Today we’d like to introduce you to Sebastian and Camilo Montero.
Sebastian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey started in a very organic way. My dad and brother were helping two boys from Costa Rica who had just moved to Atlanta. They were new to the country, new to high school, and needed guidance to improve their soccer and adapt to a more competitive environment. Hearing their story really stuck with me, and it motivated me to get involved and help however I could.
At the same time, I was continuing my own professional soccer pathway, training on my own at a park in Roswell while playing at the semi-pro level in the U.S. One day, while I was training with a rebounder, a couple of parents approached me to ask where I had gotten it. During that conversation, they mentioned their son played at the ECNL level and was already a strong player. I offered to train him for free, simply because I enjoyed helping and sharing what I knew.
My perspective on player development was shaped long before that moment. I was developed in a professional youth academy in Mexico with Pumas, and later completed my development in the U.S. through the club system. My brother, Camilo, did most of his youth development here in the United States, playing in MLS NEXT environments. From the clubs and systems we were part of, we both noticed the same issue—a clear gap in how essential technical skills were being taught.
That belief was reinforced as we continued our playing careers. Camilo went on to play NCAA Division II soccer, while I played professionally in Costa Rica. Those experiences confirmed what we had already sensed: while players are often coached tactically and physically, the education of core technical, essential skills is not being taught with enough intention or depth.
As I worked with that first player, I saw how impactful focused training on fundamentals could be. My brother and I, who were both in college at the time, began to intentionally build a model around closing that development gap. The parents shared their experience with other families, word began to spread, and more players reached out.
What began with two Costa Rican boys in 2022 slowly grew into something bigger. By July 2025, we officially turned it into a business. Today, we train over 30 players, and our training model continues to grow, all rooted in the same mission that started it—providing players with the essential technical foundation we felt was missing in our own development journeys
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been smooth. For the first two years we grew our mission and stayed focused on the message we wanted to send trough our company / work. By the third year we grew exponentially. Lost of parents and players not only agreed with our ideas but connected on a personal level with our coaches and attention to each player.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our business focuses on one thing: developing essential technical soccer skills that are often overlooked in traditional team environments.
We specialize in individual and small-group training centered on essential skills depending on their position, first touch, passing, directional controls…
Our goal is to help players be able to express themselves freely on the field with proper foundational technical skills
What sets us apart is our background, the empathy shown to players and methodology. My brother Camilo and I were developed across multiple systems—professional academies in Mexico, MLS NEXT in the U.S., college soccer, and the professional game in Costa Rica. Experiencing these pathways firsthand showed us a consistent gap in how foundational technical skills are taught. We built our model specifically to fill that gap, not to replace club soccer, but to complement it.
Brand-wise, we’re most proud that our growth has been organic and trust-based. What started with 7 players in 2022 has grown into training over 30 athletes through word of mouth alone. That speaks to the results families see and the relationships we build.
What we want readers to know is that our brand is about proper education, not just training. Every session has purpose, every detail matters, and our mission is simple: give players the technical foundation and confidence they need to succeed at any level while keeping their love for the game at the center.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I don’t think about risk as something reckless—I see it as responsibility. One of the biggest risks we take every day is guiding young players and earning the trust of their parents. Everything we say and every habit we help build has a real impact on a child’s confidence, development, and relationship with the game. That’s a responsibility we never take lightly, and it’s why we’re very intentional with our language, our standards, and our expectations.
There are also very real, practical risks behind the scenes. Early on, we trained players in public fields without knowing if we’d have space, ideal conditions, or consistency. Adapting on the spot became part of our process. Those challenges forced us to become flexible, creative, and solution-oriented—skills that now define our coaching style.
As we grew, the risks became financial. Renting facilities without knowing how many players would show up, committing to costs before knowing if we’d cover them or make a profit—that’s a leap of faith every small business owner understands. We took those risks because we believed in the value of what we were building and trusted the relationships we had formed with families.
My perspective on risk is simple: if it aligns with your values and you’re willing to take responsibility for the outcome, it’s worth taking. Growth—both for players and for a business—doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens when you commit, adapt, and show up consistently, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
Pricing:
- Total Player Package ($550)
- 1-on-1 (Personal Session) $70
- Semi private (2 player session) $100
- 8 Week Program ($500)
- Semi Private 6 Week Package ($530)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soccerxntials.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soccerxntials?igsh=MThxenJweTVnN2Uxbg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
