An Inside Look At Fredy Montero’s Training Facility ‘FM Elite Programs’

REDMOND, WA – The process of developing a soccer player to the next level involves commitment, high-level training, and a coach with the acquired expertise. Fredy Montero, former Sounders FC forward and club legend, leveraging his extensive professional soccer experience, founded FM Elite Programs by integrating specialized small-group training. Montero did not work alone; he teamed up with local entrepreneur Josh Gelzer and UEFA A-license coach David Smith to make FM Elite Programs a reality through their aligning training philosophies and business perspectives.

We had the exciting opportunity to tour the FM Elite Programs facility, where we observed training sessions and spoke to both staff and players. Fredy Montero shared his inspiration to create FM Elite Programs and described his vision to provide players a chance to get ahead of teammates, per his own experience as a professional soccer player, as Montero himself found small-group training the most effective for his development. “We have small, specific training, so I believe that impacted my career, young career, and that’s what I want to do here. After 18 years playing professional soccer and still playing, I believe that’s the best way to get better.”

A major characteristic of FM Elite Programs is the game-situation focus of the training, where repetitions often revolve around practicing in-game movements. Players will work on creating space, timing diagonal runs, and ultimately finding a teammate’s pass to either open the game further or find a shot. Each session is particularly designed with Montero’s veteran insight into professional play, ensuring that every drill and repetition enhances a player’s on-field performance. FM Elite Programs exclusively utilize the 2VICTA Ball Machine, which allows players to play in game-realistic scenarios through the machine’s pin-perfect accuracy. The timing of the 2VICTA Ball Machines is invoked by timed-touch sensors, where in each repetition, a player activates and makes way into space.

Breaking down Montero’s training philosophy in a small-group setting entails taking a group of five players and focusing on each individual to maximize repetition to help the player reach their desired level. The effectiveness factor of the training roots in focusing on an individual player’s growth, explained Montero: “With small, specific training, I believe that impacted my career, young career, and then that’s what I wanna do here. After 18 years playing professional soccer and still playing, that’s the best way to get better … Everything we do here is thinking ahead of transferring into the real game.”

Josh Gelzer, FM Elite Program’s CEO, who is also good friends with Fredy Montero, reached out to Fredy during the era of the pandemic lockdown to draft the eventual plan of the training program. Per Gelzer, a principle that FM Elite Programs is built upon is offering players a new standard of player development alongside other players and parents.

An unnamed Sounders first-team player within the US Men’s National Team pool trained at FM Elite Programs during the MLS offseason and found himself in the environment to develop “the small individual skills," Gelzer explained: “The one thing about professional players is usually they don’t get a lot of one-on-one time or hyper-focused time on skill development.” During the player’s sessions, he found the opportunity to receive a large amount of repetitions and correct minor details in player movement: “A lot with was working on movement on and off the ball, and obviously a player of that high level loves just being around the game and trying new things.”

David Smith, the program’s Director of Sport, emphasized the human-replicated element to the training through the integration of technology: “We utilize the ball machines and our sensors, which replicate really accurate, consistent passes, same weight, same direction, same bounces, so we can replicate the techniques that are required to execute for success over and over again.” Furthermore, Smith continued to talk about the practice of game-realistic movements, such as game-scenario positioning, saying, “We focus on the individual techniques and biomechanics of positioning.”

Sessions at FM Elite Programs are divided by an ability factor within age groups, meaning players who sign up for training typically have at least some experience playing serious soccer. Smith detailed the fine tuning of individual players, which may be difficult in a full-team environment. Diving into the depths of the psychological endeavors of the game is another significant factor within the programs, which is known as cognitive training. FM Elite Programs can be seen as pioneers in player cognitive training and are a significant testament to Montero’s philosophy of player development. Trainers will tailor training sessions to either a fitness-based or technical approach.

We also had the opportunity to speak with a few players who received training from Fredy Montero during a recent session. College center-back Joseph Raymond, who also recently signed for USL League Two side Junction FC, also spoke about the training dynamics contrast between full-squad and small-sided, feeling like teams do not focus much on “movement and movement off the ball” and felt overlooked as for what a center-back needs in training.

Raymond emphasized his satisfaction in finding his development needs more fulfilled at FM Elite Programs, feeling “I’ve gotten something out of every session.” Raymond felt his movement off the ball and first touch setup were most improved, skill-wise, at FM Elite Programs: “For center-backs, at least nowadays in the game, we have to have a lot longer vision. We have to be looking a little bit more—not bombing balls at the field, but connecting passes that are going further forward. And so with this session, at least, I’m setting up my touch to go somewhere. Not just setting up my touch to play to my outside-back.”

Cody Duncan, a midfielder for Eastside FC under James Riley’s ECNL squad, described the contrast between a full-team club training and a small-group dynamic at FM Elite Programs: “The club session I have is a high level with the team, but to really go do those closer and close spaces, working on those four-by-four squares really got my eyes open.” Duncan also spoke about the cognitive portion of the session, highlighting the decision-making dilemmas in positioning.

When asked about his inspiration and legacy, Montero attributed it to his deep connection with Seattle, which he discovered when he first played for the Sounders, and his vision for growing the soccer community. A talking point for Fredy was his desire to give back to the soccer community: "I wanna create that soccer training program that once again kids will be the number one witness of what we do here. It is to take them to the next level with all the tools we are using.”

Fredy Montero’s passion for soccer and business drives him to balance both realms in his life, especially as an active professional. Recently, Montero signed for Colombian side Deportivo Cali, his boyhood club. While Montero adds another chapter to his career, Fredy will be in consistent close contact with Gelzer and Smith for FM Elite Programs, as the two uphold Montero’s training regimen and high-level training program.

All photos by Elisabeth Adams / Area Sports Network