age group and years later he coached the St. Clare Magic for his youngest child Amanda.
John did not stop at coaching at the recreational level and having found his passion discovered to his surprise that all those mornings spent watching Napoli with his father had taught him a lot about the game, lessons he was able to apply as his oldest children began playing travel ball. Those years were busy for John and Lisa; they spent many weekends passing each other in the parking lot at Miller Field as they divided up the responsibility of bringing their children to their many games on Staten Island and across the region. On those rare occasions when they could all rendezvous at a game, it was great sending family time together. From rec games to travel games to state cup matches to collegiate games they enjoyed ringing their cow bells and cheering on teams.
This initial exposure to travel soccer introduced John to such influential mentors as Doctor Gabriel Nigrin Otto Hortsman & Paul Riley, who taught John what the game could and should be for all levels of players.
John later went on to coach Amanda's travel team, the Staten Island United Storm, at the highest levels of MOSA and JAGS as well as taking them to tournaments across the North-East. Amanda went on to play for the New York State Olympic development program & the Albertson Fury of the Elite Clubs National League.
One of John's most satisfying moments is when players that he has coached go on to play at the colligate level, he is also extremely proud of his own children's soccer careers playing for New York State, and as scholar athletes at Stony Brook University & The University of Vermont. His son John won two NCAA Division 1 conference tournaments and received a try out in his senior year with the then Metro Stars of Major League Soccer.
John has been an integral part of Great Kills Soccer Club for over 25 years as a coach, U6 age group director, Boys director and President. He led the transformation of the club from the parish based St. Clare to the community based soccer program that is now Great Kills. Great Kills Soccer Club is one of the largest and oldest clubs on Staten Island, and has been in existence since 1977. One of the biggest impacts John has had is transforming our under 6 program into an educational environment, teaching soccer fundamentals to our youngest players in a fun and challenging atmosphere.
John also served as a Director of Staten Island United, focusing on training, coach development and tournament entry for the many teams in the club, scheduling teams to travel all over the north east to play in prestigious tournaments.
What John has enjoyed most over these many years are the friendships he and Lisa have made with the many parents and children they have encountered along the way. Having seen the bottom and top level of competition in the game, John enjoys running the clubs U6 program and teaching a new generation of children alongside his players who have now returned to teach the game. John can still be found on Saturdays at Miller Field with the U6 program.
It is hard to say who has the bigger smile on their face, John or the children he coaches. John's long journey has taken him from disinterest to passion, student to teacher and coach to mentor.
Jim Cahill

Jim grew up in Brooklyn and basketball was his passion throughout his years at Nazareth High School and Fordham University. Jim met Judy Duncan shortly after they graduated high school; they married in 1980 and moved to Staten Island in 1981. They welcomed the birth of their daughter Meghan in 1983 and son Rory in 1989. Eager to coach his children in the game he loved, Jim enrolled both in basketball clinics and intramurals, only to find that they preferred to dribble a ball on a soccer field instead of a basketball court. It was both a shock and a challenge for Jim, but the result was that his children's favorite sport became his own.
Willing to help with more enthusiasm than knowledge of the game, Jim volunteered to assist at practice for Meghan's St. Clare Half Dollar team in 1991; he began the natural progression as he filled in as coach many times during the next few years as the team became the Topaz, becoming the assistant coach in 1994 and a year later their Head Coach. The Topaz were such a dedicated group that after most had graduated Meghan and the remaining girls combined with the Vandals, a boys U14 team with Jim as coach and enjoyed one of their most successful seasons. Meghan and many of Jim's players moved on to play travel on the Auburndale Migrators throughout high school; the team was coached by Bill Ellis and Jim as they competed in the Long Island Junior Soccer League. That core of players loved the game so much that in their final season they merged with a team in Stony Brook and traveled one hundred and eighty miles round trip to their home field; long drives were never an obstacle, although road games were certainly closer to home and always welcome.
When Rory started playing in 1995 the Avengers were formed and Jim coached the team from U8 through U14. There were many talented players on that team who went on to play travel, high school and Division 1 college soccer. Those years spent traveling across Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island made for busy weekends but allowed Jim to spend precious time with his children and to experience in a unique way their transition to young adults.
The more than twenty years spent helping to build soccer in Staten Island have been rewarding to Jim and his family. Growing closer to his family, making new friends and having the privilege of coaching hundreds of children while witnessing their sheer joy of playing the game are such a reward that it is easy to ask who really gains more out the experience.
As his old players come back to coach their children and with the prospect of his grandchildren beginning their playing careers, Jim looks forward to many more years of coaching and giving back to the game that gave him so much.
Willing to help with more enthusiasm than knowledge of the game, Jim volunteered to assist at practice for Meghan's St. Clare Half Dollar team in 1991; he began the natural progression as he filled in as coach many times during the next few years as the team became the Topaz, becoming the assistant coach in 1994 and a year later their Head Coach. The Topaz were such a dedicated group that after most had graduated Meghan and the remaining girls combined with the Vandals, a boys U14 team with Jim as coach and enjoyed one of their most successful seasons. Meghan and many of Jim's players moved on to play travel on the Auburndale Migrators throughout high school; the team was coached by Bill Ellis and Jim as they competed in the Long Island Junior Soccer League. That core of players loved the game so much that in their final season they merged with a team in Stony Brook and traveled one hundred and eighty miles round trip to their home field; long drives were never an obstacle, although road games were certainly closer to home and always welcome.
When Rory started playing in 1995 the Avengers were formed and Jim coached the team from U8 through U14. There were many talented players on that team who went on to play travel, high school and Division 1 college soccer. Those years spent traveling across Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island made for busy weekends but allowed Jim to spend precious time with his children and to experience in a unique way their transition to young adults.
The more than twenty years spent helping to build soccer in Staten Island have been rewarding to Jim and his family. Growing closer to his family, making new friends and having the privilege of coaching hundreds of children while witnessing their sheer joy of playing the game are such a reward that it is easy to ask who really gains more out the experience.
As his old players come back to coach their children and with the prospect of his grandchildren beginning their playing careers, Jim looks forward to many more years of coaching and giving back to the game that gave him so much.
Andy Donegan

Andy Donegan was born and raised in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, attended St. Vincent Ferrer Grammar School, Nazareth Regional High School and St. Francis College in Brooklyn. As a boy Andy played every sport available to him with the exception of soccer. His Father was a big fan of soccer having played as a boy in Ireland and remained a lifelong fan on Irish soccer and hurling. Andy met his high school sweetheart Sharon O'Brien in 1977 and they married in 1981. The newly weds then moved to Staten Island and started their family.
Andy began his coaching career in the St. Clare's Soccer program in 1989 as an U6 coach for his son Tommy. He went on to coach all five of his children Tommy, Kristen, Danielle, Tori, and Mikie in the U6 program and continued as their coach as they progressed through the years and age groups. During his more then 23 year involvement in soccer, Andy has either coached or assisted in training numerous St. Clare/Great Kills teams and children including the Commandos, Gems, Unicorns, Shamrocks, Freedom and Panthers. He was asked to become the girls coordinator of the program in 1996, a post he still holds today. Andy also assisted numerous coaches for the Staten Island United Mustangs team when his daughter Tori moved into the United Travel program. Andy also handles many of the computer registration needs for the Great Kills Soccer program and was instrumental in the transformation of St. Clare from a parish based program into the community based Great Kills Soccer Club.
Andy also found time to coach and support the St. Charles Basketball program for over 10 years and the Great Kills Little League and Babe Ruth baseball programs for 12 years. Andy has passed on his passion for teaching soccer to his children. His son Tommy has coached in the Catholic Girls High School Soccer League for 6 years at St. Joseph by the Sea and is currently playing goaltender for the College of Staten Island Women's Soccer program; Mikie assists as a trainer for the same U6 pee wee program where his father began his coaching career many years ago.
Andy's commitment to the sport endures as he can still be found every Saturday at Miller Field assisting our U6 Pee Wee program. His fondest memories of his years spent coaching soccer are the smiles of the children enjoying the soccer experience and seeing former payers return as young adults just to say hi to the "coach".
Andy began his coaching career in the St. Clare's Soccer program in 1989 as an U6 coach for his son Tommy. He went on to coach all five of his children Tommy, Kristen, Danielle, Tori, and Mikie in the U6 program and continued as their coach as they progressed through the years and age groups. During his more then 23 year involvement in soccer, Andy has either coached or assisted in training numerous St. Clare/Great Kills teams and children including the Commandos, Gems, Unicorns, Shamrocks, Freedom and Panthers. He was asked to become the girls coordinator of the program in 1996, a post he still holds today. Andy also assisted numerous coaches for the Staten Island United Mustangs team when his daughter Tori moved into the United Travel program. Andy also handles many of the computer registration needs for the Great Kills Soccer program and was instrumental in the transformation of St. Clare from a parish based program into the community based Great Kills Soccer Club.
Andy also found time to coach and support the St. Charles Basketball program for over 10 years and the Great Kills Little League and Babe Ruth baseball programs for 12 years. Andy has passed on his passion for teaching soccer to his children. His son Tommy has coached in the Catholic Girls High School Soccer League for 6 years at St. Joseph by the Sea and is currently playing goaltender for the College of Staten Island Women's Soccer program; Mikie assists as a trainer for the same U6 pee wee program where his father began his coaching career many years ago.
Andy's commitment to the sport endures as he can still be found every Saturday at Miller Field assisting our U6 Pee Wee program. His fondest memories of his years spent coaching soccer are the smiles of the children enjoying the soccer experience and seeing former payers return as young adults just to say hi to the "coach".