José Piña grew up in Chile and has played soccer all his life. He holds that South American passion for “the beautiful game.” In Chile he played at college level and until recently, he played at the highest amateur level in the State of Illinois. In 2011, Peco graduated from the Masters of Sports Administration program at Northwestern University. In 2012 he obtained his Coach License with the Illinois State Soccer Association (ISSA), and he completed his certification with the Illinois Youth Soccer Association (IYSA) for coaching children of the U-10 and U-8 divisions. Peco is certified by the US Soccer Federation as an “E” License coach and also a FA/CPR/AED certified. Peco is the co-founder of Funfundamentals, a former CPS after-school provider, serving more than 300 students between 2012 and 2014.