We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Krumpe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Adaptibility is the key to my success, and probably the most important lesson I have learned for the past 30 years running my camps. I am constantly asking myself if what I am doing is working well or not? If it is, can I tweak it and improve. If not, can I determine another better way that may work today, that didn’t work as well yesterday.? Can I adapt and change and find that sweet spot that drives me and my employees and my customers to want to come back for more and be better today or tomorrow than yesterday…

What should our readers know about your business?
I have run soccer summer camps for the past 30 years. During that span, my first job was coaching Men’s D1 soccer at UCLA and LMU. The head coaching gig was amazing, and what I had always wanted to do upon retiring from playing pro soccer. Since retiring from coaching at LMU 2 years ago, my work is now focused on running my PKSA (Paul Krumpe Soccer Academy) camps. Every year, I try to improve or tweak the camps to make them better, for me as a director, for my staff to want to keep coming back to help and work, and for the kids (most importantly) to love their experience and really love learning and being challenged and strive to get better. We worked with over 850 kids last summer in 5 weeks of camp, and feel the kids loved their experience. Also, we were voted Favorite Kids Camp in the South Bay in 2024. Love that!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is an easy one. Since retiring two years ago, I have slated every Thursday as “Exploration Thursday”, where I go and do whatever I want…I’ve hiked with my two labs to the Hollywood sign, taken them to Rosie’s dog beach in Long Beach and up to Big Bear for hikes and lake swims. All great experiences. Visited the Getty Museum, Lacma, Peterson Automotive Museum, Museum of Tolerance, MOMA, Olvera Street. I also love to bike and hit the strand bike path along the coast every week also, from Torrance up to as far as Malibu…Any of these excursions make great day trips…

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I never attended a soccer camp when I grew up. But I began working camps as a counselor with 3 local soccer legends, and developed my own “way” after getting that start working for others. Cherif Zein and Marine Cano hired me back when I was in college and a young pro and showed me how to be successful developing soccer talent…My mentor was the late Sigi Schmid, who saw a future for me as a defender at the highest levels, and not as a midfielder…Their patience and coaching helped propel my soccer playing and coaching career…

Website: https://www.pksasoccer.com/

Email: Paupaulkrumpesoccer@gmail.com

Image Credits
Molly Taylor
Ricardo Talavera
Loyola Marymount University

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