Ben Gucciardi, Founding Director, Oakland, CA
Ben founded Soccer Without Borders while earning a Masters degree in Global Educational Leadership from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA in 2006. An undergraduate of Lehigh as well, Ben captained the Lehigh Men's Soccer Team who regularly appeared in the NCAA Division I Top 25 rankings. After graduate school, Ben played two seasons with the San Francisco Seals of the USL. In addition to his experience on the field, Ben has worked extensively in the fields of coaching and youth development, acting as the Girls' Sports Coordinator and Coaching Coordinator at the Jamestown Community Center in the Mission District of San Francisco. He has studied conflict resolution, interactive theatre, team building, assertive communication and methods of teaching mindfulness practices to youth. Ben has coached youth ages 5-18 at a variety of skill levels, and is currently the Head Coach of both the boys and girls SWB Oakland U-19 teams at Oakland International High School. Ben has also worked as a consultant for leading sports based youth-development organizations in the US, Europe, Zambia and South Africa, including Team-Up For Youth, Women Win, Amandla EduFootball, and Beyond Sport Inc.
ben@soccerwithoutborders.org
Mary McVeigh, Executive Director, Boston, MA
Mary McVeigh currently serves as the Executive Director of Soccer Without Borders, having co-founded the Granada, Nicaragua project site in 2008. Prior to her efforts with Soccer Without Borders, McVeigh earned her Master's degree in Sociology from Lehigh University and served four seasons (2004-2007) as an assistant coach in the Lehigh Women's Varsity Soccer program. Subsequently, she returned to her Alma Mater, Dartmouth College, assistant coaching their Women's Varsity Soccer team for the next two seasons. While a student at Dartmouth herself, (1999-2003), McVeigh left her mark on the Big Green. A two-time first team All-Ivy honoree and an All-America in 2002, McVeigh remains in the top-10 in all six career- and season- scoring categories. Upon graduation from Dartmouth, McVeigh headed to the professional field as the seventh overall draft pick for the the Philadelphia Charge, playing in the third and final year of the WUSA in 2003 and subsequently for IBV of the Westmann Islands, Iceland in 2004.
mary@soccerwithoutborders.org
Myra Sack, Volunteer and Intern Coordinator, San Francisco, CA
Myra Sack rejoined Soccer Without Borders in a capacity-building role in 2010, after her 2009 stint as a program volunteer with SWB Granada. A recent graduate of Dartmouth College, Myra left quite a mark during her four years in Hanover, as a Scholar All-America selection on the soccer field and a cum laude Government major off the field. In 2008, she co-founded Athletes United, a student-led initiative whose mission is to unite children of the Upper Valley with Dartmouth student-athletes through a free, organized and fun sports league, gaining attention from ESPN.com for her efforts. Earning a post-graduate fellowship from Dartmouth's Dickey Center for International Understanding to work with SWB for 2010-2011, Myra focused her efforts in the areas of program structure and curriculum development, grant-writing and US outreach, and coordination of SWB Latin American programs. Myra currently serves as SWB's Volunteer and Intern Coordinator, overseeing the placement and training of domestic and international volunteers and interns.
myra@soccerwithoutborders.org
Lindsey Whitford, Development and Evaluation Associate/AmeriCorps VISTA, Boston, MA
Lindsey Whitford recently returned from Granada, Nicaragua where she completed a ten month stay as a long-term intern for SWB. She is continuing on as the Development and Evaluation Associate for SWB, working out of the Boston office. In this position, Lindsey will focus on monitoring and evaluation of SWB programs, grant research, program team support, and will help coordinate the development of a Boston SWB Program. Before joining SWB in 2010, Lindsey graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Hispanic Studies. While at Lewis and Clark, Lindsey competed for the Pioneers, and also studied abroad for a year in the Dominican Republic and Chile.
lindsey@soccerwithoutborders.org
Karima Modjadidi, Administrator, Bethlehem, PA
Karima played soccer at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania from 2001 to 2001 before transferring to nearby Moravian College, where she graduated summa cum laude, earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She is currently working at 6th Street Shelter, serving homeless families in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Karima continued on to coach for FC Lehigh, a non-profit soccer club dedicated to developing youth soccer players. She also continued her soccer career playing for the Northampton Laurels in the Women’s Professional Soccer League in 2008 and the Pocono Snow in the Mid-Atlantic Soccer League the following year.
karima@soccerwithoutborders.org
Mariel Wilner, Outreach Team Coordinator, Salt Lake City, UT
Mariel Wilner joins SWB as the Outreach Team Coordinator after previously volunteering with the Granada program in early 2010. Following her trip to Granada, Mariel spearheaded a team of fellow Penn State MBA students who worked closely with SWB as consultants during the winter and spring of 2010, gaining an insider's perspective into all aspects of the organization and its evolution. During her time at Penn State, Mariel also served as an assistant coach for the Women's Soccer team, training the goalkeepers. Upon completion of her MBA, Mariel became an assistant coach at the University of Utah where she just finished her first season. A goalkeeper herself during her playing years at Northeastern University, Mariel graduated cum laude with her undergraduate degree in Business in 2007.
mariel@soccerwithoutborders.org
Veronica Balladares, TEAM leader, Granada, Nicaragua
Veronica was one of the first ever participants and first ever coaches of SWB Granada. She began as a member of the oldest group of girls in 2008, but was simultaneously trained as a coach for the younger girls. During the years that followed, Veronica moved into a more permanent leadership role, signing on as a staff member of SWB Granada, Nicaragua in July of 2010. Currently she is a TEAM leader for the 11-15 year old age group. As the leader of the off-field activities she applies knowledge she has gained studying psychology at Universidad Hispanoamericana to address assertive communication, responsibility, trust and teamwork along with other issues that prove relevant among the adolescent participants. On the field, Veronica works as an assistant coach for the same age group. Outside of SWB, Veronica works as a statistician for the Ministry of Health in Granada and is completing her thesis for her psychology degree that will be reviewed in December of 2011.
Alex Board, Intern and TEAM Leader, Granada, Nicaragua
A Georgia native, Alex graduated from Maranatha in Watertown, Wisconsin, USA in 2009 in Biblical Studies. He continued his schooling and finished his masters at Maranatha in Cross-cultural studies. While completing his undergraduate degree he also played soccer for four years, where for the last three years he was captain and won three all-region awards. Since 2007, he has also been running summer soccer camps in ten different states. Alex gained additional coaching experience came when he led the girl’s high school varsity team at Lakeside Lutheran in Lake Mills, WI in 2009. He began working for Soccer Without Borders as a long-term intern in Granada, Nicaragua in August 2011. In Granada he worked first as a TEAM leader for the 11-15 year old age group, helping to facilitate both on and off field activities for the group. In January 2012, Alex shifted roles to focus more completely on coaches education and improving the overall skill and soccer ability of SWB Granada's teams.
Estefan Bolanos, TEAM Leader, Granada, Nicaragua
Estefan first became involved in SWB in Granada, Nicaragua as a volunteer coach in February 2009. Estefan is currently a TEAM leader for the 11-15 year old age group. As the head soccer coach of this group he has worked to strengthen their technical skills and teach them the fundamentals of team tactics as they participate in their first season of competitive play. In addition to his on-field responsibilities, Estefan helps to facilitate off-field activities and makes bracelets that are distributed through SWB’s ambassador program. Estefan is currently a secondary school student at Granada’s Instituto Nacional del Oriente.
Hassell Chavez Bustamante, Assistant TEAM Leader, Granada, Nicaragua
Hassell began with Soccer Without Borders as a participant in the fall of 2010 with what is now the Nicoya team. As a participant she was a dedicated member of her team on and off the field and multiple times was chosen to be captain by her coaches and peers. In January 2012 she graduated from the Nicoya team and made the transition from SWB player to coach. She now currently helps on and off the field with the Mariposa group, ages 7-11 and continues to play soccer with the SWB Veteran team. Outside of SWB, Hassell recently completed a one-year degree to become a surgical technician at the Escuela de Enfermeria Silvia Ferrufino in Jinotepe. She is also a graduate of the English language program at Granada's ABC Academy.
Travis Dezendorf, Intern, Uganda
A Virginia native, Travis attended university at Virginia Tech and graduated in 2009 with a degree in Finance. He participated in an exchange program where he went to Australia for a semester during his studies. Travis has played soccer from a very young age and in his adult life has played for a variety of clubs in Virginia, Dallas, TX and Australia. He has always had an interest in working with children in an educational and athletic setting and decided to pursue an internship with Soccer Without Borders after working as a financial analyst for a large bank post-graduation. The idea of inspiring kids to better themselves within their own society through the sport of soccer has been a great factor in the change of careers for Travis. He is currently working as an intern for SWB in Uganda where he is excited to be involved in opportunities for development and improvement of the program in Kampala.
Nick Dreher, Intern, Uganda
Nick is a recent graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in International Studies. His academic studies covered a variety of areas, although he specialized in international development, African studies and economics. While enrolled at American University, he took the opportunity to study for one term in France and a second term at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Nick was drawn to Soccer Without Borders due to the convergence of two of his strongest interests: international development work and football. He is very excited by the opportunity to see first-hand the social and community impact that the world's most popular sport can create as he works to continue the development of SWB programming in Uganda.
Gina Gabelia, Coach Across America, Baltimore
Gina Gabelia is a “third culture kid,” who was raised in five countries, speaks three languages proficiently and a handful at a “survival” level. She double majored in Political Science and Art at Drew University, and worked as an educator and paralegal in the Washington, D.C. metro area for several years before succumbing to her globetrotter roots and relocating to South Korea to travel, teach English, and paint/write. Experiencing the contrast of life in the Global North and Global South as an adult inspired her to pursue a Master of Arts in Public Policy at Johns Hopkins University, where she focused her studies on the conjunction of global health, trafficking, and human rights. An internship at an anti-trafficking NGO in Kathmandu, Nepal sparked an interest in refugee populations, which combined with a passion for working with children, led her to Soccer Without Borders in September 2010, where her role evolved from occasional volunteer to permanent staff.
Prospero Herrera, CAA Coach, Oakland, CA, USA
Prospero, originally from Miami, graduated from Columbia University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Earth and Environmental Engineering. While pursuing a master's degree in City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley, Prospero started as a Coaching Corps volunteer with SWB in the spring of 2011. After several months of assisting two SWB teams in Oakland he began to take a larger role as head coach with the U-14 boys team and at the 5th Annual SWB Oakland Refugee Soccer Camp in August 2011. Since then, he has also started head coaching with the U-19 girl's team and provides assistance to the U-16 and U-19 boys’ teams in Oakland. Prospero also enjoys working with youth in Oakland through urban gardening and nutrition education.
Danny Kim, CAA Coach, Oakland, CA, USA
Danny hails from Chicago, IL, USA. He traveled east to complete his undergraduate studies in Earth Sciences and Health Policy at Harvard College. During college, he traveled to Nicaragua several times to spend time with his host family, play soccer, and partner with local community members to work on development projects. These experiences have helped him to better understand what community engagement, collaboration, and implementation can actually look like within a local context. Since graduating in 2010, he went westward to live in Oakland, CA, USA with the hope of empowering youth as members of families, schools, and local communities. He currently helps coach the SWB teams for immigrant/refugee youth attending Oakland International High School.
Alexa Kokinos, Outreach Team, New York, NY, USA
Alexa has been working in multiple capacities for SWB since 2011 for both the New York City and Granada, Nicaragua programs. While studying Philosophy and Education in graduate school at Columbia University, she became interested in understanding how dedication to an activity, such as soccer, could positively transform and provide a sense of freedom to individuals regardless of their situation. SWB has been a perfect union of seeing these ideas in action through the combination of dedicated coaching, the structure of organized soccer, and focus on working with the entire individual to orient the skills learned on the field to local values. Alexa graduated from New York University in 2002 where she was a two-year captain of the Women’s Soccer Team and earned All-Conference, Academic All-America, and Student-Athlete Achievement awards during her four-year college career. She continues to hold the NYU career record for game winning goals.
Brittany Lane, Intern and TEAM Leader, Granada, Nicaragua
Originally from Houston, Texas, Brittany graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the College of William & Mary in May 2011 with a degree in International Relations. She played midfield for the Tribe during her four years as a student-athlete and was a captain her senior year. After graduating she spent her summer in Telluride, Colorado, writing for the local Telluride Daily Planet newspaper and fundraising for her ten months in Granada, Nicaragua by training for the San Francisco Marathon that she ran with her dad in July. She also organized an equipment drive at the annual Texas Shootout women’s soccer showcase. During college, Brittany traveled to Managua, Nicaragua twice for service trips, but was excited to return to Nicaragua in a new role. Since August 2011, Brittany has worked with the youngest Granada girls team, Las Mariposas, as a Team Leader on the field and off.
Humberto Largaespada, TEAM Leader, Granada, Nicaragua
Humberto has been a critical part of SWB in Granada, Nicaragua since the program made it’s first strides in the fall of 2006. As the initial local contact in Granada he immediately collaborated with and informed SWB with local knowledge, helping to establish important contacts in the community and to determine the most needed and appropriate target population for SWB programming. Humberto has long worked as a coach for SWB. He is currently a TEAM leader for the oldest group of participants (16-19 years old) in Granada, serving as the head coach on the field and helping to facilitate office activities.
Jason Lemberg, Program Co-Director, Chicago, IL, USA
Jason Lemberg is currently one of two Program Directors for SWB-Chicago. Jason comes to SWB via friendships he built while serving as Peace Corp Volunteers (PCV) in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan. In 2005 Jason graduated from Aurora University with a B.A. in English. At AU he played soccer for four years, serving as team captain his senior year. After graduating, Jason took off to Kyrgyzstan to start his service with Peace Corps. As a PCV, Jason lived and worked as an English teacher in a village of about 5,000. In addition to teaching, Jason was a member of the village soccer team where he traveled to neighboring villages to participate in tournaments. After serving in Peace Corps, Jason attended Loyola University Chicago, completing his M.Ed. in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies in December, 2012. Throughout his entire life, Jason has benefited from the support of mentors, teachers, and coaches. At SWB-Chicago, he is looking forward to helping others grow and learn through the Beautiful Game. Jason grew up in the Chicago-area and currently lives on the north-side of Chicago with his wife and their beautiful baby boy. He believes Chicago's diversity is one of its greatest strengths and believes SWB-Chicago can help unify many of the cultural divides across the city.
Olivier Matanda, Youth Leader, Kampala, Uganda
Olivier was born in Rwanda. In 1994, he left Rwanda for Bukavu in Democratic Republic of Congo. Olivier and his family left DRC in 2001 for Uganda. Olivier has played football for a number of clubs in Uganda and Rwanda, including Nsambya F.C. in Uganda’s 2nd Division and two Rwandan 1st Division clubs (Kiyoku F.C. and Amagaju F.C.). Olivier was among the founding coaches of Soccer Without Borders Kampala in 2007, and he has coached U14 and U17 teams for 4 years. Olivier is very grateful to be a part of the S.W.B. Uganda family.
Cesar Morales, TEAM leader, Granada, Nicaragua
Cesar joined SWB Granada, Nicaragua in April 2009. Before joining SWB staff he completed a degree in accounting at the Universidad de Centroamerica in Managua, Nicaragua. Currently he is the TEAM leader for the youngest age group (7-10 year olds), working as both their head soccer coach and leader of off-field activities. The skills and knowledge he gained from a leadership program also completed through the Universidad de Centroamerica are apparent in the strong sense of team unity and pride that he has been instrumental in developing among his team members.
Jeremiah Lukeka Muiingamo, Youth Leader, Kampala, Uganda
Born on 5 November 1992 in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Bukavu), Jeremiah completed his O level (secondary school) in 2008. He started working at Childlife Hope Center as a team captain for the Nazarites’ team and as a winning kids coach. In 2010, he joined Soccer Without Borders where he is working as a teacher and a coach. He believes in the ability of kids.
Byamungu “Byamo” Murumbi, Youth Leader, Kampala, Uganda
Byamo grew up in Democratic Republic of Congo where he completed his university studies in pedagogy and computer application. In Congo, he also captained for Mulengeza football club for seven years. Byamo left D.R.C. in 2006. In Uganda, he has taught English and mathematics to immigrants and refugees of all ages, as well as working as a tailor. Byamo has been an English teacher and coach with Soccer Without Borders since 2010.
Raphael Murumbi, Program Director, Kampala, Uganda
Raphael has been coaching with SWB in the Nsambya neighborhood of Kampala since the program began in 2007. With each year, Raphael has assumed more responsibility, and now serves as the Local Program Director for SWB Kampala. Raphael is originally from the Kivu Region or the Democratic Republic of Congo. He fled the conflict in Kivu in 2003, living in a refugee camp in Kenya for two years before leaving the camp to try and make his way in Kampala with his brother Byamoo. Raphael’s passion for coaching and his dedication to serving the community of urban refugees in Kampala are truly remarkable. In addition to the many hours he spends on the field, Raphael regularly conducts free coaches clinics, conveying the basics of designing a practice session and his favorite games to other youth and interested coaches.
Sean O'Sullivan, Program Co-Director, Chicago, IL, USA
Sean O'Sullivan partnered up with Jason Lemberg as the other Program Director of Soccer Without Borders-Chicago after Jason asked him very politely. They first met in the Peace Corps while they were both serving as TEFL volunteers in the country of Kyrgyzstan. Sean has an extensive history of working in the non-profit sector, consistently focusing on development, volunteerism, and at-risk youth services. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Sean has had an interest in working with kids since his time at Wayne State University, where he reported on lead paint abatement and cognitive abilities of children in Detroit neighborhoods. Currently, Sean has his Master's Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management for the University of Illinois at Chicago, and works at a youth services non-profit organization focusing on developing relationships with corporate partners. Sean loves working with kids so much because he believes everyone deserves a fair shot, no matter where they come from or their economic situation. Sean has a large skill set and is able to help out the SWB-Chicago program through organizing, development, relationship building, outreach, volunteer management, and writing in the third person. He is extremely excited about the future of the program, working directly with these great kids, and hanging out with his old yoga buddy, Jason Lemberg.
Jill Pardini, Program Director, Baltimore City, MD, USA
Jill Pardini has her Masters in Public Policy degree from Johns Hopkins University. Her concentration of study was International, Immigration, and Education policy and specifically how these policy issues intersect. Due to these academic interests she interned with the Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees (MORA) and became involved with the growing refugee population in Baltimore City, MD, USA. As an adjunct professor at Baltimore City Community College in the English Language Institute and as a volunteer tutor with the Refugee Youth Project, Jill quickly became exposed to the different issues and concerns facing the recently resettled refugees. As a former soccer player at the University of Iowa with a strong passion for working with youth, Jill launched SWB Baltimore, MD, USA in the summer of 2010. The program has grown to include 50 student-athletes from Iraq, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Nepal who now play on year round soccer teams in an organized soccer league.
Luis Palacios Roman, Local Program Director, Guatemala
Luis has served as the Local Program Director for SWB Guatemala since 2008. Luis comes from a family of educators and social workers who have been working to provide services and infrastructure to the marginalized indigenous communities in the Solola region for more than 30 years. Luis has traveled to Santa Ana, El Salvador and Granada, Nicaragua to coach and teach at SWB programs there. In addition to his work with SWB, Luis is a poet, an artist, and an English teacher.
Helen Ramirez Montiel, Assistant TEAM Leader, Granada, Nicaragua
Helen, who began as a participant of SWB in 2007 is one of the most long-standing members of SWB Granada. In January 2012 she graduated from the Nicoya team and made the transition to assistant TEAM leader of the Estrella group, girls age 11-14. In this role she helps plan and execute practices on the field and activities at the office. Helen also continues to play soccer with the SWB Veteran team in Granada. Outside of SWB Helen has begun studying tourism at INTAE and hopes to finish this program in the upcoming years.
Iga Ronald, Youth Leader, Kampala, Uganda
Iga was born in Masaka district in the central region of Uganda. He moved to Kampala in 1990, and played for several football clubs including State House F.C. in the Ugandan 1st Division. After a career-ending injury, Iga decided to use his talent to coach youth soccer. He coached several school and community teams before becoming a coach with Soccer Without Borders Uganda in 2010. He is very happy to be involved in S.W.B.’s work.
Bangi Sayid, Youth Leader, Uganda
Bangi Sayid is a coach with SWB in Ndejje, Uganda where he coordinates after-school activities at the SWB office and helps design program content. Bangi began volunteering with SWB in 2010. His dedication to the program and his inherent gift for working with children made Bangi an indispensable part of the team, and he was hired as staff in early 2011. In addition to his work with SWB, Bangi is a law student at Uganda Christian University.
Junior Kasereka Shabusha, Youth Leader, Kampala, Uganda
Junior grew up in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where he completed his university studies at Rwenzori Official University of Butembo in political science and international relations. While in university, Junior captained the university team for three years. Menaced by the serious problem of insecurity in eastern Congo, he decided to leave the country and came to Uganda as a refugee in January 2011. Junior has been volunteering as a coach of U7 boys and girls since October 2011.
Amy Snider, Program Director, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Amy Snider co-founded the Colorado Force in 1996, playing a lead role in the management of the business and non-profit outreach. A graduate of Cornell University, Amy was recently awarded "Outstanding Women in Business" by the Denver Business Journal. In 2011, Amy secured a grant to launch the Greeley program, running a pilot season in the spring, and expanding her efforts in the fall. A former collegiate athlete and co-captain of the Force W-League Championship team in 1998, when she's not coaching or working with the Force, Storm Academy, or SWB Greeley, Amy focuses on raising two children, Jackson and Summer, with her husband Matt.
Stefan Viragh, Intern, Kampala, Uganda
Stefan is a recent graduate of Wheaton College (MA), where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Sociology, as well as playing for the Men’s Varsity soccer team all four years. During his time at Wheaton, he took his spring semester of junior year to study abroad in Rome, Italy, where he fully immersed himself in the Italian lifestyle. Furthermore, he spent the second semester of senior year at Wheaton writing a thesis, arguing how soccer has become a global cultural phenomenon, through the lens of nationalism and capitalism. Combining two very devoted passions, traveling and helping others in the global peripheral nations, he sees Soccer Without Borders as the ideal fit. He is very animated about assisting in the development of SWB in a developing nation, like Uganda, and witnessing how the world’s beautiful game can galvanize a culturally rich nation.
Alex Warren, Intern and TEAM Leader, Granada, Nicaragua
After volunteering for Soccer Without Borders in Granada, Nicaragua during Spring Break of her junior year of college in 2009, Alex became a long-term intern in Nicaragua in August 2011. A Maryland native, she graduated from Lehigh University in 2010 with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics. A three-year defensive starter for the Lehigh Women's Soccer team, Alex made Patriot League Academic Honor Roll every year. After graduating, Alex pursued an additional year at Lehigh and worked as a Graduate Assistant within the Athletics Department for the Recruiting department while finishing up her master’s degree in Secondary Education. She is currently a TEAM leader with the oldest group in Nicaragua, Las Nicoyas, ages 16-19.
Demetrios Yatrakis, Program Director, New York City, NY, USA
Demetrios grew up in Brooklyn, NY and attended Columbia College where he played Varsity soccer. After working for three years Demetrios obtained his MBA from Columbia University where he focused on Real Estate and Entrepreneurship as well as working with the non-profit, The Acumen Fund focusing on the expansion of Maternity Hospitals in India. Since graduating business school Demetrios has been working with SWB New York City running the weekly practices and managing the team of volunteer coaches.
April Kater, Outreach Team
April Kater, a member of the SWB Outreach Team and TEAM Granada Camp staff since 2008, is a 1991 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, where she built an extensive collection of prestigious national awards during an illustrious playing career. She was recipient of the 1990 Herman Award as the top player in collegiate women’s soccer, earning first-team All-America honors three consecutive years. She was also named Freshman of the Year by Soccer America in 1987. After graduate school, she was an assistant coach at her alma mater for two seasons (1993 and 1994), helping UMass reach the NCAA tournament both years, including a national semifinal appearance in 1993. April went on to serve as head coach of the women’s program at Syracuse University for eight seasons (1996-2003), enjoying seven winning campaigns, qualifying for the Big East conference tournament three times and reaching the second round of the NCAA playoffs on two occasions. She has served on the U.S. Soccer staff with various youth national teams since 2004, and worked with the Region I Olympic Development Program from 1998 through 2010. Co-author of a book on techniques, tactics and teamwork in women’s soccer, published in the spring of 2001, April currently holds a USSF A License and an NSCAA Premiere Certification.