Why We Built TOCA, In Our Founder's Words

We sat down with TOCA founder Eddie Lewis to talk about the idea behind TOCA — where it came from, what problem it was built to solve, and what he hopes it becomes. Here's that conversation.

What problem were you trying to solve when you decided to build TOCA?

"I grew up playing a lot of sports," Eddie says. "I loved all of them, and what I loved most was the feeling of getting better. That moment when something clicks and you realize your work is paying off."

But soccer, he explains, was different. In most sports you use your hands and things feel natural. In soccer, you're asking your feet to do something incredibly unnatural: control, pass, dribble, react, all under pressure. Nothing about it is instinctive at first. It's all learned through repetition.

The problem was that meaningful repetition was hard to find. Team training didn't address what Eddie needed as an individual player. "You might touch the ball a handful of times in ways that actually challenge you," he says. "Training on your own meant juggling, which isn't very game-realistic, or kicking a ball against a wall, which only takes you so far."

He noticed that the players around the world who seemed most comfortable on the ball were the ones who grew up playing in the streets all day. Thousands upon thousands of touches. That volume created instinct. But not everyone has that environment, and not everyone has all day.

"So I kept thinking: what if we could create that same volume of touches, that same accelerated learning, without requiring all of someone's time to be dedicated to one sport?" Eddie says. "TOCA was born from that idea. A way to give players the repetitions they need, in a focused, efficient, modern environment, so they can fall in love with improvement the way I did."

At its core, he says, TOCA isn't just about training. It's about unlocking potential through access to meaningful skill development.

How did you want TOCA to feel different from traditional soccer environments?

Eddie didn't want TOCA to simply be a more efficient training methodology. He wanted it to shift how players are developed entirely.

"For years, development has revolved around the team," he explains. "You show up, you run through drills, and your growth depends on time, coaching style, or opportunity. But skill is personal. Confidence is personal. Repetition is personal."

His belief was that development shouldn't depend on where you play or who happens to be coaching you that season. It should be intentional and engineered around the individual. That meant building an environment where players get high-volume, meaningful touches, immediate feedback, and the ability to accelerate their growth on their own terms.

But the vision went beyond training. Eddie wanted to build a soccer brand, not just a training company.

"So much of soccer identity is attached to a club crest, a country, or an apparel logo," he says. "But there wasn't a brand that simply represented the culture of soccer itself. Not the romantic version of the 'beautiful game,' but the real culture: the passion, the problem-solving, the rhythm, the creativity, the global connection players feel when they play."

TOCA, he says, was meant to stand for that. A place and a brand that any player could belong to, regardless of level, geography, or background.

When you think about TOCA 10 or 20 years from now, what role do you hope it plays in someone's life?

This is where Eddie gets personal.

"I hope TOCA becomes part of someone's lifelong relationship with the game," he says. "Not just a phase when they're 10, or a moment in their 20s. A constant. A place that evolves with you."

For a young player, he imagines it's where confidence is built for the first time. It’s where improvement feels tangible and where they learn that mastery comes from repetition and intention. For a competitive athlete, it might be where they sharpen their edge and take ownership of their development. And for an adult, it might be where they reconnect with the game in a way that fits their life.

"More than anything, I hope TOCA helps people build a healthy relationship with soccer," Eddie says. "One that isn't defined by selection, medals, or burnout, but by growth, joy, and personal progress."

He pauses for a moment, then adds: "If 20 years from now someone looks back and says, 'TOCA changed how I see the game,' that would mean we did something lasting."

About TOCA Soccer: TOCA serves local communities throughout the United States and Canada, welcoming players and families to find their best through classes, training sessions, camps, leagues, and more. Soccer classes for ages 1–13 are engaging and educational, while individual or group training sessions for ages 7+ offer progressive levels of development for players looking to challenge themselves and have fun.