Please, join us in congratulating our 10U-19U Girls’ Director of Coaching – Dave Lovercheck – on earning his United State Soccer Federation “A” License. This is the highest coaching license a coach can earn here in the U.S. outside of the professional game.
Dave attended three week-long course sessions at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL from February through May, and had his final assessment last week at Commissioners Park while working with his 18U-19U team.
Dave joins Matt Chura, Steve Berry, and Chris Brown on our Team Chicago coaching staff with the USSF “A” License.

On Thursday, June 8 the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA) hosted its 31st Annual Girls’ Soccer Honors Banquet and it was yet again a big night for Team Chicago players.

Purdue-bound Sarah Griffith, Waubonsie Valley H.S., was selected as the IHSSCA Player-of-the-Year. Sarah is the 7th Team Chicago alumnae selected for this incredible honor in the past 10 years.

Alyssa Bombacino, Neuqua Valley H.S./Marquette University, Jade Eriksen-Russo, Metea Valley H.S./DePaul University, Jordan King, Burlington Central H.S./Miami of Ohio, and Morgan Krause, Naperville North H.S./University of Iowa were all selected IHSSCA All-State.

Maggie Hillman, Naperville Central H.S./University of Illinois, Natalie Massa, Waubonsie Valley H.S./University of Iowa, Paige Miller, Wheaton-Warrenville South H.S./Northwestern University, Jasmine Ruiz, Oswego East H.S./Villanova University, Ashley Santos, Naperville North H.S./Illinois State University, Francesca Marconi, Downers Grove North H.S., Keegan Maris, Batavia H.S./Valparaiso University, Riley O’Brien, West Aurora H.S./Illinois State University, Katherine Stephens, West Aurora H.S./Loyola University, and Julie Lentz, Bolingbrook H.S./Northern Illinois University were all selected IHSSCA All-Sectional.

Emily Lindbloom, Metea Valley H.S., Nicole Mondi, Neuqua Valley H.S., and Sami Sample, St. Charles North H.S./University of Illinois were all selected IHSSCA Honorable Mention.

Finally, Julia Hildebrand, Wheaton-Warrenville South H.S. was selected to the IHSSCA All-State All-Academic team.

Congrats to all the Team Chicago players and their High School coaches and teams on these honors. They are a tribute to the players’ hard work and skill, as well as to their – and Team Chicago’s – commitment to supporting High School soccer.

Don’t miss out, the first week of Team Chicago Soccer Camp starts on Monday! Sign up before it’s too late!

There will be three weeks of camps this summer, the dates are:

Week 1: June 12-15, 9am-noon
Week 2: June 19-22, 9am-noon
Week 3: July 10-13, 9am-noon

The camps are open to all travel soccer players born between 2002-2011.

Camps will take place at Gentile Field (2323 Liberty Street, Aurora, IL).

Each camp will run Monday-Thursday from 9am-noon. The camps will be run by Team Chicago Girls Director Dave Lovercheck and the Team Chicago coaching staff. The price for each camp is $150.

To register go to: www.teamchicagosoccer.org and click on ‘camps’.

For more information contact Dave Lovercheck at dave@teamchicagosoccer.org

Team Chicago is thrilled to announced that we have hired Kevin Gowrie as our new 10U-19U Boys’ Director of Coaching effective July 31, 2017. Gowrie is original from Perth, Scotland, but has been coaching in the U.S. for the past seven years and the past two years he has been the Director of Coaching for Oregon Soccer Club in Wisconsin.

In that role he has been overseeing both the competitive and the recreational programs as well as creating a club coaching philosophy and a player curriculum. Gowrie has also created the curriculum for the OSC Academy (9U-10U) and Pre-Academy (8U) which has been certified by the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association.

Gowrie played youth soccer for Athletico Blair, was selected for the Perth & Kinross Regional Teams at the Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 age groups and represented Scotland at the Under-14 and Under-16 levels before starting his coaching career at St. Johnstone FC. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Distinction in Sport and Exercise Science/Sports Coaching Degree from the University of Edinburgh Napier and “C” coaching licenses from the Scottish Football Association and the U.S. Soccer Federation and will have completed his “B” license by early August, 2017.

At Team Chicago Gowrie will be the head coach for the 2004 Elite Boys, 2006 Elite Boys, 2007 Elite Boys, and the 2008 Elite Boys teams for the 2017-18 season while working to rejuvenate the entire Team Chicago Boys’ Program from the ground up. He will oversee the Boys’ High School aged teams where Steve Berry will continue as the coach for our oldest age groups.

Gowrie explains his passion for coaching and developing young players: “My work is my passion: When I first got involved in coaching at the age of 16 as a volunteer in the St. Johnstone Football Club community program it was not only a way of recycling information that I had learned from some great coaches growing up and giving something back to the next generation but also the start of a career. At that time I still had aspirations to make a career out of playing the game and had been selected to play for the U14 & U16 Regional teams and had also represented my country, Scotland, at U15 & U16. It wasn’t too long after that I realized my dream of playing at a professional level wasn’t going to happen and I would need to start thinking about a new career path.

16 Years later I could not be happier in the direction I chose. I cannot think of another job that would be so rewarding as working with young athletes. Teaching the game and seeing the results, not necessarily the wins and losses, but the technical execution of the skills, the decision making under pressure, the dedication and desire to improve and how everything comes together on the field after the hard work and preparation leading up to the performance is just an indescribable feeling of excitement and pride."

Team Chicago Technical Director – Phil Nielsen: “From the moment I met Kevin, watched him coach and talked to him about soccer and youth development, I knew I wanted him on my staff. His level of playing, coaching, and academic experience in soccer is outstanding, but even more than that Kevin is equally passionate about developing all his players and himself as a professional coach and director.

I am convinced that the Team Chicago Boys’ Program is being placed in the hands of a coach and director with the ideal combination of soccer knowledge, experience, vision, people skills, and work-ethic.

Education:

Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Sport and Exercise Science/Sports Coaching Degree (University of Edinburgh Napier)

SFA Level 1 Development Activities (Scottish Football Association)

SFA Level 2 Coaching Youth Footballers (Scottish Football Association)

SFA Level 3 Coaching In The Game (Scottish Football Association)

SFA Club Coach/C License (Scottish Football Association)

SFA Physical Preparation 12-18 Years (Scottish Football Association)

SFA Goalkeeping Level 1 (Scottish Football Association)

USSF E License (US Soccer Federation)

USSF D License (US Soccer Federation)

USSF C License (US Soccer Federation)

USSF B License (US Soccer Federation) completed August 11, 2017

National Youth License (US Youth Soccer)

NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)

NSCAA Futsal Level 1 Diploma (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)

NSCAA Advanced Youth Coaching Diploma (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)

NSCAA Technical Development of the Competitive Player Diploma (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)

NSCAA Attacking Principles of Play Diploma (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)

Coerver Youth Diploma 1 (Coerver Coaching)

Coaching Experience:

2015 – Present: Director of Coaching, Oregon Soccer Club, WI
2010 – 2015: Head Coach, Oregon Soccer Club, WI
2001 – 2009: Youth Coach, St. Johnstone FC, Perth, Scotland

The Boys 2007-2011 & Girls 2003-2011 Tryouts for the 2017-18 Team Chicago season will be hosted this Saturday, May 20th at the WAA Sports Center, 2323 Liberty St., Aurora, IL 60502.

Boys & Girls 2009-2011 tryouts are Noon-1:30pm

Boys & Girls 2007-2008 tryouts are 2pm-3:30pm

Girls 2005-2006 tryouts are 4pm-5:30pm

Girls 2003-2004 tryouts are 6pm-7:30pm

To register for tryouts and read more information about the Team Chicago programming and fees, please visit https://clubs.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=315222

The coaching slate for the 2017-18 season is being finalized. Here are the current assignments:

2003 Elite Girls: Matt Chura, A License
2003 Premier Girls: To be announced next week due to coach’s current club tryouts
2004 Elite Girls: Dave Lovercheck, B License (completing A License by August, 2017)
2004 Premier Girls: Anny Bierman, D License
2005 Elite Girls: Dave Lovercheck, B License (completing A License by August, 2017)
2005 Premier Girls: Greg Frederick, D License
2005 Select Girls: Magno Barreto, D License
2006 Elite Girls: Dave Lovercheck, B License (completing A License by August, 2017)
2006 Premier Girls: Magno Barreto, D License
2007 Elite Boys: Kevin Gowrie, C License (completing B License by August, 2017)
2007 Premier Boys: Magno Barreto, D License
2007 Elite Girls: Steve Berry, A License
2007 Premier Girls: John Rizzo, D License
2008 Elite Boys: Kevin Gowrie, C License (completing B License by August, 2017)
2008 Premier Boys: TBD
2008 Elite Girls: Magno Barreto, D License
2008 Premier Girls: TBD
2009-2011 Boys & Girls: Brian Bierman, C License