meet gavin carlin,
founder

Gavin started playing soccer when he was 7 years old and never looked back. With aspirations of playing professionally, he dedicated the next decade of his life to the sport. Spending countless hours working on his skills, Gavin developed a deep knowledge and expertise that would allow him to represent his home country, Ireland, on the national level.

In 2007 he realized his dreams of playing professionally when he was contracted to play for West Bromwich Albion.  During his time at West Brom, Gavin was exposed to the top international coaches, managers, and players of his time. Gavin received exceptional training at West Brom and mirrors his own lessons with Good Lad Soccer from the very drills and conditioning he did in the Premier League.

In 2012, soccer brought Gavin to Florida to play for Jacksonville University on a full-ride scholarship. Despite 4 knee surgeries, Gavin distinguished himself as one of the best college level athletes and ranked in the top 25 NCAA goalkeepers in his first year.

It was during his time at JU that Gavin turned his attention to coaching and began working with the Jacksonville Football Club. Gavin started Good Lad Soccer in 2014 to bring premier private coaching, group sessions, and soccer camps to Jacksonville. He has a passion for coaching and enjoys utilizing his 20+ years of experience and knowledge in a way that is fun for the kids and also essential to their development as players. Gavin also enjoys sharing his vast playing experience to mentor players with aspirations of playing at the collegiate and professional levels both in the US and abroad.