How JMS Trains the Next Generation of North Texas Talent With Juan Martinez

In this episode of Chat By The Pitch, Juan Martinez — founder of JMS Soccer and President of DKSC — opens up about the journey behind JMS Academy, his daytime elite training environment built for disciplined, goal-driven young athletes. Juan walks through how JMS started in 2018, why it shut down during COVID, and how it returned in 2023 with a renewed mission: character, mental toughness, individualized development, and a one-stop shop of services for players chasing big goals.

Juan breaks down the full structure of the academy day: early drop-offs, morning training, strength and conditioning with Juan Robles, nutrition habits, multiple school blocks, afternoon sessions, tactical work, recovery routines, and the mental side of the game. He shares how he intentionally builds an environment focused on quality over quantity, creativity over rigid systems, and long-term growth over short-term results.

For any parent curious about homeschool-based soccer development, elite training routines, or what it really takes for a player to chase a college or professional pathway — this conversation gives a raw, detailed look inside JMS Academy’s first year.

📌 Key Talking Points

• Juan’s origins: Classic League player in the late 80s/early 90s; coaching since 2005

• Why JMS was originally created in 2018

• The impact of COVID shutting JMS down and the decision to relaunch

• “Empty the Bucket”: the philosophy behind JMS

• Why JMS is a one-stop shop for character, mental toughness, and recruiting

• How “Seleção” inspired Juan’s approach to identifying elite players

• The launch of JMS Academy in August

• JMS Academy is not a school — it is a training program with academic support

• How homeschool programs fit into the model (Texas Tech K-12, iPrep, etc.)

• The structure of the daily schedule (7 AM–5 PM, Monday–Friday)

• Morning technical sessions and strength/conditioning with Juan Robles

• Nutrition routines inspired by Brazil: daily fruit/snack breaks

• Classroom blocks, supervision, and the expectation of discipline

• Why school comes first and how academic accountability works

• Weekly training themes: Mental Monday, tactical Wednesdays, competitive Fridays

• How JMS avoids overtraining and emphasizes recovery

• The five facets of development: mental, technical, tactical, physical, social

• The role creativity and pickup play in player growth

• Why Juan keeps the program focused on individual development over team structure

• Current group size (12 players) and commitment to quality

• The goal of eventually growing to ~20 athletes

• Balancing self-motivation, discipline, and personal goals

• How Juan’s network (college, Mexico youth national team, agents, international scouts) supports players

• How JMS educates families on sacrifice, commitment, and realistic pathways

• Why Juan intentionally avoids selling himself as a “gatekeeper”

💬 Guest Quotes

• “J-M-S stands for Juan Martinez Soccer, but it's more than just soccer.”

• “I realized I had built a good network of college recruiting and international scouts and didn’t want that to go in vain.”

• “One of the sayings for JMS that I use is ‘empty the bucket.’”

• “Every program we have started from a simple idea.”

• “We are not a school — we’re more of a training program trying to create a professional environment.”

• “School is very, very important… if you don’t take care of your school, you’re not going to be able to come and do academy training.”

• “We check continuously on their work. We’re not a school, but we provide the environment.”

• “We didn’t want to put a standard GPA… players learn differently.”

• “It’s not that everybody’s going to be a professional, but if you chase that dream and get college paid for, that’s a good investment.”

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