LA Galaxy academy director Peter Vagenas is determined to keep the ethos of the club well and truly alive.
The former Galaxy midfielder is now in the privileged position of leading today's youth after he was able to develop his game with the Californian club during his post university days.
Vagenas will work closely with fellow former teammate Jovan Kirovski to continue developing the Galaxy academy and he says he is fully committed to fostering the future of the back-to-back MLS champions.
"I always knew that I wanted to be involved with the Galaxy in some capacity, so when the opportunity presented itself it was an easy decision for a number of reasons," Vagenas told LAGalaxy.com.
"I had a long history with the club, being a kid from Pasadena and growing up in the area and being able to make the transition to the local professional team is something that I've taken great pride in. The ability to help kids realize their dreams from this area, like I did mine, is at the heart of what I'm trying to do.
"The lines are clear that he's the technical director, so I want Jovan's hands all over the Academy like it should be. At the end of the day, Jovan is responsible for the biggest transition, which is getting players to the first team. We see eye to eye on a lot of things, but I think that we can be productive and disagree at times. That being said, we both realize the potential of this academy."
He concluded: "The honest truth is that we are all fortunate to be part of the LA Galaxy. We are the biggest club in MLS. And as was my aspiration as a teenager when MLS started; everyone wants to be a part of MLS. In that aspect, we have a lot of interest heading our way, but that also puts a huge burden on our shoulders because we have to live up to those standards, but it's our goal that kids do not slip through the cracks."
