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EVERYDAY ENCOUNTERS

A local dad works to pass love of soccer to daughters

Born in Iran, Tiburon resident Paul Inalou moved to the U.S. at age 12 — though he lived in Japan for two years and played on his school's soccer team.

FRANCISCO MARTINEZ / THE ARKTiburon resident Paul Inalou (second right) is having a midday soccer kickaround with daughters, from left, Lenna, Nikka and Adrina at McKegney Green on April 9. Inalou played soccer for his school in Japan and is passing on his love for the game to his kids.
Francisco Martinez
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ · 1 min read

Tiburon resident Paul Inalou is having a midday kickaround with his three daughters at McKegney Green, as he says he’s getting his girls to fall in love with soccer.

Inalou, 49, Nikka, 10, Lenna, 8, and Adrina, 3, take turns playing goalkeeper as the others take shots at the net.

“They don’t want to go anywhere else today, just to come play,” Inalou says. Born in Iran, Inalou moved to the U.S. at age 12. His father, however, had to move to Japan for a work project for five years, and the rest of the family followed, with Inalou spending two years in the country and playing on his school’s soccer team.

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A version of this story appeared in the April 16, 2025, print edition of The Ark. See something wrong? Request a correction.
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