Damir Erlic
Head Coach“Just be a good friend of the ball,
a very good friend indeed”
About Damir
Damir Erlic is a respected professional soccer coach with an elite European pedigree, a passion for the game, and a style that brings out the best in young players.
Born in 1976 in Croatia, Damir moved to Germany as a child and played competitively at prestigious clubs such as FC Bayern Munich youth academy, and SpVgg Unterhaching in Germany’s 3rd division.
Damir’s professional coaching credentials – including his UEFA B soccer license – allowed him to coach junior and senior players for TSV Graefelfing in Germany’s first division league. Here in Canada, he currently serves as Technical Director for the SC Croatia Junior Program and runs the Vancouver Euro Soccer Academy in the Lower Mainland.
Damir has translated his impressive background into a unique coaching approach: one that lets kids develop their soccer ability while having fun and learning valuable life skills such as teamwork, perseverance and grit.
Professional Soccer Coach
Former professional player, Germany:
– FC Bayern (1987-1989)
– SpVgg Unterhaching (1989-1997)
– TSV Graefelfing (2006-2010)
UEFA B Coaching License, Germany
Technical Director Diploma, BC Soccer Association
BC Soccer Goalkeeping Diploma
BC Soccer For Life Diploma
Boys Competitive Coach Of The Year - Port Moody 2018-2019
MED Certification ( Make Ethical Decision )
Founder, Van Euro Soccer Academy
Bella Lister / Assistant Coach
Bella Lister, born in 2004, has been playing for Whitecaps Girls Elite REX since 2018 as a goalkeeper. Previously played for Vancouver Island Wave and BC soccer before being selected for the Whitecaps program. Recently selected for a U-17 NATIONAL TEAM CAMP and hopes to continue her soccer career in the NCAA and national team camps and tournaments.
Sime Buric / Assistant Coach
Born and raised in the lower mainland, I grew up playing youth soccer for Coquitlam, now a part of Coquitlam Metro Ford Soccer Club. Afterwards, I played for teams in the Vancouver Men’s Soccer League and Burnaby Men’s Soccer League. My passion for soccer lead me to actively coach soccer since 2010. During this time, I completed many youth coaching certifications and the BC B Prep coaching license. Using my experience of wrestling at the university level, I know that development of an athlete is both physical and mental. I strive to develop players to achieve their maximum potential.
Katarina Tomic / Assistant Coach
Katarina has been playing soccer since she was 3 years old. Canadian born, with a Croatian upbringing, soccer was a necessity. She played on two High Performance League teams which resulted in landing a spot with the Langara Falcons where she lead the team as the Captain. Kat had a plethora of scholarship offers coming out of high school however, chose to stay local.
Katarina now coaches a number of Croatia Junior girls teams and the Croatia Women’s Premier team based in Vancouver.
Kat’s goal is to encourage a fun and challenging player-focused learning environment that promotes player and team development. Lastly, she strives to enrich players with a life-long love and passion for the game of Soccer.
Mario Banovic / Assistant Coach
My name is Mario Banovic, and I am 21 years old. I am currently a scholarship athlete at Trinity Western University. Trinity Western University competes in the highest level of University soccer in Canada. I have experience playing various levels locally and overseas. In my youth I played in one of the top academies in Croatia, Hajduk Split. After the moving to Canada, I played for Burnaby Selects and Mountain United. With my performances for Mountain United in the BCSPL, I earned various call ups to Team BC. Upon high school graduation I decided to go overseas and pursue the professional path in England and Croatia. I have experience training and playing at top professional environments in both of those countries. I have also spent time with the Whitecaps u23s. With my knowledge and experiences, I would love to help aspiring athletes develop their game so they can take their game to the next level. The sky is the limit!