On November 17th, Academy Director Rachelle D'Amico completed her US Soccer course and earned her USSF National D License. With her D License in hand, FIERCE's staff is now comprised of 3 B-Licensed coaches, 1 B License Candidate, and 3 D-Licensed Coaches.
To earn her D License, Coach Rachelle completed 55 hours of coursework in a blended virtual and in-person environment over 9 weeks. Lessons ranged from creating a positive and safe soccer environment to planning, designing, and executing training sessions that facilitate player learning. Coach Carol, who earned her D License last spring, offered a "huge congratulations to Coach Rachelle who recently completed her D license. This accomplishment shows our players that our coaches are dedicated to improving and inspires them to get better every day."
With her D License in hand, Coach Rachelle shared her reflection on the journey:
It has been a wonderful experience this fall earning my D License. I've enjoyed meeting and collaborating with other coaches from across the state, and learning from my US Soccer instructors. It's been an eye opening experience to think more critically about training and match preparation and reflection. I'm excited to start implementing this knowledge with our FIERCE teams, and continue creating the best development pathways for our players. A huge thank you to the FIERCE staff, board, players, and families that have supported me this fall. The club's commitment to staff development has been outstanding. I truly have the best job in the world, and am so thankful for such an amazing community.
Coach Rachelle joined FIERCE in August 2023 as the club's new Academy Director. She made an immediate impact in the program, rapidly expanding Academy from 6 players to 3 teams. Under her guidance, the FIERCE's Academy continues to grow and garner outside attention with it's Be Different culture and development-oriented mindset. With her D-License secured, we know even greater things lie ahead for the Academy program's future!