From 1997-2007 Coach Barker served as the director of coaching and player development for the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA). As a state association, the MYSA represented over 140 clubs and 75,000 members.

Barker has served on the national instructional staff for the NSCAA, U.S. Soccer and U.S. Youth Soccer. His formal coaching qualifications come from the NSCAA, U.S. Soccer, U.S. Youth Soccer, the English FA, and the German DFB.  As a coach and coach educator, Barker has traveled extensively in Europe, South and Central America, and Africa.

Derek Barraza is president of the California State Soccer Association-South (Cal South). He is an Information Technology professional (IT) and a Project Management Institute (PMI) certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 30 years of experience in IT sales and delivery. Derek has performed in various IT roles including Business Development, Account Executive, Customer Relationship Manager, Project Manager, Business Systems Analyst, Quality Assurance Manager, and Software Developer.

Derek has served as a committee member and member of the Cal South Board of Directors since 1998. Derek's soccer background includes playing in local adult soccer leagues, coaching and managing youth teams, directing local and international youth soccer tournaments, and serving various roles on local youth soccer boards.

Derek and Cindy, his wife of 35 years, have three sons, Derek, Ray, and Victor and one grandson.

Michael F. Bergeron, Ph.D., FACSM is President and Chief Executive Officer of Youth Sports of the Americas, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

Internationally recognized for his research and leadership in exercise-heat stress and youth athletic health, Dr. Bergeron co-chaired and is the lead author on the 2015 International Olympic Committee Consensus on Youth Athletic Development. He is a Fellow and past Trustee of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and served a 4-year term as a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the Medical Advisory Committee for Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. and the Academic Advisory Board for the International Olympic Committee postgraduate Diploma Program in Sports Medicine. Dr. Bergeron serves as an Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism and Journal of Athletic Training. He also serves as Clinical and Scientific Consultant to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) professional tour medical services and Heat, Hydration and Research Advisor to Major League Soccer (MLS).

Dr. Bergeron has worked with numerous youth, collegiate, and professional athletes and teams on appropriately and safely enhancing athletic capacity and resilience by providing individualized and sport-specific training and nutrition/hydration guidance, with a particular emphasis on preparation, competition, and recovery strategies in the heat and helping athletes to avoid exertional heat illness and injury. Because of his recognized expertise and reputation among athletes, coaches and sport and sports medicine governing bodies, Dr. Bergeron has been regularly featured as the “go-to” expert resource on myriad national television and radio shows, as well as in numerous online and print media and publications.

Berling-Manuel is the first female to lead the NSCAA in its storied 75-year history, and one of the few women in the world to lead a major soccer organization. Berling-Manuel joined the NSCAA after nearly eight years as chief marketing officer of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in Torrance, Calif.  With nearly 500,000 players and 70,000 coaches, AYSO is the biggest youth soccer club in the world. During her tenure, Berling-Manuel guided all brand management, partnership development, fundraising, and communications efforts. Her most recent accomplishment was developing a five-year, multi-million dollar partnership with FOX Sports, making AYSO its exclusive youth soccer partner.

Prior to joining AYSO, Berling-Manuel was with  Soccer America Communications LLC,  first as editor-in-chief and associate publisher (1984-1991), and then as CEO and publisher (1991-2007). She directed the strategic development and execution of the multi-platform soccer media company, which includes Soccer America Magazine, as well as monthly, weekly, and daily digital publications, conferences, and events. Berling-Manuel was also responsible for transforming the then 30-year-old Soccer America from a national weekly magazine to an internet-dominant communications product and the leading soccer media outlet it is today.

Berling-Manuel is not a new face within the NSCAA, as she has been a long-time member of the Association and an appointed at-large member of the NSCAA Board of Directors since 2006. She is also a member of the U.S. Soccer Diversity Committee. Berling-Manuel’s other volunteer experience includes serving as president of the West Berkeley Foundation Board of Directors (2002-07) and being a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame Board of Directors  (2005-10).

Berling-Manuel attended UC Berkeley, where she studied economics. She also earned a professional publishing program certification from Stanford University. Her hometown is Albany, Calif., and she is married to Martin Manuel.

Nigel Best is currently the IFA Coach Education Manager.

Nigel holds the UEFA “A” & Pro Licenses.

Bill Beswick is a leading applied sport psychologist who specialises in the achievement of high-level team performance. His background includes a Masters Degree, school and college teaching/management roles. He was Head Coach of the England Basketball team that won Gold at the 1982 Commonwealth Championships.

In football, Bill has worked at Manchester United, Middlesbrough & Sunderland in the English Premier League and with FC Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie, where he supported Women’s and Academy teams as well as the first team. He has contributed to Pro Licence award courses for a number of European Football Associations and has international experience with the England U18 and U21 squads and as Team Psychologist with England Senior Men.  Currently he is working with Derby County FC, supporting their aim of promotion back into the Premier League.

Bill’s assignments extend across other major team sports. He has provided mentoring and support to senior rugby union coaches and is retained by the RFU to support the England Senior Men’s Rugby team with specialist mental skills and performance advice through to the 2015 World Cup. He also advised the England Women’s Rugby coaching team during their 2010 World Cup. A return to basketball in 2013 saw Bill working with the GB Men’s and Women’s teams through their European Championship campaigns. Bill is thus unique in having England/Great Britain international experience across three major team sports: basketball, football and rugby.  Now he has added yet another elite team to his portfolio, having been appointed to work with British Swimming as they compete in Europe while preparing for the 2016 Rio Olympics

His Book ‘Focused For Soccer’ published by Human Kinetics and now in a new, enlarged  2^nd edition, was one of the first to explore the psychology of football and has proved to be a sustained success, with translations into seven languages including Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and German. 

Jim Boyce OBE is currently a Vice-President of FIFA and a FIFA Executive Committee board member.  Jim has also served as President of the Irish Football Association, Northern Ireland's football governing body, from 1995 to 2007.

In 19 seasons at the helm of the UF soccer team, Burleigh, 46, has led UF to a NCAA Championship, two NCAA College Cup appearances, 13 Southeastern Conference titles and 17 NCAA Championships berths. Along the way, Burleigh picked up National (1998) and SEC Coach of the Year (2012, ‘10, ‘08, ‘00 & '96) honors. Her career winning percentage of 77.0 (419-113-34) ranks No. 4 among the NCAA Division I Active Coaches.

The 1998 season's culmination with a 1-0 victory over North Carolina for the NCAA Championship marked a remarkable job by Burleigh, as the program she built from its beginnings used a four-year fast track to the national crown. In 1998, Florida set season marks for best record (26-1), highest national ranking (No. 1), and highest NCAA Championships seeding (No. 2). Florida captured its third consecutive SEC Tournament title and advanced to its first-ever NCAA College Cup. By taking UF to the College Cup, Burleigh became only the second female coach to lead her team to the NCAA semifinals and the first to win the NCAA crown. Burleigh also received the 1998 NSCAA/adidas, College Soccer Weekly and Soccer Buzz National Coach of the Year awards.

Burleigh's Gator teams were overachievers from the beginning, setting impressive milestones each fall. After joining the Gator program in June of 1994, Burleigh had just over a year to put together the first Florida soccer team. Burleigh used the time wisely, and the team that she introduced to the crowd of more than 4,400 at the James G. Pressly Stadium on Sept. 2, 1995 was a squad that was ready to step into the challenges of NCAA Division I soccer competition. Burleigh’s second Gator team made it known early that they were ready to take a spot among the nation’s elite, defeating then-No. 9 Virginia, 1-0, the opening week of the 1996 season for UF’s first win over a ranked team. Florida quickly jumped into the top 10 of every national poll -- a position it would hold throughout the 1996 campaign. The 1996 UF squad became the first of four UF teams (1998, '99, '00) to sweep through the SEC regular season and Tournament undefeated. As a second-year program, Florida was the youngest in the 32-team field of the 1996 NCAA Championship, reaching the NCAA quarterfinal and finishing the season ranked in the nation’s top 10. The 1997 Florida team defeated three top-25 teams and although the Gators finished second in the SEC Eastern Division, UF did defeat SEC Eastern Division champion Vanderbilt to win the program’s second consecutive SEC Tournament title.

Prior to being named Florida’s first head soccer coach, Burleigh coached the Berry (Ga.) College Lady Fury for five seasons (1989-93), when she compiled an 82-23-6 overall record. During her five-year coaching tenure at Berry, Burleigh guided the Lady Fury to two NAIA national championships (1990 and 1993) and was also named NAIA National Coach of the Year during the same two seasons. Burleigh was named NAIA Regional Coach of the Year in her first season as head coach at Berry in 1989, when her squad finished as the national runner-up. At Berry, Burleigh compiled a 76.6 win percentage, as she lost only seven games to NAIA opponents during her five seasons of coaching the Lady Fury.

Burleigh has coached 19 NSCAA All-Americans, 11 NAIA All-Americans, 38 All-SEC players, 120 student-athletes on the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll, five CoSIDA Academic All-Americans with seven honors and 11 student-athletes honored as NSCAA Academic All-Americans.

As a student-athlete, Burleigh played her collegiate ball at Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C., where she was a four-year letterwinner. In her senior year, the Tarpon Springs, Fla., native served as team captain and was named to the All-South team as well as the team’s Most Valuable Player from her goalkeeper position. Burleigh graduated Magna Cum Laude from Methodist in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. In the fall of 1999, Burleigh was inducted into the Methodist Hall of Fame. She earned her master’s degree from Georgia State University in 1993.

George Chiampas, DO is an Assistant Professor in Emergency and Sports Medicine at the Feinberg school of medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. George serves multiple roles in the sports medicine world with a broad scope from team physician, emergency management and response, as well as mass event planning.
George currently serves as team physician for the Northwestern University wildcats, Chicago Blackhawks as well as travels and provides medical coverage for US soccer and the Men’s National team locally and internationally. He has been the Medical director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with 45,000 runners annually and the 40,000 participant Shamrock 8k shuffle. He works closely with city, state and federal agencies in the planning of these events and has incorporated and lead the way with the “Unified Command” approach for mass sporting events and medical coverage.
He currently is president of the American Road Race Medical Society where the direction of “Best Practices” in medical endurance events have been established. He has lectured nationally and internationally and has authored book chapters and journal articles on several topics including mass event management, EMS and communication in a unified command approach. In 2010 Dr Chiampas led and co-authored the medical chapter for the US Bid  for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.
Locally in Chicago, Dr Chiampas is involved with several shorter and larger running events and since 2009 has also served as co-medical director of the Hustle up the Hancock climb for lung disease research. He is involved and a member of several national emergency and sports medicine societies where his focus has become emergency management and mass event preparedness.

Brian Ching (born May 24, 1978) is the managing director of the Houston Dash. Ching played professional soccer for thirteen years, twelve of which were in Major League Soccer. He also represented the U.S. national team for eight years. Ching's professional career began when he was the 16th pick overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft, making him the first Gonzaga player and the first player from his native Hawaii selected in the MLS draft. After winning the U.S. Open Cup with Los Angeles, Ching was released from the team and played with the second division Seattle Sounders. He returned to first division soccer when the San Jose Earthquakes acquired him in the 2003 MLS Supplemental Draft. He won an MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield with the Earthquakes, collected the MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award, the MLS Golden Boot, and was named to the MLS Best XI. In 2006, Ching relocated to Houston when the Earthquakes team became the Houston Dynamo. He led the team to back-to-back MLS Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007 and four MLS finals overall. A six-time MLS All-Star, Ching retired from professional soccer in 2013 as Houston Dynamo’s all-time leading scorer. Ching made his international debut May 26, 2003, becoming the first Hawaiian-born player to represent the United States. Ching scored his first international goal, an equalizer in the 88th minute, in a World Cup qualifier 1-1 tie against Jamaica in Kingston on August 18, 2004. He became the first Hawaiian to be named to the U.S. roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He helped the US team win the 2007 Gold Cup. On May 11, 2010, Ching was named to the preliminary U.S. men's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Off the field, Brian is a pillar in the Houston community where he partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build three homes for underprivileged families in the Houston area through fundraising efforts under his program "The House that Ching Built”. He now currently has accepted a seat on the board for Houston Habitat where he continues to help the community in which he played. Another one of his initiatives is Ching’s Champions in partnership with Kroger. This would honor people from the community that continuously give selflessly of themselves in the service of others. Each year winners would get a 250 second shopping spree. Along with these initiatives Brian constantly donates his time to other charitable causes like Recipe for Success, Celebration of Champions for Texas Children’s Hospital, Girls Inc., Houston’s Children’s Charity, Dynamo Charities, and others. He constantly enjoys giving his time and voice for the betterment of the community around him.

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD is an internationally respected sports nutritionist, weight coach, nutrition author, and workshop leader. She is a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in nutrition for exercise, health, and the nutritional management of eating disorders. She is board certified as a specialist in sports dietietics (CSSD) and a certified WellCoach. Nancy's private practice is located in Newton Highlands, MA. She offers one-on-one nutrition consultations to both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes, coaching them on strategies to eat wisely, enhance energy, optimize performance, and manage weight. Her more renowned clients that have relied on her expertise in diet for sports conditioning to gain a competitive edge have included members of the Boston Celtics (basketball) and Boston Bruins (ice hockey), as well as many collegiate, elite and Olympic athletes from a variety of sports. She is the Team Nutritionist for the Boston Red Sox (baseball)..

 Nancy completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition from Simmons College in Boston, her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, and her graduate degree in nutrition with a focus on exercise physiology from Boston University. Previously, she was Director of Nutrition Services at Sports Medicine Associates in Brookline, MA, and then from 2005 to 2011, counseled her clients at Healthworks in Chestnut Hill. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), the recipient of their Media Excellence Award, an active member of the Academy's practice group of sports nutritionists (SCAN), and recipient of SCAN's Honor Award for Excellence in Practice. Nancy is also a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and recipient of the Honor Award from ACSM's New England Chapter. She is recipient of the American Society for Nutrition's Nutrition Science Writer Media Award

Nancy's contributions to runners in the Boston area culminated in her receiving the Will Cloney Award. Nancy also holds the honor of having her photo and advice on the back of the Wheaties box for their 2004 Olympic series. She has been a member of the Mizuno Advisory Staff. Clark is the nutrition columnist for New England Runner and American Fitness . She is a frequent contributor to Runner's World and Rowing News, and she has been on the advisory board for SHAPE magazine. Clark also writes a monthly nutrition column called The Athlete's Kitchen, which appears regularly in over 100 sports and health publications and websites, including Active.com and MomsTeam.com. Nancy is the author of the best selling sports nutrition reference Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Over 560,000 copies of this classic book have been enjoyed by health professionals and exercise enthusiasts alike. HerFood Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions and Food Guide for New Runners: Getting It Right From the Start help novice runners and walkers go the distance with energy to spare. And her Cyclist's Food Guide: Fueling for the Distance (co-authored with Jenny Hegmann, MS, RD) helps both beginning and experienced cyclists optimize their performance. Food Guide for Soccer: Tips and Recipes from the Pros, co-authored with Gloria Averbuch in conjunction with Women's Professional Soccer, helps soccer athletes have the winning edge.

Emile has 18 years of experience within the creative/new-media industry at the highest levels internationally. His professional career has been a mix of consultancy and entrepreneurship. Emile was part of Rafa Benitez's personal staff for three years and managed the development of Globall Coach from inception to realization. 

Emile is Chief Executive Officer responsible for managing the commercial roll out of the product and Head of Research at Globall Coach. 

Founder and President of MANAGE YOUR SOCCER CLUB, LLC and CUMMINGS MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC

2009-2015:  CEO, National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)

2007-2009:  President and General Manager, Boston Breakers

COO of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)

2005-2007:  President, New England Soccer School

2004-2005:  Technical Director, New England Revolution

2003:   Venue Manager, Women’s World Cup-Boston and Philadelphia Venues

2000-2003:  President and General Manager, Boston Breakers (WUSA)

1999-2000:  General Manager, Boston Bulldogs, Boston Renegades and Cape Cod Crusaders

1999:   Director of Operations, Women’s World Cup-Boston Venue

1996-1999:  Director of Operations, Assistant General Manager, New England Revolution,

1996:   Director of Operations, Olympic Games, Birmingham, AL Venue

Two time Executive of the Year, Women’s United Soccer Association

Member of Algonquin Regional High School Hall of Fame, Central Massachusetts Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Massachusetts Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame

New England High School Coach of the Year

President and/or DOC of four different youth clubs

James Davies is a club director at FC Boulder, with more than ten years experience as a full time staff coach in Colorado. During that time he led two major tournaments - one for developmental players which grew from 100 to 340 teams and a second aimed at elite athletes, which has grown from 0 to 350 teams in four years and is nationally ranked in the top 50. Prior to becoming a soccer director, James was a consultant and project manager to state governments - both of which he has tried to incorporate into the soccer business model. His coaching qualifications include the USSF A and Y Licenses, NSCAA Premier Diploma and Director of Coaching Diploma. He teaches USSF E and D licenses and state NSCAA certifications. During one such course it became apparent that coaches were traveling 800+ miles for education. James set up SoccerAnywhere.com to give all coaches free access to top level practice plans, advice, reviews and interviews with experts from around the game - no matter where they live. Through building the audience for the site, and interviewing social media professionals, he is in a unique position to be able to share lessons learned on growing and engaging an audience for club, tournament and other soccer events.

Ian Donnelly has been immersed in the area of Performance Analysis (PA) in sport for more than 20 years both in the role of analyst and in the development of video and data analysis technology for coaches and educators. He is an integral member of ISPAS (International Society of Performance Analysis in Sport) and has been at the forefront of the growth and integration of PA at all levels of the game.

With a background in both education and coaching, Ian founded ESA in 1995 and was instrumental in developing the world’s first interactive video and data analysis software for coaches. He continues to utilize the latest computer and video technology in developing analysis and development tools for coaches in his current role as MD of Performance Innovation.

Within coach education, Ian works with a growing number of National Associations who now fully integrate performance analysis into their courses.

Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is a retired professional soccer player. His career spanned 16 years and he played over 500 total games in Major League Soccer for the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy, in Germany for Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, and in England for Everton FC. He also appeared 157 times for the US Men's National Team in addition to playing for the U-17, U-20, and Olympic National Teams. Landon is the all-time leader in goals and assists for the US Men's National Team as well as the all-time leader in goals and assists in Major League Soccer. He participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and played in 3 World Cups. He is a 6-time MLS Cup Champion and considered the best soccer player America has ever produced.

Landon is also very involved in the community, working closely with the LA Galaxy Foundation on its educational, health, and soccer based initiatives and programs. Through the foundation, Landon has visited Children’s Hospital Los Angeles numerous times, served Thanksgiving meals to children and families in need, and participated in holiday gift giveaways for underprivileged children. Separate from his work with the LA Galaxy Foundation, Landon has participated in countless charitable endeavors. He lent his name and his voice to the United Against Malaria Campaign to raise global awareness and renew worldwide commitment to ending malaria, as well as increase the use of prevention tools and malaria treatment in Africa. Landon participated in the popular television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” filming a special message of support and encouragement to a family whose living conditions had caused their health to dramatically deteriorate. Landon has also served as a spokesperson for Kids 4 Kids, a charity that supports the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. Finally, Landon works extremely closely with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and, to date, has granted more than a dozen wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.

“The single most successful coach in any sport in all of intercollegiate athletics,” Dorrance is credited with having set the standard for women soccer worldwide when as the U.S. Women’s National Coach his 1991 team won the first FIFA women’s world championship with an extraordinary attacking style.  For this feat Dorrance and the team were awarded the National Soccer Hall of Fame Medal of Honor in 2001.  Named National Coach of the year on many occasions in his role as Head Coach of the University of North Carolina Women’s Soccer program, in his 37th year of his collegiate coaching career, Dorrance’s staggering 777-58-31 record and 22 national championships represents the best NCAA record for any coach in any Division I sport nationwide.

In 1991, Soccer America named Dorrance one of the 20 most influential men in American soccer over the previous 20 years. Soccer America followed that up in 1995 by naming Dorrance as one of the 25 most influential people in the history of American soccer. Dorrance was one of only three coaches on that list and the only women's coach tapped. In 1995, Dorrance’s program was profiled in a full-length documentary film entitled, “Dynasty,” focusing in particular on the Tar Heels’ amazing nine-year national championship run from 1986 through 1994.  More recently HBO produced “Dare to Dream”, a special on the remarkable rise of the U.S. Women built on the “91ers”, the five athletes Dorrance picked for the first world championship who remained the spine of a U.S. national team dynasty that won two world championships (1991 & 1999) and two Olympics (1996 & 2004).  Dorrance has co-authored two best selling books for coaches and players:  “Training Soccer Champions” and “The Vision of a Champion”.  Dan Davies publisher of Business Leader in the September 1997 issue of his magazine called “Training Soccer Champions . . . the best book on management I’ve read in the past five years”.  In October of 2006 Tim Crothers, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, produced “The Man Watching:  A Biography of Anson Dorrance the Unlikely Architect of the Greatest College Sports Dynasty Ever”.

In 2004 an expert panel employed by ESPN announced its list of The Best Twenty-five Coaches of the Past 25 Years.  Most of the coaches selected were from the professional coaching community and college football and basketball, Dorrance was one of only two coaches outside those communities honored on that list.

A 1974 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both English and philosophy, Dorrance was inducted 14 years later into the Order of the Golden Fleece, Carolina's highest honorary society which includes Carolina students, faculty and staff.  In 1994, Dorrance added another honor when the athletic department at the University of North Carolina designated him as a "Priceless Gem”. This is reserved only for those individuals who have contributed in extraordinary ways to the successful athletic climate at the University. Dorrance’s most recent honor came in 2010, when he received the C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award.  The criterion for the award is “unusual, meritorious or superior contributions made by an employee, past or present, to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”

Dorrance has been a charter member of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Committee, currently serves as a national staff coach for the NSCAA and on the National Soccer Hall of Fame Board of Directors for U.S. Soccer.  On January 14, 2011, Dorrance received the NSCAA Honor Award. He is a member of the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame and was inducted in 2005 into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and on August 3, 2008 was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame. 

Roy Dunshee was named the 11th head coach in Washington College men's soccer history in April 2012. In Dunshee's first season as the Shoremen's head coach, he guided them to their best overall record since 2007 and best conference record since 2008.

Dunshee's diverse soccer background includes time as a successful high school coach, positions with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), and 16 years operating a soccer skills teaching company. 

Prior to coming to Washington College, Dunshee spent four seasons as the head boys soccer coach at Severna Park High School in Severna Park, MD. He also spent five years coaching at St. Mary's Catholic High School in Annapolis, MD.

Dunshee has also worked for the NSCAA since 2007 as the State Technical Coordinator for both Maryland and Delaware and, most recently, as a National Academy coach. In that position, he teaches high-level residential coaching courses around the country. He has been chosen as a clinician at the annual NSCAA Convention four times and was named the NSCAA's Associate Staff Coach of the Year in 2011. Since 2008, Dunshee has served as a state staff coach for the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association, teaching United States Soccer Federation (USSF) E and D license courses. 

For the past 17 years, Dunshee has operated Coerver Coaching, a company which provides team training, camps, clinics, and coaches' education. He is currently the principal owner and Director of Coaching for the company. 

During the winter and spring of 2010, Dunshee also served as an interim assistant men's soccer coach at Division I Northwestern University, designing and implementing winter and spring training sessions and game plans. Northwestern went on to win the 2011 Big Ten Championship.

Dunshee played collegiate soccer at the University of South Carolina, earning a B.A. in Journalism from the school in 1983. He went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from George Mason University School of Law in 1989. His additional professional experience includes five years as a law clerk and attorney and 13 years as a restauranteur. 

Dunshee's coaching certifications include USSF A, B, C, and D licenses, a US Youth Soccer Y license, and NSCAA Premier, Advanced National, and National Diplomas.

Tom Durkin is currently the Technical Director of the Boston Breakers Youth Academy. On September 3, 2013, he replaced Lisa Cole and interim manager Cat Whitehill as the manager of the Boston Breakers, after serving for them as an assistant for the last two matches of the 2013 National Women's Soccer League. Durkin served as head coach for FC Celtic Bolts, Bradenton Academics, Union County College, Richland College and Rutgers University. He also was an assistant manager for United States U–17 national team and the now defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny. He played for Le Moyne College and Loyola University Maryland before playing in the amateur level, competing in state leagues and cups. Durkin also graduated from Kent State University. 

Richard Elsinga is from the Netherlands and played for professional teams sc Heerenveen, Sc Heracles and Fc Emmen in the Dutch Premier league and First Division. Richard has worked in The Netherlands as a Director of Coaching and Technical Director at several clubs for over 10 years as well as serving as the head coach of many senior and youth teams for 12 years. Elsinga has a UEFA B-license and holds a KNVB instructor license.

Elton’s books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than a million copies worldwide. As a motivation expert, Chester has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company and the New York Times, and has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, National Public Radio and CBS’s 60 Minutes. And if you Google the 30 Top Leadership Gurus, you’ll consistently find Chester on the list along with Jack Welch and Jim Collins.

Chester serves as a leadership consultant to firms such as American Express, Avis Budget Group and Cigna. He is most proud, however, to be the father of four exceptional children—all the more exceptional now they have grown up and left home.

Jared Embick, who had previously served as the Zips' associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, officially became the seventh head coach in the history of The University of Akron men's soccer program in December of 2012. During Embick's time at Akron, the Zips have posted the highest winning percentage in the nation with an overall record of 140-23-19 (.821), including a 44-2-1 (.947) mark in Mid-American Conference play, while securing seven conference tournament titles, eight trips to the NCAA Tournament and two appearances in an NCAA final. Embick, who was the 2010 National Assistant Coach of the Year, has been a key component of the Zips' dominant run in college soccer – culminating with the school's first team national championship in any sport in 2010 – since joining the staff in 2007.
Due in large part to Embick's recruiting efforts, Akron identified and secured some of the best prospects in the country – and around the world – with top-five recruiting classes in each of the past five seasons. In total, Embick recruited or helped develop 24 players who have gone on to play professionally either in MLS or overseas since 2007. The success of this formula was no more evident than at the 2011 MLS SuperDraft where seven Zips had their names called, including five with the first eight selections overall, to set a pair of MLS records.
Embick has also served as a staff coach with the Under-16 and Under-18 U.S. Soccer Development Academy's Cleveland Internationals club team for the past five years. Prior to joining the Zips, Embick spent four seasons (2003-06) as the head men's soccer coach at Missouri Baptist University where he led the Spartans to a record of 47-21-8 and the program's first NAIA regional tournament berth in 2003. In all, Embick spent six seasons at MBU, including two seasons as a graduate assistant (2000-01) and one season as an assistant coach (2002). During his time at Missouri Baptist, Embick also served as assistant coach for River Cities FC of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) whom he helped lead to a 13-2-1 record in its inaugural season and an appearance in the WPSL national final. A 2000 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan, Embick was named an All-American by the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) in 1998 and 1999 as a player. He was also an NAIA honorable mention All-America honoree in 1999 and was twice named to the All-Mid-Central Conference squad.

Donna Fishter is considered an architect of team culture & player development and is the heart of what it means to be an educator, motivator, and mentor. Her passion is to join the journey with coaches, providing an intentional focus on LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, & PEOPLE.

Vince Ganzberg has more than 25 years of youth soccer coaching experience, including a decade as the director of coaching education for Indiana Soccer. He has been a member of the U.S. Soccer National Staff, NSCAA Academy Staff and a presenter at the NSCAA Convention since 1999.

Vince is currently a Coaching Education consultant for U.S. Soccer and the Director of Education for the Indy Premier Soccer Club. He holds a USSF ‘A’ License, NSCAA Premier Diploma, US Youth Soccer National Youth License and has a certified teacher’s license for business education.

An All-American at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind., Vince was inducted into the Bethel College Hall of Fame and is a member of the 2015 Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame class. He resided in Brownsburg, Ind., with his wife, Amy, his son, Zach, and two stepdaughters, Emma and Ellie.

Avram Grant has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of national league and cup victories with different teams, and also managing the Israeli national team for four years. Grant moved to England in 2006 to become Technical Director of Portsmouth before being appointed Director of football at Chelsea in July 2007. Two months later, in September 2007, following the departure of José Mourinho, Grant was appointed manager of Chelsea. Despite steering the team into the Champions League final, the League Cup final and contesting the Premier League title to the last day, his contract was terminated at the end of the season.

Grant returned to Portsmouth as Director of football in October 2009, and was made manager the following month. After the club's relegation to the Football League Championship Grant resigned and, on 3 June 2010, was appointed as manager of West Ham United a role he held up until 15 May 2011. On 13 January 2012, Avram Grant was named the new manager of Partizan Belgrade. After guiding Partizan to their fifth consecutive Serbian championship, Grant resigned on 14 May 2012. He is currently the coach of the Ghana national football team.

In this role, Hannan oversees the FOX Sports public relations and corporate communications teams, where he is responsible for the development of key strategic communications initiatives and cross-platform efforts on behalf of FOX Sports’ portfolio of businesses.  Hannan works to ensure that FOX Sports is maximizing its communications assets across television, digital, mobile, radio and social media to support its national and local telecasts on FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, and FOX Sports Regional Networks. 

Hannan is a 16-year veteran of FOX Sports.  Most recently, he oversaw marketing for FOX Sports Regional Networks, where he provided support for advertising sales, on-air promotions, and consumer marketing across the company’s leading group of owned-and-operated regional sports networks.  Hannan also spearheaded the integration of FOX Sports’ RSN assets in support of the successful launch of FOX Sports 1, and he was instrumental in FOX Sports’ early efforts to integrate social media within live telecasts.  Among Hannan’s most significant achievements has been the development of Fox’s Creative University program, now expanded to 20 universities.  Hannan joined FOX Sports in 1997 and has held a variety of key positions since, including vice president of on-air promotions and senior vice president of marketing.

Hannan has been honored for his work in sports media and marketing on numerous occasions. In 2012, Hannan was named to Sports Business Journal’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list.  He has also won more than 25 Promax, Telly, and Addy awards for his work with FOX Sports. 

Hannan attended Syracuse University in New York, where he graduated with a B.S. in Communications and Rhetorical Studies. He is also a member of the Syracuse University Athletic Advisory Board and serves on the After-School All-Stars Marketing Advisory Board.

Stuart Alistair Holden (born August 1st, 1985) is a USA International and most recently a member of Bolton Wanderers in England. He has represented his country 25 times scoring 3 goals. Holden made a name for himself in the U.S. youth ranks before earning his first call-up to the full national team in 2008. He represented the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and scored the opening goal in a 1-0 win vs Japan. In the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, he was selected to the Gold Cup All-Tournament Team. Holden was a part of the 23-man roster for the U.S. National Team during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and played as a substitute in the opening 1–1 draw with England. Despite being hampered by several serious injuries, Holden made his return to the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He played in the final, with the U.S. taking the title, but it was later revealed that Holden had suffered a torn ACL in his knee.
On the club level, Holden played with top clubs in the Barclays Premier League, beginning with Sunderland in 2005. He returned home to play for the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer on January 1st, 2006. He led the team to back-to-back MLS Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007, scoring a penalty in the 2006 Final. An MLS All-Star and MLS Best XI in 2009, Holden moved to England to play for Bolton Wanderers on January 1st, 2010. He made several appearances with the club leading them to a seventh-place finish in 2011 and the FA Cup semifinals. In his first season at Bolton Wanderers, Holden was voted by “The Guardian” readers as the best player in the premier league at the halfway point.
Off the field, Holden founded Holden’s Heroes in 2006, a charity dedicated to bettering the lives of children with cancer. He partnered with Texas Children’s Hospital, making regular visits with the children and hosted a large number of fundraisers for them and their families.

Tommi "Auge" Kautonen (born 24 December 1971 in Lahti, Finland) is a Finnish football manager and former player (midfielder). He is currently the head coach of Finland national under-21 football team. As a player Kautonen played for Reipas Lahti, FC Haka, MyPa, Vaasan Palloseura and FC Lahti. He is the only player who played in every Veikkausliiga season since its beginning to the season 2006. Kautonen made his debut in highest tier on 1 October 1989 in a match between Reipas and Kemin Palloseura. He ended his career in match between FC Lahti and KooTeePee on 29 October 2006. Kautonen played total of 377 league matches and scored 21 goals. In 1999 he won the Finnish League Cup with Vaasan Palloseura. In 2004 he was chosen the best midfielder in Veikkausliiga. Kautonen has nine caps in Finnish national football team. He has also played 27 youth internationals.

After completing medical school at Kansas University and Residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Missouri, he pursued a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Stanford University. He is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with an extra Certification in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, Interventional Spine, and Running Medicine. Dr. Khadavi emphasizes comprehensive, non-operative care of musculoskeletal conditions from "head to toe."

He also subspecializes in the care of runners, focusing on the biomechanics of running to return his runners to the pavement as quickly and safely as possible. Dr. Khadavi is the Medical Director of the Sports and Running Medicine Clinic at Carondelet Orthopaedic Surgeons, and has implemented a running injury and prevention program called RunSafe. He will holistically treat your injuries as quickly as possible to keep you active!

The 2015 season marks Dean Koski’s 24th season as head coach of the Lehigh’s men’s soccer program. Since taking over the program in 1991, Koski, the 15th coach in school history, has guided the Mountain Hawks to a Patriot League regular season championship in 2006, a Patriot League Tournament championship in 2000, three NCAA tournament appearances and eleven Mid-Atlantic Region Top 10 rankings. He has helped to develop 39 All-Patriot League first team players, and 35 second team players. In addition, four players, Andrew Mittendorf, Kevin Jackson, Adam Williamson and most recently Adam Welch, were drafted by MLS franchises and three, Evan Bruno, John O’Reilly and Joe Verdi, were named All-Americans.

Lawless attended West Sussex Institute on Higher Education in Sussex, England, where he would graduate with honors. Lawless traveled to the Bahamas to pursue a teaching career. While teaching under the sun, he was selected to play for the Bahamas Olympic Soccer team at the Central American and Caribbean Games held in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
After five years in the Bahamas, Lawless landed the head position at the British International School. While coaching, Lawless developed contacts in the U.S. and decided to pursue a master's degree at the University of Wisconsin - Stout after three years in Ethiopia. Upon graduation, Lawless was contacted by then third-year head men's soccer coach Brian Haley and Athletic Director John Hill. With the Heidelberg women coming off of their first OAC championship season in 1990, Lawless enthusiastically signed on.
In his tenure, Lawless and the Heidelberg women claimed four OAC regular-season championships, five OAC tournament titles and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. He coached 16 All-OAC performers, four academic All-OAC selections, nine All-Americans and seven All-Ohio performers. Lawless mentored three OAC Player of the Year award winners, two Clyde Lamb Award recipients and one NCAA Woman of the Year honoree in Lynne Kraemer.
Lawless owns a career record of 106-30-2 and an astonishing OAC record of 56-7-0 in his seven years. His OAC winning percentage stands at .889 while his overall winning percentage rests at .775, making him one of the winningest Heidelberg coaches of all time. Lawless capped off his career with two consecutive OAC Coach of the Year honors in 1994 and 1995 and an Ohio Coach of the Year.

Dr. Lawrence Lemak is the Founder of Lemak Sports Medicine & Orthopedics—a center of excellence in orthopedic surgery with expertise in all areas of orthopedics and primary care sports medicine. Dr. Lemak devotes his practice to sports medicine and knee replacements and is a nationally recognized leader in his field. With vast experience in sports medicine and his passion for the safety of athletes at every level of participation, Dr. Lemak serves as a member of the Medical Advisory Boards of Pop Warner Football, USA Football, and the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA)—sharing his knowledge and lending his expertise to these organizations. Dr. Lemak founded the National Center for Sports Safety (NCSS) in 2001 after identifying a need to decrease the number and severity of injuries to youth, recreation, and high school athletes. The NCSS educates youth and high school coaches on the prevention and care of athletic injuries and has educated over 20,000 coaches since its inception.
Dr. Lemak’s devotion to sports medicine led him to found and chair the Alabama Sports Foundation in 1996—bringing the highest level of sports competition to Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, he was a founder of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), a research and education institute for sports medicine, which has produced volumes of research for sports medicine and has educated over 250 orthopedic surgeons and family practitioners in sports medicine.
As the Medical Director of NFL’s Europe League for over 15 years and presently serving as the Medical Director of the United Football League, Dr. Lemak has cared for over 2,000 professional football players. In addition, he has been the Medical Director for Major League Soccer for 17 years. Not only does he treat professional athletes, he is also the team physician for many high schools and colleges in Alabama.
He serves as a Medical Advisor to more than 10 orthopedic medical companies and is the Orthopedic Medical Director for Community Health Systems (CHS).
After Dr. Lemak brought the 1996 Olympic Soccer Games to Birmingham, along with many other sports medicine endeavors in the community, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame with the Distinguished Sportsman Award in 1997. Dr. Lemak was the first physician to be inducted into the AHSAA Hall of Fame for his devotion to the care and safety of high school athletes in the State of Alabama. He is the recipient of numerous awards for service to the community such as: the “Outstanding Alabamian Award” (proclaimed Dr. Lawrence Lemak Day) and “Businessman of the Year.” In addition, the Florida Athletic Trainers Association named Dr. Lemak “Person of the Year” in 2006. Dr. Lemak has also served as chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at USF from 2004-2008.
Dr. Lemak is a graduate of The University of Alabama Medical School and completed his residency at The University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).

Leonard, a native Atlantan, grew up playing youth soccer in Atlanta for Genesis Soccer Club.  During his college career, Leonard played at University of Hartford and Georgia State University. At Georgia State, Leonard received his BA in British Literature and is certified to teach Language Arts.  Leonard has worked with the Atlanta Fire United Soccer Association and Roswell Santos Soccer Club, where he was a director for the U-11 Girls Academy program.  While previously serving as assistant coach at Southern Polytechnic State University, Leonard has also taken coaching internships in Norway, England, Holland, and Costa Rica.  Leonard is also the CEO of Interplay-Sports, USA, a video analysis software company that is currently being used by the Silverbacks and teams throughout Europe. This software provides players with video and analysis to individualize practice to provide players with top quality training.

Jim Liston enters his second season as the Director, Sport Science for Toronto FC. He joined the team on August 31, 2014. Liston previously worked with the Kia Toronto FC Academy at the start of the 2014 season.
Liston brings a highly distinguished work history that involves time as strength and conditioning coach with three MLS clubs, LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew and Chivas USA. He is also the founder and president of CATZ (Competitive Athlete Training Zone) where he developed an entire curriculum and coaches training program. Liston is launching a new department within Toronto FC as he focuses on sport science innovation and helping athletes reach their highest potential.

Sam has a PhD in investigating the effects of video and data on athlete development from Loughborough University in the UK. Over the last 10 years Sam has worked with a number of National Teams and EPL academies to utilise video as a vehicle for learning and development. Sam now leads the Soccer department at Hudl and oversees how the company works with Elite, Amateur and Grassroots football clubs.

Tasha is the co-founder of Pediatric Therapy Specialists, a private pediatric therapy clinic established in 2001 in Fairfax, Va.  She has been a practicing occupational therapist for 20 years and has dedicated her career to providing children the tools to be successful in life. She received her Doctor of Occupational Therapy at University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences and her M.S. in Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University.  Tasha has extensive experience in utilizing Sensory Integration (SI) to promote function and independence in children with poor sensory regulation, developmental delays, and neurological disorders.  She has experience working with diverse pediatric populations in a variety of clinical settings in addition to the private clinic setting.  Tasha has also worked in private schools developing programs for effective implementation of OT services.  These programs meet the needs of the students in accessing their physical environment when engaging in recess and desired group sports.  She has teamed with physical therapy to develop and run groups in the clinic setting to teach kids basic, fundamental sports skills that can be applied to various sports activities such as t-ball, basketball, and soccer through offering sensory experiences to enhance sensory processing.

Willie is a proactive coach and manager within Youth Football, spanning over 15 years, incorporating extensive experience coaching within Elite Academies and Development Programs across Scotland. Willie is currently in his 9^th season with Celtic FC, where he holds the position of the International Soccer Academy Manager for the club as well as being the coach of the Academy U14’s team and Development Center Manager and Coach for Central Scotland. Willie previously held Youth Academy Coaching positions at Hibernian FC and Heart Of Midlothian FC as well as being a Football Development Officer with the Scottish FA. He currently holds the UEFA A Licence, Scottish FA Advanced Youth Licence and Scottish FA Advanced Children’s Licence and can deliver Scottish FA Coach education courses up to Level 1.3. Willie is making his second appearance at the NSCAA Convention, having being a clinician in 2015  in Philadelphia and recently delivered at the inaugural Pacific Soccer Coaching Conference in Vancouver.

Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Carlos Menjivar played professionally for Adler FC from 1966 to 1970, and was part of the 1969 U23 National Team. In May of 1970, Menjivar immigrated to the United States with his parents.  Menjivar’s coaching career began in 1980 in the San Francisco Major Division.  There he led the El Salvador Athletic Club to the its first ever championship. He was awarded his U.S.S.F. National “A” license in 1987, and has continued coaching education in Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Scotland, England, France, etc. Throughout his career, Menjivar has demonstrated the ability to coach and educate regardless of age, ability level, experience and physical challenge.

Rene Meulensteen has built a reputation for developing technical players and his journey led him to coaching functions at Al-Ghrafa, Al-Sadd (both Qatar), Brondby (Sweden), Manchester United (England), and all too briefly Anzhi Makhachkala (Russia) and Fulham competing in the English Premier League.  After an eight year stay in the Middle East where he worked hand in hand with the late Wiel Coerver, Rene joined Manchester United’s Youth Academy program as Skill Development Officer in 2001.  Rene was promoted to First-team Coach of Manchester United in 2008.  During his time as First-team Coach, he helped Sir Alex Ferguson secure the Premier League title in 2008-09, 2010-11, and 2012-13; the Community Shield in 2008, 2010, 2011, the League Cup in 2008-09 and 2009-10; the UEFA Champions League in 2007-08 and FIFA World Cup in 2008.  Manchester United confirmed his departure from the club on June 26, 2013, after incoming manager David Moyes decided to bring in his own coaching team.  Since then, Rene has had coaching stints at Russian Premier League outfit FC Anzhi Makhachkala, and at the EPL with Fulham.  He also held a role as consultant at MLS Philadephia Union in 2014-2015.

Jason Neumann has worked and continues to work in many different areas of sport and business.  His current role is Vice President Division Finance Manager for BBVA Compass, who he has been with for 11 years.  As a State Director for the NSCAA, Neumann oversees Alabama and Mississippi.  He is also a member of the NSCAA National Staff and has been coaching in soccer for over 20 years.  Since 1996, Jason has also been the Gameday Promotions Field Manager for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Michael O'Neill is the current Northern Ireland Senior Men’s National Team manager.

O'Neill started his playing career in his native Northern Ireland with Coleraine FC, before playing for a number of clubs in England and Scotland including Newcastle United and Hibernian FC. He was capped 31 times at international level by Northern Ireland, in which he scored four goals.

His managerial career includes stints at Brechin City in Scotland and Shamrock Rovers in Ireland where he made history by leading the first Irish team into the group stages of the UEFA Cup.  He took over as Northern Ireland manager in 2012.

Coach Giovanni Pacini is an elite NSCAA Master Coach, a member of the NSCAA National Staff, NSCAA National Goalkeeper Staff, and is published. He also has a 24 year career as a health and physical education teacher having worked with young people from kindergarten to high school.

Paolo Pacione is the current Head of Performance and Fitness Coach for Miami FC.  Previously, he was the Fitness Coach / Performance Manager of the Montreal Impact, who recently enjoyed a historical run to the final in the 2014-2015 CONCACAF Champions League.  As the first team’s performance manager, he is responsible for all areas of player training, assessment and monitoring, both on and off the pitch.  Pacione has developed a number of partnerships with industry leaders with companies like Microgate, VX Sport, iThlete, Desmotec, Hedoko, HI Trainer, and most recently CoachMe Plus.  Paolo is also a member the Technology Committee for Major League Soccer. 

Pacione has had a long and successful career in soccer, working as a fitness coach at every level in the game for over 15 years.  Originally from Toronto, Pacione began his career as a physical preparation coach with the Toronto Lynx in 2003 and 2004, in the USL First Division.  Next, he went abroad between 2004-2006 and joined Italian club Faenza Calcio, near Bologna. He then came back to Canada and established a role with the Ontario Soccer Association and the National Training Centre Ontario as the Physical Preparation Coach, a post which he held until his departure for the Montreal Impact. During that time he worked with several teams in the Canadian Soccer League and Various youth clubs in the Greater Toronto Area.  His work with the National Training Centre Ontario led him to become the physical preparation coach with the Women’s U17 Canadian National Team that took part in the 2008 (Bronze Medal) and 2010 (Gold Medal) CONCACAF Championships, while qualifying for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cups in 2008 and 2010.  He went on to work with the Canadian Soccer Association for several of its other teams, including the Men’s U18 and U20 teams, and finally Men’s Senior and Olympic teams in 2012.

Pacione has a Specialized Honours degree (BSc) in Kinesiology and Health Sciences from York University and received his Fitness Trainers Award from the Football Association, in England, in 2009. He is fluent in English, French and Italian.

The co-creator of SoccerROM, Robert Parr holds a USSF 'A' license, NSCAA Premier Diploma, and a USSF National Youth Coaching license.  He is currently the Technical Director for the Gulf Coast Youth Soccer Club in Southeast Texas, and an NSCAA Consultant for the Club Standards Project.  Previously, he served six years as the Director of Coaching for the Arkansas State Soccer Association, and one year as the Director of Coaching and WPSL Head Coach for the Puerto Rico Capitals FC, which was the first international franchise to compete in the Women's Premier Soccer League.

From 2003-2008, he was the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Georgia College & State University and also coached for the Georgia State Soccer Association Olympic Development Program.  From 1995-2002, Robert was the Director of Training for the American Soccer Club "Eagles" youth program in Austin, Texas (now known as Lonestar SC).  He also served as the South Texas Men's State Team Coach from 1996-1998, and a South Texas YSA State Staff Coach for both the Olympic Development Program (1991-1999) and the Coaching Education Program (1991-2002).  From 1989 until 1995, Robert was the Head Coach of the University of Texas Men's Soccer Team, where he led the program to a National Collegiate Club Championship in 1990, three other National Tournament appearances, and an overall record of 80-25-16.  You can reach Robert at robert@soccerrom.com.

Michael Rabasca enters his second season as Toronto FC’s director, cognitive development. He joined the first team on August 31, 2014, after previously working in the Kia Toronto FC Academy at the start of the 2014 season.

Prior to joining Toronto FC, Rabasca was a highly successful academy coach with stints at multiple clubs including RSLAZ Academy. Rabasca also worked with US Soccer as a scout and NSCAA as a consultant to their clubs standards project. His focus at Toronto FC is on cognitive and neuro development in athletes, which combines his work experience as an occupational therapist and his history in soccer. Rabasca’s role as director of cognitive development is the first of its kind in North America.

He holds a USSF “A” coaching licence and NSCAA Premier Diploma.

Deb Raber, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at MCLA, has led the Trailblazers to victory on and off the field. Since coming to MCLA in 2000, the women’s soccer program has been awarded 38 All-MASCAC selections, 1 MASCAC Player of the Year selection, 2 MASCAC Rookie of the Year selections, 12 NSCAA Awards for Ethics, 4 NSCAA Academic Team Awards, and won the MASCAC regular season championship during the 2010 season. Prior to coaching at MCLA, she coached softball at Springfield College in Springfield Massachusetts; and both softball and soccer at Castleton State college in Castleton, Vermont.

Coach Raber‘s influence within the soccer community is far-reaching and her reputation is highly respected by leaders in the field. Named three times as MASCAC Coach of the Year, Raber also leads and instructs for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). As a member of both the National Goalkeeper Staff and Field Player Staff, she instructs all levels of goalkeeping and level 1 through the Advanced National diplomas on the field player side. In 2014 and 2015 she has presented at the Soccer Champions Coaches’ Clinic in Uncasville, Connecticut alongside Tony DiCicco. Raber has been very active with the NSCAA serving as Northeast Chair for the Academic All-American Committee, Ethics Committee, and Initiatives Committee.

Presently Deb Raber serves as Fitness Center Director and the Strength and Conditioning Coach for all athletic teams at MCLA. Her own personal interest in fitness is coupled with certifications from ACE Personal Training, Functional Movement Systems, National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Titleist Performance Institute, USA Weightlifting, and most recently deemed a Certified Functional Strength Coach through Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. Coach Raber prepares athletes for their challenging seasons but also provides students with life-long tools of wellness.

Duncan is the Executive Director of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), the official governing body of adult soccer, who left the world of professional soccer at Aston Villa after nearly ten years to help pioneer adult soccer in the United States.  The English-born Riddle has been known — on both sides of the Atlantic — for his ground-breaking accomplishments and pioneering partnerships.

Robbie started playing football at the age of four in Huntington Beach, California. In High School, played for Mater Dei High as well as the USPDL. In 2005, he played one year for the University of Maryland. He also regularly played for the US U18 squad and later the U20 squad from 2004 to 2007. In 2006, joined Dutch Club Heerenveen and then The Columbus Crew of the MLS in 2007. Played in the 2007 FIFA U20 World Cup with the United States. In 2007, he was also called up to the U23 team for a friendly against China which led to his appearance representing the United States at the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing.  In 2008 he joined the US Senior National Team. He started his first International Game in 2009 during a friendly against Sweden. Selected in 2010 to the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup. Member of the 2009 & 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Teams. Signed with English Championship Leeds United the end of 2011. Loaned to League One Stevenage in 2012. Announced Retirement in early 2013. Came out of retirement and signed with the LA Galaxy in May 2013. In December 2014 won an MLS Cup Championship with the LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA.
Currently, Robbie is the co-Owner of Menswear Brand "Halsey", the Producer on "Men In Shorts" & "My Policeman", is represented by Next Model Agency, and plays for LA Galaxy.

Nico Romeijn joined the U.S. Soccer Coaching Department as the Director of Coaching Education on June 25, 2015. This newly crested postition will have him focused on developing a Pro license while working with Director of Coaching Development, Dave Chesler, to create new educational opportunities and to make modifications to the current licenses offered.
A native from the Netherlands, Romeijn previously worked as the Head of Education for the KNVB, the Dutch Soccer Association, where he was responsible for the content and the learning philosophy of the UEFA coaching development courses, as well as leading the charge when it came to the instructors of the UEFA Diploma Course at the KNVB Academy.
Additionally, he was a member of UEFA’s Jira Panel, a group of educational experts, where he presented at several UEFA conferences and co-wrote various vital coaching publications and concepts. He has served as a Technical Instructor for UEFA and as a scout for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Romeijn played semi-professional soccer in the Netherlands while he was working towards completion of his bachelor’s degree in Sport and Physical Education. Before joining the KNVB, he taught physical education to juniors and seniors in high school, as well as serving as the head coach of many senior and youth teams for 12 years.

Stuart has just over 18 years of experience coaching soccer from a grassroots to professional academy level in the U.S., and across 4 continents including delivering workshops on behalf of UEFA and The Asian Football Confederation. Stuart has been the Head Coach of the U.S Soccer Federation’s Paralympic National Team since January 2014, during that time he has significantly elevated the program’s awareness in the U.S., in addition to improving the National Team’s official world ranking. He is the former Head of Technical Development and an International Classifier for the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) which is the world governing body for Paralympic 7 a Side Soccer,  and now chairs their National Team Managers Working Group. Stuart also worked as The Scottish Football Association’s National Development Manager for Disability Football, where he developed a national player pathway in addition to the creating and tutor on coach education courses. He is also the former Director of International Sport Development for BlazeSports, during which time he successfully expanded their global sport development programs to encourage best practice in the fields of disability sport, recreation, and physical activity for people with disabilities. 

Celia Slater is co-founder of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) and The Alliance of Women Coaches (The Alliance). She has almost 30 years experience in college athletics both as a collegiate basketball coach and as executive director of the WCA and the Alliance. In 2014, Celia branched out on her own to launch True North Sports with a desire to extend her work to male and female head and assistant coaches and explore creative new ways to tackle other challenging civil rights issues in collegiate athletics related to race, gender and sexuality. Her services include educational program development, mastermind groups for coaches and one-on-one “coaching the coach,” sessions. Celia is also the founder of the Assistant Coach Immersion Program (ACIP).

Smith joined Illinois Youth Soccer after serving as the Director of Coaching of Cary Soccer Association for eight past years.

Smith currently holds the USSF National "B" Coaching License and USSF National Youth Coaching License. He has been a very active member of the Illinois Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program and Illinois Youth Soccer Coaching Education staff for the past three years.

Head coach Jerry Smith is in his 29th season at the helm of the Santa Clara women's soccer program in 2015. Although he is most known for the development of his players and teams, Smith also produces success and is the most winning women's soccer coach in Santa Clara history. Since taking over the head coaching duties at Santa Clara in the spring of 1987, Smith has built the Bronco soccer program into a national power.  

Smith has also earned recognition on national and international levels. In March 2000, he was named the U.S. Under-21 National Team coach, a position he resigned in August 2002, after capturing the 2001 Nordic Cup and successfully defending the championship a year later. He has also served on the FIFA Technical Report Team and was the Site Coordinator for Brazil during World Cup 1994. He was also the West Region head coach for the Olympic Development Program.

Smith began his coaching career at his alma mater, Homestead High School in Sunnyvale, Calif., where his boys' teams compiled a 69-29-12 record in seven seasons, including two consecutive league championships. Along with his head coaching responsibilities at Homestead, Smith also served as the assistant coach for Foothill College's men's team from 1982-86 in Los Altos Hills, Calif. He also had a one-year stint as Foothill's head women's coach in 1986. After obtaining his A.S. degree from Foothill in 1981, Smith earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Cal State Hayward in 1986.

Bill Stara relocated to Colorado from Maryland in 2014, accepting the Director of Recreation and Academy Program position at Broomfield Soccer Club. Prior to moving to Colorado, Bill was the Technical Director for the state of Maryland. As the state’s Technical Director, Bill was responsible for Maryland’s ODP Program as well as the licensing courses and other state educational programs. During his tenure as state Technical Director he was also a presenter at the US Youth Soccer Workshop and the NSCAA Convention. Bill has worked as an instructor for US Soccer, US Youth Soccer and for the NSCAA.

In 1982, Bill started his coaching career at Centennial HS located in Ellicott City, Maryland. During his time at Centennial his teams appeared in nine state championship games, winning seven. In 1996, Bill was recruited to teach and coach at  a new school in Howard County Maryland called River Hill High School. The River Hill teams followed the same blueprint for success winning seven state titles under Stara’s direction. While working at the high school level Bill also coached at the club level for the Soccer Association of Columbia and the Howard Soccer Club.

During this time period Bill was the first coach to earn Coach of the Year awards from the NSCAA for High School and Youth Coaching. In 1998 the opportunity arose to become an assistant coach with Darryl Gee at the professional level, coaching the Maryland Mania. The team competed in the United Soccer Leagues at the “A” League level. After the coaching at the professional level, Bill was hired as the Technical Director for the Soccer Association of Columbia. After 10 years with the club, Bill moved on to become the Technical Director for the Loudon Soccer Club. While the Technical Director for Loudoun he started to work on the Women’s Task Force Committee for US Soccer. Bill Stara resides in south Denver with his wife Arden.

The Long Island, N.Y.-native, is credited as the man who spearheaded American soccer’s surge to international prominence and credibility in the 1990s. In a December 2013 NSCAA.com feature, Steinbrecher said he learned how to be a top-level executive by first being a coach. 
Steinbrecher had a storied soccer career leading up to his time with U.S. Soccer. He coached at Warren Wilson University and Appalachian State University in North Carolina, before assuming the same position at Boston University. While at BU, he accepted the position as director of the Harvard University soccer venue for the 1984 Olympic Games.
The success of those matches propelled him into the private sector as the marketing director for the Gatorade. In 1990, he became U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General, which he held until 2001. Steinbrecher played a key role in attracting the two largest soccer events held in the United States: the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Both were won by the United States.
Steinbrecher was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005, followed by the NSCAA Honor Award in 2006. He was also named the 2012 recipient of the U.S. Soccer's Werner Fricker Builder Award, an honor bestowed to an individual who has worked to further the interest of the sport of soccer without regard to personal recognition or advancement.

David Tenney enters his second season as Sports Science & Performance Manager after spending the previous five seasons as fitness coach. He is one of Major League Soccer’s most respected and progressive minds in sports science. Tenney implemented the Catapult GPS program which measures player movement in games and practices, as well as the Omegawave technology that tests player’s heart rate variability and state of readiness before and after participation.

Prior to joining Sounders FC, Tenney served as both Fitness and Goalkeeper Coach in Kansas City in 2007 and 2008, helping the Wizards reach the postseason both years. Kansas City reached the Conference Finals in 2007. He also holds an “A” license from the Czech Republic FA and NSCAA 'Premier' Diploma. Prior to MLS, Tenney held the same dual role with the George Mason University men’s and women’s teams for two seasons. In 2006, Mason advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years.

While at George Mason, Tenney also served as Director of Coaching for the Washington Freedom youth teams from 2004-06 and as Maryland’s girls Director of ODP, winning two ODP National Championships (2005 and 2006). Tenney’s playing career features both collegiate and indoor professional honors. At Virginia Tech (1989-91), he served as team captain the final two seasons. As the Hokies’ goalkeeper, he was voted Metro Conference Defensive MVP in 1989.

His professional career began overseas with Germany’s SV Linx (1992-93) and FC Rastatt (1993-94). He returned home to play for the Washington Warthogs of the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1994-97 and held franchise records for saves, wins and minutes played for goalkeepers. He was with the Baltimore Blast of the NPSL from 1998-2000 and also starred for the Baton Rouge Bombers, earning second team All-EISL in 1998. Tenney is married to Allison, who is an Assistant Coach of the Seattle University women’s soccer team. They have two daughters, Quinn and Cameron.

Erwin van Elst grew up in the Netherlands and played for professional team Helmond Sport in the Dutch First Division.  He is a graduate of the Central Institute for Coaching, Arnhem, the Netherlands.  van Elst has worked in Michigan as a Director of Coaching and Technical Director at several clubs for over 20 years.  The past five years he has directed SportPartnersUSA – Meulensteen North America ‘s coach and player development clinics across North America.  van Elst has a UEFA B-license, USSF B-license, and the Meulensteen Method International coaching badge.

Judy L. Van Raalte, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Springfield College; a certified consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology; and listed in the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. She has worked with athletes, coaches, and sports organizations around the world.

Dr. Van Raalte has presented at conferences in 16 countries, produced sport psychology videos, and published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals on topics such as self-talk, body image, and professionals issues in sport and exercise psychology.

She is a fellow of APA and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Manager Peter Vermes oversees all soccer operations for Sporting Kansas City, including the active roster and the Sporting Kansas City Academy. He has spent seven seasons as Sporting Kansas City Manager since taking over in 2009. He ends the 2015 campaign as the team’s second-longest serving manager, and his 113 coaching victories in all competitions are the most club history.

During his tenure, Vermes has won three major trophies – the 2012 and 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and the 2013 MLS Cup championship – as well as two MLS Eastern Conference regular season titles (2011, 2012). He is the second coach to lead Sporting KC to five straight postseason appearances, as well as the only person to ever win the MLS Cup as both a player and a coach with the same team. His 90 regular season wins top the club’s all-time chart and rank eighth most in MLS history.

After his college career as a star forward and All-American at Rutgers University, Vermes represented the United States in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, and was named 1988 Chevrolet U.S. Male Soccer Athlete of the Year for his efforts.

Vermes was an integral part of a young U.S. team at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where he nearly scored a sensational goal against the host Azzurri. It was the first time the U.S. had qualified for the World Cup in 40 years and set the stage for the progress of the U.S. National Team. In 1989 and 1990, Vermes became the first American to play in the Hungarian and Dutch First Divisions, playing for Raba ETO and FC Volendam, respectively. He later spent five years with Figueras of the Spanish Second Division.

For MLS’s inaugural season in 1996, Vermes served as captain of the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. In 1997, he was traded to the Colorado Rapids for current Sporting KC Assistant Coach Kerry Zavagnin and played in Denver through the 1999 season, leading the Rapids to the 1997 MLS Cup Final.

Vermes joined Kansas City in 2000 for what would be the most successful seasons of his MLS career. During his first year in Kansas City, he anchored one of the best defenses in league history and won MLS Defender of the Year honors in helping lead the Wizards to the 2000 MLS Cup Championship. He retired in 2002 after appearing in 184 MLS matches and playing more than 16,000 minutes. He was  nominated on the players’ ballot for the National Soccer Hall of Fame from 2007-2012. In 2013, Vermes was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Vila is the director of methodology for the FC Barcelona Academy. Vila is essential in the development of the concepts of Barca's game, and the methods used in daily training with youth teams. Vila's other extensive soccer experience includes working with the Federació Catalana de Futbol (FCF) as the technical and tactical professor. He also served as technical director for Soccer Services, CE Mataro, and FCF.

Chad Waelchli is the owner, and head performance coach of CW Fitness. Chad received his Masters Degree in Exercise Science in August of 2005 and his Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science in May of 2004, both from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania . While at ESU, Chad served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wilkes University and Lehigh University and was a Graduate Assistant in the Intramural and Recreation Department at ESU.

Chad is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a certified SPARQ trainer (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness). Chad played collegiate baseball at North Carolina Wesleyan College and East Stroudsburg University. Chad was an all area and all state catcher who had professional workouts with the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and was scouted by the Colorado Rockies. Chad turned down a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Phillies to focus on his graduate school and thesis research. Chad is currently working part time as a professional model for fitness, acting, and men’s casual wear as well as training and competing in mixed martial arts. Chad has worked for such companies as Majestic, Runners World Magazine, and has been a fitness Model for Men’s Health Magazine.

Along with coaching specialized, functional training, Chad annually presents reasearch and lectures at NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) conferences at the national, regional and local level, and has been doing so for over 8 years. He was a teacher of biomechanics, nutrition, and strength training principles at DeSales University in Allentown, PA from 2008-2009. While at DeSales, Chad served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the DeSales University Baseball team and provided training seminars for the Women’s soccer team.

In Head Coach Erica Walsh's ninth season she led Penn State to a National Championship.  When she came to Penn State, Walsh brought with her a wealth of experience at both the international and collegiate levels. She already has coached at six different universities, including three stints as head coach as well as serving as an assistant for the U.S. U-19 team in 2004. Walsh served as head coach of the U-17 team from December 2004 until her hire at Penn State in February 2007.

As of January 2009, Walsh was appointed as a member of the Panel of Instructors and Lecturers for FIFA Courses. In addition, she was appointed as the Chairman of the Women's Technical Committee for the period of January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011.

In January of 2008, Walsh was named as the assistant coach by Pia Sundhage for the U.S. National Team. With Walsh's help and guidance the U.S. team completed its historic run with a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Even sweeter was that Walsh's main responsibility was the U.S. Team's defense, which held fellow world power Brazil scoreless in the gold medal game.

The Huntingdon Valley, Pa., native holds an NSCAA Advanced National Degree and a USSF "A" Coaching License.

Chris West is currently the Associate Head Coach for Strength and Conditioning at the University of Connecticut working directly with Men's Basketball and Men's and Women's Soccer.

Prior to his appointment at University of Connecticut he served as an Athletic Trainer at Saint Louis University and was later appointed as Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Coach West also has experience serving strength and conditioning and athletic training internships with the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Kings and a graduate assistantship with the Seattle Seahawks.

Laurie Whitsel, Ph.D. is currently the Director of Policy Research for the American Heart Association, helping to translate science into policy at a national level in the areas of cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention and health promotion. The association’s policy research department provides policy development and the foundation for the American Heart Association’s advocacy work at the national and state level.  She focuses on the AHA’s prevention policy portfolio and has written numerous published papers in the area of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention, and has led the development of the AHA’s strategic policy agenda.  She serves as a consultant for several grants one from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention selecting interventions that have the highest impact and an NIH grant led by Dariush Mozaffarian on comparative effectiveness of population strategies to improve diet and reduce cardiovascular disease.  She has been integrally involved with national policy around nutrition and physical activity including nutrition standards in schools, physical education, worksite wellness programs, active community design, school wellness policies, food and beverage marketing to children, obesity prevention in early care and education, school wellness policies, procurement policy, and increasing community access to affordable, nutritious foods and beverages.  She is also helping to evaluate and measure the AHA’s progress toward its strategic priorities and 2020 impact goal. 

Whitsel helps manage several national relationships for the American Heart Association with key public health partners and serves on the Board of Directors for the Health Enhancement Research Organization and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity.  Whitsel speaks at national and regional conferences on policy topics related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention.  She has served on the expert panel for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, she has been a sector co-leader for implementation of the National Physical Activity Plan, she participated on a national healthy restaurant initiative with the RAND Corporation, and has served as a reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s School Health Policies and Programs Study  and the CDC’s School Health Guidelines to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Among Young People.  She is a member of the AHA’s National Scientific Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health. 

Justin Wilt has served as the Executive Director for the Arlington Soccer Association since 2010 (and he was a volunteer administrator for 5 years before that).  Under his leadership Arlington Soccer has grown its player numbers and expanded its services and programs, and today ASA serves over 9,000 children and several dozen adults each year.

Justin has coached since the 1980s.  He has the USSF National Youth License, National D License, and the NSCAA Level 5, Goalkeeping 1 and Urban Soccer diplomas.  He currently coaches a U17 girls recreational team and hosts soccer clinics for beginning adult players in Arlington, VA.

Greg Winkler relies on his 30 plus years of coaching and teaching, building relationships with student athletes, parents, and co-workers to inspire and motivate. Greg has written a book about coaching for significance and can present on a variety of topics. He has spoken nationally about dealing with sport parents and has a presentation on Leading/Coaching for Significance. Greg is passionate about youth sports and is concerned with the 70% dropout rate of youth participation by the age of 14 and the fact that 25% of coaches quit each year. Greg can help you make your teams and communities keep sport participation significant and help you become a better coach or leader.