OUR STORY
GRIS Football was founded in the midst of the pandemic, Dec. 2020. Founders Blake Robinson & Sam Smithson realized a dream of creating a facility designed to specialize in soccer performance while also providing an environment that heavily caters towards character development. The main focus of GRIS Football is to equip soccer players with a collective balance of mental and physical skills along with the knowledge needed to succeed on and off the pitch. 4 years on, GRIS Football is proud to have serviced over 250 soccer players in Orange County and are excited to expand into a new state of the art facility where they hope to continue to impact and serve their community.
“Passionately striving to enhance the perspective in which soccer players envision themselves by providing experiences to continually grow outside of their perceived limits”
Vision Statement
MENTORS
BLAKE ROBINSON
Gris Football founder Blake Robinson carries with him over 20 years of soccer expertise. Growing up and playing youth soccer in Orange County, Blake also spent 5 years in Germany playing for Werder Bremen. NASM certified in personal training, corrective exercise, and performance enhancement, parlayed with his soccer knowledge, Blake has created an environment that provides a personalized experience for each athlete that equips them with a collective balance of mental and physical skills and knowledge needed to succeed.
CEO
SAM SMITHSON
Born and raised in Hertfordshire, England, Sam played his youth soccer for multiple different development programs and academies including Watford FC, Ipswich Town, and Tottenham Hotspur. Moving to the US over 10 years ago, Sam transitioned from player to coach at the age of 16 where he acquired over 11 years of coaching experience. With a coaching style that emphasizes calmness, creativity, and intelligence, Sam uses deliberate and game-like practices to provide soccer athletes with confidence on the pitch at any level.
PRESIDENT