Ghana’s Ferdie Ato Adoboe set a world record in 1983 & 1991 by running 100 metres backwards in 12.7 and 13.6 seconds.
With 4 Guinness World Records, a professional career that spans over 4 continents, 34 years coaching and teaching, 25 years researching and conducting training camps around the world, Ferdie Ato Adoboe has made a name for himself as “a world renowned teacher of the game”.
Background
Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, where he developed as a soccer player, Ferdie moved to the US in 1981 and settled in Amherst, MA with his family. He attended Amherst Regional high school, and in 1987 graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Geography and a Geology minor.
Ferdie went on to play professionally in the Australian first division with St. George, and in the French second division with FC Martigues.
Ferdie Ato Adoboe started teaching at camps around the country in 1984, teaming up with notable coaches as Kalekeni Banda of Umass and Wisconsin, Joe Morrone of UConn, Peter Gooding of Amherst College, (then President of NSCAA), and many other top coaches of the era. Ferdie eventually became the Head Soccer Coach at Mt. Holyoke College (1994-96) after several stints as coach at the high school level.
In 1993, Ferdie Ato Adoboe built his first curriculum and founded Soccer Magic Academy to teach his special brand of internationally competitive soccer.
As his program grew, ferdie Ato Adoboe continued to refine his curriculum with further research and observations at Real Madrid, Barcelona and FC Nania, Ghana Known today as Ferdies Soccer Magic, the program is the result of multicultural habits and elements discovered through research around the world.
It has brought the wave of the future to teams, coaches, and players across the country, and now, YOU can catch it.
Coaching Experience:
1984-Present
Creator of Ferdies Soccer Magic Development Program
Founder and Director, Ferdies Soccer Magic Academy
Head Soccer Coach, Mt. Holyoke College
Massachusetts ODP-skills development
Head Boys Soccer Coach, South Hadley High School, S.Hadley, Massachusetts
Assistant Track and Field Coach, Mt. Holyoke
Assistant Track And Field Coach, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
34 Years in youth soccer development.
Playing Experience:
1991-92 Football Club de Martigues, France 2nd Div
Tryouts with Olympic Marseille and Toulon
1988-90 Registered Pro. St. George B.S.C., Sydney, Australia
1987-88 Gremio Lusitano, LASA League, MA
1983-87 University of Massachusetts
1981-1982 Amherst Regional High School
Athletic Achievements/Awards:
Ferdie has held 4 Guinness World Records:
Fastest Human sprinting backwards-100yd /100m dash Backwards in 12.7 and 13.6 sec. respectively at Smith College, Northampton MA 1991.
Fastest Juggler in the World: Ferdie Ato Adoboe set the first Guinness World Record for speed juggling at the fort Lowell Shootout in Tucson, AZ, recording 136 juggles in 30 sec. and 263 in 1minute.
On August 27, 2003 – Ferdie re-wrote the Guinness Record books in Speed Juggling with 141 juggles in 30 sec., and 266 in 1min. on The Today Show (NBC) in NYC.
Trivial Pursuit – Ferdie is an answer in this popular household game (1984)
Sports Illustrated, “Faces in the crowd” 1983
1987 UMASS Athlete of the Year. Soccer, Track and Field
High School All-American Track Track and Field, 1982