SONA WALLA
GRASPSOCCER is a unique platform to observe, study and deconstruct developments within “the beautiful game” to better understand its history, current trends and unfolding directions. Graspsoccer’s founder Sona Walla is an avid student of the game. He was born in Cameroon and spent his early years there and in Cote d’Ivoire playing football at the youth national levels before moving to the USA to pursue a degree in Architecture. Football however remains his most consuming passion and he travels extensively to study and write about the evolution of the game.
A United States Soccer Federation (USSF) licensed coach, Sona’s travels have taken him to Spain for coaching internships with football’s most progressive and cutting edge club FC Barcelona, recognized for its stellar youth development program. He has visited world-renowned Ajax Amsterdam Football Club in the Netherlands to study the famous “Dutch approach” to player development. There he also attended coaching symposiums with the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB). Some of Sona’s other endeavors include initiating collaborative international youth development projects with Racing Club de Strasbourg (France) and also AC Milan (Italy) where he studied methods of match preparation and execution under legendary coach Fabio Capello. Sona has also hosted a weekly sports update on African sports on XM Radio for the World Service Authority broadcast nationally across the USA.
Sona Walla has a deep passion for youth development and as coach he has a stellar record of developing top young soccer talents, many of whom have gone on to compete at the US Youth National Team level, the collegiate level, as well as the professional level. He has worked within the USSF Development Academy League, the top platform of youth soccer nationally and has a passion for teaching youth.
Sona Walla remains an obsessive student of football, constantly seeking to broaden his rich and diverse international experience and expand his understanding of the mysteries of the beautiful game.