The Dayton Dutch Lions FC is happy to welcome Alex Warren as the new coach for the U13 and U14 girls select teams.
Alex will be joining the youth academy in January and we asked her to answer some questions:
1. For the people that don't know Alex Warren, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?
I was born and raised in Maryland where I played a number of different sports growing up, yet fell in love with soccer from the start. The sport that captivated me has also been a great tool--taking me to many different places and providing the opportunity to meet many different people. Soccer led me to Lehigh University where I played D1 soccer for four years, studied and majored in Mathematics and got my Masters in Education. From there, the sport sent me on a journey to Nicaragua where I worked for an organization called Soccer Without Borders--a non-profit program for girls that introduces them to soccer and creates a safe space for them to play and grow within their community. And just last summer it was soccer that brought me to Dayton to play with the Dayton Dutch Lions organization. Now, I am excited to be back with the organization in a new capacity and looking forward to learning more about the community of Dayton and the Dayton Dutch Lions organization.
When I am not playing soccer, I also love to go on adventures to different countries and in the outdoors. I also like to cook, listen to music and rock climb.
2. What is your soccer background?
My soccer background consists of playing youth soccer first in a community league in Takoma Park, Maryland and then in the Bethesda Soccer Club. I started with Bethesda when I was 8-years-old and stayed with the Club until I went to college. I also played a number of years with the Maryland ODP program. As I got older, I was fortunate to be a member of the Washington Freedom’s Youth Development Soccer Program during the summer. I played four years of College Division 1 soccer at Lehigh University. I also spent a year playing soccer within the community where I lived in in Nicaragua. And last year I played with the DDL W-League team. Recently I got my E coaching license and am looking forward to getting my D license.
3. You played for the DDL Women's team this season, how did you get with the team?
After my year living in Nicaragua, I took a new job as an outdoor education teacher. During that time, I realized how much I missed playing soccer at a highly competitive level. I made the decision to look at opportunities to play in the W-League. Online, I saw the Dayton Dutch Lions were having tryouts in February, so I drove there from Maryland to the try-out. It snowed on my way and continued snowing during the try-outs. A few days later, I was offered a spot on the team and I decided this sounded like a new adventure that I wanted to give a try. So two months later, I moved to the Dayton area and met my host family and it was all an amazing experience from there.
4. How do you look back at the season?
I look back on the season with mixed feelings. I had a great time, met wonderful people and had some fun adventures throughout the summer. The team was an amazing group of people who showed commitment day in and day out. We ended up doing a lot better than people expected and proved we could excel at the highest level. We left one team goal unaccomplished—making the finals and winning a National Championship. So I am excited to get back and work towards that goal again for the next season
5. What makes you come back to the club in January?
There are a number of things that make me want to come back to the Club in January. First, I am glad to be coming back to a community where I made good friends and always felt welcome. In addition, I want to learn more about coaching. Over the past few years I have coached a few teams and a few groups and I am looking forward to having two teams of my own where I can try out what I have learned from being a player and about coaching. I also want to contribute more and play a larger role in the DDL organization. Lastly, I am excited to be back in a good atmosphere for training for the summer season.
6. What are you bringing to the club?
I will be bringing my past experiences of playing high-level soccer as well as coaching young people in the United States and in Nicaragua to the group. I am also bringing my excitement for what the new year will hold and a positive attitude that whatever the outcome of the coming season, it will be a great one for everyone involved.