4 Women Paving the Way in Coaching Girls Club Soccer
If you’re like me, you are a Soccerista who never had a female coach. It’s not a secret that coaching is dominated by men at nearly every level, even in female athletics. So when girls drop out of sports twice as often as boys at a certain age, it’s hard not to wonder why. Better representation on coaching staffs could be part of the puzzle. Let’s look at some of the women who are making themselves heard and paving the way in coaching girls club soccer.
Monique Segovia
Currently, the coach for the CDA Slammers, Monique Segovia, is working for one of the top clubs in the country. Along with her husband, Segovia coaches a whole age range of teams for the club.
Hosting skills clinics, leading teams to championships, and finding the space to let her players be silly, Segovia offers a really well-rounded experience for her players. With coaches like Segovia on the sidelines, girls will leave the youth league feeling more confident and capable in the future.
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Erin Montoya
A former professional player for the San Diego Spirit, Erin Montoya, found her calling in coaching. Montoya is the head coach for three girls’ programs through MVLA SC.
Montoya takes great pride in being a coach, stating that her favorite memories when it comes to soccer are about coaching. She has racked up several championships over her years as a coach, including state, regional, and national titles.
What Montoya cares about most when it comes to coaching is connecting with her players and seeing their progress over the years. Dedication to nurturing young players the way Montoya does is what every coach should strive to do. She uses her years of player experience and her drive to inspire to create the next generation of Socceristas.
Brittany Lee and Kim Dean
IMG Academy is a pretty legendary place regarding student-athlete development, and these two women are part of the reason why. Operating as a bit of a one-two punch, Lee and Dean are the mental conditioning coach and lead coach for the girls’ program, respectively.
We all know how much a strong mental game matters in soccer. That’s why people like Brittany Lee are so crucial to the future of soccer. Lee has several degrees that focus on psychology, with an emphasis on coaching and athletics.
Not only does she work with student-athletes to improve their quality of play, but she also teaches sport psychology to undergrads. Perhaps most importantly, Lee pioneered her Collegiate Athletic Leadership Program for Students. All of these efforts and initiatives are making it possible for not just players but the sport as a whole to get even better.
When it comes to paving the way, Kim Dean is a super important name. She is a former NAIA All-American and Hall of Famer at her alma mater, Green Mountain College. She’s been coaching with IMG Academy since 2010, but she’s been in the coaching game since 1993.
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Coaches like Dean, who dedicate their lives to this one specific profession, are the reason we have so many greats.
These women and women like them are the reason socceristas have a future. There can’t be players without coaches and trainers to help them along their way. Becoming a well-rounded player and person happens both on and off the pitch, and the best coaches know that.
Featured image via @imgasoccer
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