NCFC Youth All-Star 50th Anniversary Team
As part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations, NCFC Youth will be naming an All-Star Commemorative Team made up of 50 players, coaches, teams, and contributors who positively impacted the sport or organization in such a way that deserves this recognition. NCFC Youth announced a Starting XI to the team followed by an open-call for nominations from the public to ensure any player, team, coach, organization, or other individual or entity that supported the organization over the past 50 years could be considered. A review committee evaluated the nominations against the criteria for the team to determine recognition on the All-Star Anniversary team. We recognize that every player, coach, community partner, and supporter has played some role in shaping our past, present, and future. This All-Star Commemorative Team of 50 allows us the opportunity to reflect and share just a few of those stories.
As of August 21, 36 of the 50 rosters lots on the team have been announced, including the Starting XI and additional team members. The nomination form is now closed and the remaining 14 slots will be filled from the pool of submitted nominations. If you missed the opportunity to nominate someone who you think deserves recognition, email Katharine Eberhardt.
’77 Spartans
’77 Spartans (girls) win first USYS National Championship for North Carolina and CASL. The team was coached by Izzy Hernandez, who was also the long-time coach at Broughton High School. His success on the field earned him an induction into the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009. This team’s success put CASL on the national radar and solidified the club’s early respect across the nation.
The ’77 Spartans had a track record of success. The roster featured Lindsay Stoecker, a member of the U17 & U20 U.S. National Teams and a 1995 Parade All American. She went on to play at UNC (1996 – 1999) and professionally for the Washington Freedom in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA). Full roster: Elizabeth Silverstein, Liz Burnette, Allison Netzer, Srah Currie, Jessica Celi, Meredith Cage, Megan Jeidy, Allison Wahl, Shannon Blair, Jennifer Plante, Laura Ferguson, Allison Osborne, Melissa Sutton, Leah Rutledge, Lena Viken, Kara Marschalk, Lindsay Stoecker, Amy Horton. Coached by Israel “Izzy” Hernandez and Asst. Coach Matthias Berrang.
The team faced De Anza Magic (North California) in the National Championship game. After being down 2-0, the ’77 Spartans rallied in the final 10 minutes to tie the game. The tie continued through overtime before the Spartans won in Penalty Kicks 4-1. The team’s National Champion status was immortalized when they were inducted into the NC Soccer National Champions Hall of Fame in 2013.
William “Billy” Trott
Trott was Board President of CASL in 1985, but his involvement and volunteer contributions spanned for much of the 1980s. Like most others at the time, his involvement began because his kids wanted to play and were playing CASL soccer. At the time, CASL had one clerical employee and was entirely volunteer driven and led.
Trott admitted at the time he knew very little about soccer, but he was able to serve as a facilitator for some great decisions by others and gave credit to so many other volunteers and parents. During the early 80s, there were three problems the organization faced according to Trott: 1) no fields 2) no money and 3) no expertise in soccer. Trott found a way during his involvement to address all three of these and pave the way for growth.
While others who came before helped with the purchase and initial development of WRAL Soccer Park with support from Jim Goodmon and Capitol Broadcasting Company, there was room and need to develop more fields there. Trott led the effort and conversations that led to convincing Mr. Goodmon to forgive the remaining mortgage on WRAL Soccer Park ($300,000) because CASL was in the process of sufficiently finishing WRAL Soccer Center. For a club that had no money and no fields, this gesture freed up a huge amount of money the club had to pay every year and gave CASL the power to finance expansion in many ways. 
Trott and others fundraised through matching grants from Wake County Parks and Recreation and NC Legislature along with cash grants or in-kind donations from companies like Wake Stone Corporation, Data General, Burroughs Wellcome, Golden Corral, and others. They borrowed money from Wachovia (now Wells Fargo), and through all these efforts, they had enough funds to complete the second phase (expansion and upgrades) to WRAL Soccer Park and hire the first paid executive director, Roland Paiva, in 1988. This began a movement that opened the door for soccer experts with business acumen to lead and guide the future of CASL.
During Trott’s time, they brought the girls select league (competitive soccer) and boys select league (competitive) under the CASL operations. In addition, they started the Challenge league, which has continued to thrive as an intermediate experience for kids and parents, and developed an Adult League, which eventually spun off into what is now the independently run Triangle Adult Soccer League.
By “finishing” WRAL Soccer Park to the 21 fields it is today, the complex became a destination for not only league play but also tournaments including what is now the visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series, which consistently welcomes 1500 teams each year and generates more than $28 Million in economic impact each year. The tournament is a prime ground for college scouting and elite national competition.
By 1990, when Trott hung up his boots as a volunteer, the organization had reached 9,000 youth participants, and became the largest youth sports organization in the area. When he was not devoting his time to CASL, Trott was actively serving the greater community in other ways including the following roles: Board of Directors for the NC Sports Hall of Fame, Past Chairman of the Wake County Parks & Recreation Commission, Past President North Caroline Tennis Association (where he is also in the Hall of Fame), President of the North Carolina Tennis Foundation, among many others and in addition to be an attorney with Young Moore and Henderson, P.A.
Capitol Broadcasting Company (CBC)
Capital Broadcasting Company has had and continues to have a significant role in shaping the foundation and trajectory of NCFC Youth. CBC, under the leadership of Jim Goodmon, was the reason that CASL was able to purchase and develop 118-acres in Raleigh into WRAL Soccer Park – a now 22-field destination sports complex. Jim Goodmon and CBC played a key role in the late 70s and early 80s, collaborating with the early founders and leaders of CASL, to finance the purchase of the land. The facility opened in 1981 with 14 fields, expanded to 21 fields in 1987, and continues to be a hub of operation for practices, league play, and tournaments.
Eventually, Mr. Goodmon and CBC would generously forgive the remaining $300,000 mortgage debt CASL owed on the original land purchase, which was a turning point in the club’s history allowing them to hire their first executive director. In 2015, CBC once again stepped up to help finance a $3.8 million renovation at WRAL Soccer Park through a loan and grant. The generosity and support of Jim Goodmon and CBC over the years allowed CASL to continue developing, maintaining, and updating WRAL Soccer Park. It’s because of WRAL Soccer Park and the preserved green space there that CASL had the capacity to serve more youth in our community and continue to do so today.
Wake Stone Corporation
Wake Stone Corporation’s contributions to NCFC Youth date back to the earliest years of CASL. When WRAL Soccer Park was first developed, Wake Stone Corporation and the Bratton family donated the rocks to create the first gravel roadway through the park and parking lots. In addition, they supported a fundraising campaign to help “finish” the initial development plans for WRAL Soccer Park in the 1980s.
After many years of discussion, Wake Stone Corporation played another critical role in the club’s history. In 2021 Wake Stone Athletic Park opened. Wake Stone Athletic Park is the product of Wake Stone Corporation donating 40 acres of undeveloped land to the Town of Knightdale. Wake County also supported the development financially as did NCFC Youth. The result of the community partnership is a 5-field complex (with room to add more) available for NCFC Youth local programming and tournaments. This facility expanded NCFC Youth’s presence in a growing part of our community and provides additional field space for tournaments. Wake Stone Athletic Park gives the club room to grow and relieve some field field constraints.
CASL Founders
Bill Plunkett was a co-founder of the Raleigh Soccer League in 1971, the predecessor to CASL. He along with many other volunteers organized opportunities for kids in the local community to play organized soccer. In 1974, the organization had grown beyond the service area of Raleigh and would officially be incorporated as Capital Area Soccer League, a non-profit organization. Plunkett was the league’s first president and remained on the Board of Directors until 1979. Plunkett was part of the original group that was always asking and answering, “where are we going to play this week?”. With limited field space and growing numbers of participants, Plunkett and others led the discussion with local leaders on the development of WRAL Soccer Park.
Bill Holleman was a co-founder of the Raleigh Soccer League and one of the four founders of CASL. In addition to his contributions to CASL in its earliest years, Holleman was a tenured and successful coach at Ravenscroft and was the founder and four-time president of the North Carolina Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association. He moved away from Raleigh in 1979, but his impact to the local area and game on a larger scale were lasting and recognized with inductions into the NC Soccer Hall of Fame, Campbell University Sports Hall of Fame, Ravenscroft School Hall of Fame, Georgia State Soccer Hall of Fame, and the United Soccer Coaches (fka National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Hall of Fame along with soccer leadership roles within the 1994 World Cup and 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Steve Almasi, a native of Hungary, was one of the league’s few organizers who had a soccer background. His teams were always so good and well organized (with uniforms), that it motivated those around him to be better and step up. With his international experience and being a part of soccer programs that had earlier starts in other parts of the world, Almasi helped develop the “club concept” with CASL – which allowed teams composed of players born in the same year to stay together year after year, leading to continuity of coaches and players. Almasi was a key part of the conversations that helped set the rules for CASL, which helped them avoid some of the problems that plagued other youth sport organizations (e.g., where parents can watch the games from on the field, emphasis on participation, no team standings published, etc.).
Pat Hamilton saw a call in the local newspaper to join the NC State soccer coach for a soccer skills demonstration. He took his son to the demonstration and was committed to the league ever since. He served as Vice President and Treasurer of the league, which was a driving force behind the acquisition of land for WRAL Soccer Park field development. His contributions to the game including being a co-founded of NCYSA (where he also served as the Vice President and President and helped organize the first interstate tournament sanctioned by NCYSA), helped launch the NC ODP program, served on to USYSA National Committees, and much more. These accomplishments were recognized when he was inducted into the NC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000.
Triangle Futbol Club Alliance (TFCA) Founders
Triangle Soccer Academy, the predecessor to Triangle Futbol Club Alliance (TFCA), was founded by the university soccer program leaders of the Triangle area. Six former coaches across the men’s and women’s programs at Duke, UNC, and NC State are all credited with forming TSA: John Rennie (Duke), Bill Hempen (Duke), Anson Dorrance (UNC), Elmar Bolowich (UNC), George Tarantini (NC State), and Laura Kerrigan (NC State). In addition to these six coaches, the initial TSA Board was rounded out by Alvin Corneal and Bill Palladino, two local professional coaches at the time. John Rennie, the head men’s soccer coach at Duke University from 1979 – 2007, served as TFCA’s Board President for nearly 8 years.
TFCA was last headquartered out of Hillsborough, NC and saw changes over the years as they continued to evolve and adapt. Shortly after being founded, the Triangle Soccer Academy changed its name to Triangle Futbol Club. Throughout its first 20 years, the club would combine resources and operations with the Fuquay Varina Athletic Association and Carolina Soccer Club to form the larger Triangle Futbol Club Alliance.
In 2017, under the leadership of Marlow Campbell, the club’s Executive Director, TFCA joined with CASL to form NCFC Youth. This brought two of the largest and most successful youth soccer organizations in the area together – bringing together the best in coaches, resources, players, and field access.
North Carolina Football Club
The North Carolina Football Club was founded in 2016, under the vision and support of local businessman, Steve Malik. The rebrand of the Carolina RailHawks was accompanied by a new brand, logo, and vision for North Carolina FC, the men’s professional team. Shortly after making this change on the men’s side, Malik acquired the Western New York Flash of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and relocated them to North Carolina under the name NC Courage. This brought a men’s and women’s professional team under the North Carolina Football Club umbrella, paving the way to connect with youth players in the area.
This opportunity brought CASL (under the leadership of CEO Gary Buete) and TFCA (under the leadership of Marlow Campbell) to the table to discuss player development, youth-to-professional opportunities, and the benefits that could come from coming together. Consequently, in 2017, an historic collaboration occurred between CASL, TFCA, and North Carolina Football Club which resulted in combined resources (staff, fields, coaches, etc.) to enhance the player and family experience at every level of play and a youth-to-pro pipeline for girls and boys.
This collaboration resulted in CASL and TFCA rebranding to North Carolina FC Youth (NCFC Youth), while still operating under the bylaws and founding principles of CASL. Since the collaboration, many youth-to-pro connections have transpired including many NCFC Academy boys youth players signing Academy contracts, NCFC Academy youth players signing professional contracts, NC Courage and NCFC Academy players training up with the professional teams, the development of U23 USL (men’s and women’s) teams, and many youth coaches advancing from coaching at the youth game to the pros with NC Courage or North Carolina FC.
SOCCER.com
SOCCER.com dates to 1984 when Durham native Mike Moylan had a real-life problem – he was on his way to Georgetown University to play soccer in the Fall but did not have access to cleats and equipment to keep up with his high-level play. He turned this problem as the launching point for a high school business project. The project theoretically solved this problem – providing a pathway for those in the US to easily and affordably attain proper soccer gear for their level of play. His teacher at the time challenged him to turn this into a profession. With the help of his family, especially his brother Brendan (now COO of Sports Endeavors) this business became a reality when a 24-page Eurosport soccer specialty catalog was distributed to a mailing list of 6,000. The company grew and in 1991 found a new home in Hillsborough (which also happened to provide office space to TFCA) where it continues to ensure that not only NCFC Youth players but also players and fans across the world have access to uniforms, equipment, and apparel.
NCFC Youth and SOCCER.com’s histories and successes overlap during the past 40 years. In its earliest years, many area soccer families received the Eurosport (former name for SOCCER.com) catalogs and could access the equipment they needed for on-field participation through mail order. As NCFC Youth and SOCCER.com grew, this relationship became more of a partnership and SOCCER.com became the official uniform supplier for many of the competitive programs. This uniform support would eventually grow to cover NCFC Youth’s entire programming in 2013. As NCFC Youth’s footprint and living choices in the greater Triangle area began to sprawl, SOCCER.com was able to help alleviate the geographical constraints of growth and provide uniforms and equipment at families’ doorsteps.
Back in the earliest days of CASL, uniforms and outfitting teams fell on parents and volunteers to coordinate. SOCCER.com’s services allowed volunteers and staff over the years to focus on the operations and on-field support needed to run the league. This gave back time and space as the club no longer had to inventory and stock uniforms or lose money on wasted products. In the past 40 years, SOCCER.com has stepped up to be the provider and facilitator of all uniforms and coaching gear, which has allowed NCFC Youth to be more efficient, focus on soccer and supporting our players, coaches, and families, and be more fiscally responsible over the years. SOCCER.com’s role in helping to service the club has undoubtedly played a role in our ability to do what we do best: provide positive soccer opportunities at all levels of play.
Mike and Brendan Moylan were inducted into the NC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009 for the contributions to the sport. The Moylans continue to be at the forefront of the business as the COO (Brendan) and President & Founder (Mike).
Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance
The Great Raleigh Sports Alliance, a division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (GRCVB) was formed in 1998 as the GRCVB’s sports marketing division. They have been a driving force in transforming Raleigh and Wake County into a premier destination for sporting events, under the 25-year leadership of Executive Director, Scott Dupree. Scott and his team of sports event professionals have supported many local events, teams, and events over a quarter century not only driving the local economy but helping to create a world class experience for athletes and visitors.
The GRSA has played a key support role in the growth of soccer in our area across all levels of play including youth, college, and professional. The GRSA has been a local host partner (along with NCFC Youth) and driving force behind the bids and recruitment of soccer events including ACC Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships and NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cups. In partnership with NCFC Youth and then CEO, Charlie Slagle, the GRSA helped bring the 2003 NCAA Women’s College Cup to Cary, NC and WakeMed Soccer Park. Since then, the GRSA and NCFC Youth have helped co-host more than 50 ACC Championships and NCAA College Cups.
Since 2008, the GRSA and the GRCVB have formally supported NCFC Youth’s fall tournament series. The tournament series, which has been hosted in the area since 1976 has grown over the past 45+ years. When the GRSA stepped up in 2008 to formally partner with NCFC Youth and the tournament series, the tournament was renamed to the visitRaleigh.com National Soccer Series and eventually to the visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series.
This partnership elevated the club and the tournaments on a national scale. The GRSA helped promote our event through their local channels and national networks. For 16 years, the GRSA has provided cash sponsorship, marketing support, and event services assistance while also being a liaison with our local hospitality community to ensure that the more than 1500+ teams that travel to the area each year have a red-carpet experience. They feel welcomed when they are here, in hotels, and at our restaurants and they know where to go when they get here through tailored visitor resources. They help provide a comprehensive customer experience to our teams, helping to ensure that teams come back year after year.
GRSA’s significant support over the years has supported NCFC Youth’s overall operations and efforts to grow the game to all youth in our community, in addition to helping elevate the brand recognition of our events on a national scale.
TowneBank
TowneBank (and prior to that Paragon Bank) played a significant, more recent role in the financial support and financing for NCFC Youth. TowneBank is our current banking partner, and the Triangle President, Brian Reid, has represented TowneBank on NCFC Youth’s Board of Directors since 2008. While many other institutions have supported NCFC Youth over the years through loan financing, checking accounts, and otherwise, TowneBank’s level of support rises to the top.
Brian started in his Board role as Secretary and took on the role of Finance Committee Chair in 2019. In this capacity, he helps NCFC Youth navigate through strategic financial planning, annual audits, and long-term financial planning to ensure the viability, longevity and fiscal responsibility of NCFC Youth. TowneBank and Brian Reid have provided NCFC Youth trusted advisement on financial trends and resources available to plan properly for growth, capital investments, and future spending needs. They were a key partner in NCFC Youth navigating through the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic, including supporting our submission for government financial assistance during this turbulent time.
TowneBank and NCFC Youth’s relationship began in 2013 with the establishment of a money market account. In 2018, NCFC Youth made TowneBank their primary bank for all day-to-day banking. They have provided exceptional service and care for NCFC Youth’s banking needs, in addition to assigning knowledgeable and top tier bankers to our account, who help navigate us to the best solutions to run the financial aspects of the club as effectively and efficiently as possible. For example, they helped consolidate and pay off older loans used to enhance WRAL Soccer Park.
In 2014, TowneBank helped NCFC Youth finance the purchase of our former building, 5017 Memory Road, which was a huge move for the club. This purchase brought the staff under one roof. At that time, NCFC Youth staff were operating out of two locations – WRAL Soccer Park and a former leased office location across town. This home provided nearly a decade of collaboration and productivity among staff and gave us free cash flow once the mortgage was paid off to reinvest into programming. This purchase also gave us the real estate capital to be able to sell and move to our current office space in 2023 and financially prepare for field development and enhanced programming support.
TowneBank recently made a $25,000 gift to NCFC Youth with their North Raleigh branch opening and has been a long-time sponsor and supporter of NCFC Youth’s Golf Tournament fundraiser, which supports financial aid available to qualifying players and families. TowneBank's community support and banking expertise has played a critical role in financial management and strong financial foundation for the future.
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
WakeMed Health & Hospitals is one of NCFC Youth’s longest tenured community supporters – the relationship is more than 25 years old. They, like NCFC Youth, have been woven into the fabric of Raleigh and Wake County for decades. Since 1961, they have been committed to improving the health and well-being of this community, and they are committed to providing outstanding and compassionate care. Through their long-term support of NCFC Youth, they’ve done just that. Their service area overlaps NCFC Youth’s playing area, providing easy access for our families to primary, urgent, orthopaedic, and emergency care.
Since 1998, WakeMed has provided sponsorship support and provided materials, resources, and equipment for NCFC Youth players and families to live healthy and active lifestyles. In early years, they helped outfit WRAL Soccer Park with AEDs, which they continue to help us source and maintain, they provided first aid kits to teams, and provided a catalog of digital resources for players and families related to hydration, stretching, nutrition, and everything else.
WakeMed’s more recent support has grown to include Wake Orthopaedics, a WakeMed Physicians practice, whose support has elevated NCFC Youth’s focus on player safety. While it’s always been a priority, WakeMed and Wake Orthopaedics provide significant investment of people, resources, and funds to ensure that our players and visitors have a place to go at no additional cost for injury prevention and treatment at the fields, along with expedited access for more serious injuries. Wake Orthopaedics has been working with NCFC Youth’s Athletic Trainer for the past 15 years and became the official Sports Medicine provider in 2017. Through the partnership, Wake Orthopaedics provides 4 full-time athletic trainers each year who are completely devoted to players and support NCFC Youth’s medical response team. This allows trained medical professionals to cover more of our fields and offer services when needed. All players at NCFC Youth have access to Athletic Training pre- and post-injury services. In addition, Wake Orhtopaedics provides medically based injury prevention programs to coaches, baseline concussion testing for athletes, and rehabilitation services on-site at WRAL Soccer Park.
This level of athlete care and safety propelled NCFC Youth to new heights when it comes to putting players first, creating partnerships that benefit our players, and investing in areas that matter.
Dr. Mark Wood, with Wake Orthopaedics, has also been serving as the Medical Director on NCFC Youth’s Board of Directors since 2020. He and the resources and knowledge available through WakeMed were instrumental during NCFC Youth’s navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the club’s return to the fields, and protocols during the pandemic.
'88 CASL Elite
In 2003, the ’88 CASL Elite boys won the Under 14 USYS National Championship, becoming the first boys’ team from North Carolina and CASL/NCFC Youth to be crowned champion. During the 2003 season, the team (led by Head Coach Bruce Talbot) went 17-0-1. After winning that year’s NCYSA State Cup, the team travelled to Greensboro for the USYS Region III Championships where they punched their ticket to Nationals in Germantown, MD.
The ’88 boys lost their first match to Nether Providence (PA), but they regrouped and rebounded to win their next two round robin games which advanced them to the finals and a re-match with Nether. Nether went up 1-0 with 7 minutes left, but shortly after, CASL’s Watson Williams tied it up. The game went into sudden death overtime and CASL clinched the title with a header from Brett King 5 minutes into OT.
Charlie Slagle
The late Charlie Slagle served as CASL’s Chief Executive Officer from 2001 – 2013. During his 12-year tenure at the helm of CASL, Charlie spearheaded the grassroots growth of soccer in the area and helped put the greater Triangle area on the soccer map when he led bids to host the ACC and NCAA College Cups at WakeMed Soccer Park (formerly SAS Soccer Park). NCFC Youth has been a local host partner of countless ACC and NCAA College Cups since Slagle helped bring them to Cary in 2003.
Slagle came to CASL (NCFC Youth) after a successful playing and coaching career at Davidson College. While at CASL, some of his greatest impact areas include bringing the right people and partners to the table to develop WakeMed Soccer Park (then SAS Soccer Park), field development and upgrades at WRAL Soccer Park and surrounding facilities, bringing and hosting ACC and NCAA Championships in Cary, focusing on fun, positive coaching, and growing the game across all parts of our community and for all ability levels, overseeing the professionalization of a youth soccer club into the bones of what we know it today, putting CASL and WRAL Soccer Park center stage as a host of the 2008 USYSA Southeast Regional, and engaging the soccer community on a larger scale through his involvement with the United Soccer Coaches, where he served on the Board from 2013-2019. He was inducted into the NC Soccer Hall of Fame (2005) and Davidson College Athletics Hall of Fame. After his time with CASL, he went on to support other youth clubs across the country in various leadership positions.
Sean Nahas
Since 2021, Sean Nahas has served as the Head Coach of the NC Courage (NWSL) women’s professional team. Prior to committing to coaching at the professional level, Nahas was devoted to developing youth players for nearly two decades at CASL/NCFC Youth. He served in many leadership positions within the youth club including Director of Girls Classic Soccer, ECNL Director, and Director of Player Development. During his time, he played a key role in developing the Juniors program, which was the first technical youth academy created at the youth club. As the ECNL (girls) Director, he helped CASL reach its highest ranking in USYS of No.7 nationally in 2010-2011. His players had success on the individual and team level, with many players advancing to youth national teams and his teams competing successfully at the highest level. His coaching tactics and acumen were recognized on a national level as he was a valuable asset to U.S. Soccer as an assistant coach for the U20 USWNT and U14 USYNT and a US National Team Youth Scout.
In 2017, Nahas joined the NC Courage as an assistant coach and solidified the youth-to-pro pipeline between NCFC Youth and NC Courage. After being promoted to Head Coach in 2021, he took on the professional coach role full time, but still supports the youth-to-pro player pathway and youth coaches. He has supported the advancement of other NCFC Youth coaches into the professional ranks, including current NC Courage coaching staff members Nathan Thackeray and Emma Thomson, who both started at the youth level, and he supports coaching education courses and seminars with volunteer and staff coaches.

Nahas holds his ‘PRO’ license from the United States Soccer Federation, which is the highest coaching accreditation possible in the United States.
Bob Bode
The late Robert V. Bode (Bob Bode) was a native of Raleigh and devoted much of his life to service in many different capacities. His service and leadership capabilities were recognized early on when he was President of the student body at Cardinal Gibbons and also the captain of the school’s varsity state championship basketball team. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill where he was a member of the NROTC, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. Following his naval service, Bode studied law at UNC and received his Juris Doctor in 1974 and then set up law practice in Raleigh and practiced law until his retirement in 2013.
Bob’s involvement with CASL began like many others, volunteer coaching his kids soccer teams. Naturally, he rose to the occasion and devoted more of his time to serving the organization where his family and kids were spending much of their time. He served as Chairman of the Board for CASL for many formative years. Under his leadership and initiative, SAS Soccer Park (now WakeMed Soccer Park, was constructed and opened in 2002. With this development and other initiatives that professionalized the organization, Bode supported the growth in popularity and success of soccer in the Triangle area in the late 90s and early 2000s, that we are still feeling today.
John Bradford
John Bradford transitioned to the professional coaching ranks full time in 2024 after spending more than 15 years with CASL/NCFC Youth. He is the current Head Coach and Sporting Director of North Carolina FC, who competes in the USL. He held a more youth heavy dual role early in his professional coaching career, as he served as an Assistant Coach for North Carolina FC in 2019 and 2020 under Coach Dave Sarachan. In 2021, he was named Head Coach for the professional team, while still having an overlapping full-time Director role within NCFC Youth.
In his most recent role with the youth club as NCFC Boys Academy Director, a post he held since 2013, Bradford supported the development of players and teams at the highest level. More than 30 players during his tenure were called into US Youth National Team Camps, more than 20 youth players signed Amateur contracts with the North Carolina FC first team, and more than 10 signed professional contracts domestically and internationally. He was and continues to be instrumental in building and maintaining the youth-to-pro pipeline between CASL and North Carolina FC, as well as other professional pathways.
While Bradford was at NCFC Youth, not only did he support the development of other coaches in his program and across the club, he also coached teams to success on the field. In 2016, his coaching success was recognized when he was named US Soccer Development Academy U18 Coach of the Year. His coaching acumen was also recognized on a national level, as he served as an assistant coach with the US U16 and U17 Youth National Teams from 2016-2018.
Ramon Gallardo, Sr.
NCFC Youth’s La Liga del Sol program, which is a reduced fee program designed to support the experience of more than 850 local Hispanic and Latino youth in club soccer, owes its roots and success to Ramon Gallardo, Sr. Gallardo was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1970. He moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 10 years old. In 1995, he made his way to North Carolina, where he established his professional business (Ramon & Company) and raised his family.
Since he’s been in Raleigh, he has been actively involved in the youth and adult soccer scene. Soccer was a huge part of his own life, and he knew he wanted to bring the game closer to his community. He coached in a Latino adult league from 2009 -2011 and coached the Mexican consulate U20 team to a State Cup Championship in 2008-2009. But his passion has always been to support youth access and opportunity through soccer.
He started the first youth Latino league in Raleigh in 2002. Eventually, through his own kids playing at CASL and the soccer network, he officially launched the CASL del sol community outreach program in 2011 with CASL’s support. Over time, this outreach program became part of NCFC Youth’s main program offerings. In addition to volunteering his time to the del Sol program, he was a Classic coach from 2011-2016 and volunteer assistant in the Academy. For his serve to the community, the club, and for growing the game, Ramon was recognized as the NCYSA Volunteer of the Year in 2017.
Ramon’s service to the local Latino and Hispanic youth, his passion for growing the game to these communities, and for helping to develop player pathway opportunities within NCFC Youth’s core programming, has undoubtedly positively influenced the lives of thousands of youth and their families. Soccer provided a safe and positive outlet for kids to play and stay out of trouble, gave them positive role models and high standards, and provided opportunities for many players to be the first in their families to go to college (many playing soccer).
In recent years, Ramon Sr. passed off the program for NCFC Youth to manage, which ironically, is under the new leadership of Ramon Gallardo, Jr. one of his sons who continues to provide opportunities, access, and support to youth in the La Liga program.
Jay Howell
Jay Howell is credited by many as the coach and director who really professionalized CASL. Jay served as CASL’s Director of Coaching from 1999-2010. Since his departure from CASL in 2010, Howell was Executive Director for the Birmingham United Soccer Association (2010-2012), and then has been the long-time Executive Director at Richmond Strikers since 2013. From one of Jay’s former colleagues, “Jay's impact on CASL can still be felt today after so many years. In 1999, Jay was instrumental in launching the first CASL YTS U9/U10 program [predecessor to what is now the Juniors program]. He professionalized the club with key staff hires who were specialists in teaching soccer. It was Jay who designed and put all the classic and academy players in the all the same training gear and unified the club in the early 2000s.” Howell built the foundation for the unification and uniformity of the club (which is now replicated by clubs across the country) to expand to all levels of the club. This same uniformity was the precursor to standardization and equality in coaching. He was instrumental in the transformation of how coaches were hired and assigned to teams. It used to be that teams were responsible for hiring and paying their own coach, which often created inequity across the board. He brought paid coaches into the organization’s responsibility which helped create more equity and opportunity among teams, and a standardized way to pay and hire coaches.
Jay helped lead the club to national recognition, with multiple state, regional, and national championship teams under his decade tenure not only as a coach but as the Director of Coaching, where he was responsible for recruiting, hiring, and developing coaches. From there, he led CASL to international recognition with the first of its kind partnership with Chelsea FC. As Director of Coaching, Jay worked tirelessly with the Board and executed the changes at WRAL Soccer Park by turfing the stadium field and surrounding fields. The tournament series grew exponentially from year to year under his leadership and support from the board members, allowing for its level to continue to rise year after year. 20 years later, we can still recognize the importance that Howell played in getting us to where we are today.
Adidas
Adidas is woven into the history of the growth and development of soccer across all levels and parts of the world. The three-stripe brand was founded in 1949, and since then, has broken barriers with products to support athletes of all levels. In its first decade of product creation, adidas delivered the Samba (shoe), which soccer players still use today indoors and has transitioned to a style as well. In the 1970s, they introduced the world to the first World Cup official soccer ball, the Telstar, with many more iterations to follow in subsequent World Cup years. In the 80s, adidas launched the Copa Mundial which became the best-selling soccer cleat, with another iconic cleat, the Predator which came online in the 90s. With many more landmark and iconic developments under the three-strip brand, they never lost sight of the value and need to support the grassroots part of the game and those who play it and support it.
For decades, Adidas has supported the experience of our players and coaches through quality uniforms and training, coaching equipment/gear, and partner support – which comes in the form of organizational partner support, equipment donations, and innovative collaborations to support the experience of our players, families, and coaches. Whether its donations to ensure our volunteer coaches have equipment to step into the coaching role, providing coaching education opportunities and experiences, donating to the financial aid fund, giving our players unique experiences with the brand or brand athletes, adapting to the growth of soccer, or finding solutions during the pandemic to ensure that every player was outfitted, despite the challenging times, adidas has been there to support NCFC Youth every step of the way. They are a true partner, and we are fortunate to be with a brand whose values and commitment to the players aligns with our own.
Ike Opara
Opara was a member of the ’88 Triangle FC Navy team. During his high school and youth club playing days, he was a four-year letterman at C.E. Jordan High School, three-time all-conference selection, All-Piedmont Athletic Conference Player of the Year, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Regional Selection, and helped Jordan High capture four conference championships. He was a member of the North Carolina ODP team in 2007, three-time selection to the Super Y ODP, and named an Elite 300 All-Star. He went on to have a successful career at Wake Forest University (2007-2009), where he earned on-field accolades including Soccer America First Team All-Freshman Team, All-ACC Freshman Team, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, All-ACC First-Team honors, finalist for the Soccer News Net College Player of the Year Award, and First Team All-American by TopDrawerSoccer.com and College Soccer News.
After his junior season, he was selected third overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by San Jose Earthquakes, and during his rookie season, he started 10 matches and built up a successful on-field resume the next three seasons before being acquired by Sporting Kansas City ahead of the 2013 MLS season. While at Sporting KC (through 2018 season), he started 100 matches, was named to MLS Best XI and was awarded the 2017 MLS Defender of the Year Award. In 2019, he was traded to Minnesota, where he once again earned the MLS Defender of the Year award and Best XI honors. He was with Minnesota until 2021.
Opara also represented the United States with an international career that included the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup and an invitation to the U23 US Olympic camp in 2012. In 2018, he made his senior debut with the US Men’s National Team starting and playing 90 minutes in a 0-0 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Joanna (Boyles) Fennema
Fennema was a member of the CASL Chelsea Ladies from 2008-2013, who won back-to-back National Championships in 2011 and 2012. She was co-captain of the team since 2009 and led the team in scoring during the 2011-2013 seasons with 38 total goals. She was with CASL from an early age and advanced to high levels of play throughout her time.
Fennema grew up making a name for herself in the United States youth national teams. In 2009, she was invited to her first (U14) U.S. Soccer ID camp, which she continued to build on. In 2010, she was on the U.S. U15 Women’s National Team before being promoted to the U17 team. She was a member of the U17 team that won the 2010 Nordic Championship (2010) and 2012 CONCACAF Championship in Guatemala. She played with the U17 team at the U17 World Cup in Azerbaijan in 2012. She was a member of US U20 National Team player pool in 2014.
After club soccer, she went on to be a student-athlete at UNC Chapel Hill where she was an impact player on and off the field. During her senior season, she helped lead the team to the 2017 ACC Women’s Soccer Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Women’s College Cup. She was also recognized on the ACC Academic Honor Roll, All-ACC Team Selections, NSCAA All Southeast Region selections, ACC All-Tournament Team, All ACC Academic Team, ACC Women’s Soccer Player of the Week, among many others.
After a successful college career, Fennema was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NWSL College Draft and landed with the Chicago Red Stars’ reserve team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League before going to the Orlando Pride (2019). There she made her NWSL professional debut on April 14th against the Portland Thorns. She appeared in 19 matches that season tallying 1 goal and 2 assists. After incurring a back injury in 2020, she retired from professional soccer.
Despite her playing career being cut short, Fennema has continued to give back to the game. She was the Assistant Coach for the Columbus State Cougars (2020-2023), where she helped the Cougars to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a Regional Championship in 2022. During that same year, she was part of the United Soccer Coaches’ Southeast Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. In January 2024, Fennema was announced as the Women’s Soccer Head Coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC.
Jean Hogshead
Hogshead, or Ms. Jean as so many know her, recently retired from NCFC Youth after more than 25 years of service to its players, teams, coaches, and larger soccer community. Jean, who like many early staff members, began her service to (then) CASL because her son, Aaron, was involved as a player. What started as volunteer and part-time commitment evolved into a lengthy career where she eventually took on the lead role as Head Registrar.
As Head Registrar, she was responsible for the carding and “stamp of approval” for more than 100,000 youth players during her time to take the field as a player. She was clearing players to play when technology was not advanced enough to keep up with what it required, and there was so much paper, in-person, and coordination to make it all happen. She also supported the experience of everyone else throughout the club with coordinating Risk Management and helping evolve the process to ensure a safe environment for our process, engaging with the state association and national governing leagues to inform future processes and issues clubs of our size face. She was a liaison often with team managers and setting up teams for a successful season, supporting the new team set-up, answering questions, uniforms, and so much more.
She is the true definition of one of the unsung heroes behind the organization and someone who never wanted the spotlight, but she much deserves it. Her ability to connect with players, coaches, and managers was impeccable and critical to the success of the organization each season. As one of her many nominator’s wrote, “she exemplifies the meaning of a good helper, and her loyalty to doing right by everyone has been critical to the organization’s success over the past two and half decades.”
'94 CASL Chelsea Ladies
’94 CASL Chelsea ladies and Head Coach Damon Nahas won back-to-back National Championships in 2011 & 2012, among other major team and individual accomplishments throughout their time including multiple tournament and showcase championships, youth national team appearances from various players, successful college careers, and some even went on to play professionally.
In 2011, the '94 CASL Chelsea Ladies defeated Real So Cal 4-1 to win the U16 ECNL National Championship in Aurora, Colorado. After being down 1-0 early in the game, CASL tied the game 1-1 after Paige Reckert headed in a cross from Claire Wagner. After a delay for lightning and halftime, CASL outplayed their opponent and tallied 3 more goals, resulting in a hat trick for Reckert.
’94 CASL Chelsea Ladies & Damon Nahas won their second ECNL National Championship the following year. The U17 ECNL National Championship was a hard-fought match between CASL Chelsea Ladies and Michigan Hawks in Waukegan, Illinois. CASL went up 1-0 with a header from Joanna Boyles, but the Hawks quickly tied the game 1-1. This tie lasted through regulation and overtime, which sent the game to a penalty-kick shootout. CASL was down 3-1 in PKs, but they fought their way back after a clutch PK from Christina Gibbons, a save by goalkeeper Taylor Francis, and another must-make PK by Alexis Degler which tied it up 3-3. After two more makes from both sides, Francis made another save, giving CASL the chance at the game winning shot. Morgan Reid scored the game winning PK which captured the title.
'02 CASL Academy Juniors
In 2016, the ’02 CASL Academy Juniors and Head Coach Mark Jonas won the USYS U13 Boys National Championship in Frisco, Texas after defeating Strikers FC Chingirian (South California) 2-1. This brought the 5th National Championship to the club.
The championship match was a rematch from group play that saw CASL lose 2-0. During the championship game, CASL took an early lead when Jason Smith scored a header from a corner kick. Strikers FC found a goal shortly after, bringing the game to 1-1. CASL did not let the tie hold long – Adam Armour found the back of the net before halftime, which would turn into the game winning goal. Goalkeeper Trace Alphin made some crucial saves as well to hold the lead.
Jimmy Rogers
The late Jimmy Rogers was a dedicated volunteer, board member, and coach in the game for over 25 years. His involvement began with CASL in 1978, when like so many, he stepped in to volunteer coach his daughter’s recreational team. Since then, his passion for soccer, and supporting and growing the girls’ game was evident to all those around him. His obituary calls out this passion saying that “his greatest passion beyond his family was women’s soccer”.
He went on to coach in the girls classic league and was the longstanding, successful girls soccer coach at St. Mary’s High School. His teams won multiple State Championships and were successful at the regional level as well. He was named NCYSA Coach of the Year in 1993, and he was the first inductee into the CASL Hall of Fame in 2006. More importantly, he created exceptional relationships with his players. His passion for growing the game and streamlining how a club could be run was evident during some pivotal moments for the club in the 90s and early 2000s when the club started becoming more standardized and organized with all programming (including competitive) under one organization. He recognized the need to move away from a team-centric model of youth soccer to a more club-centric model, which would also provide more player development pathway opportunities between programs (e.g., Challenge to Classic).
Tommy Cline
Tommy Cline’s last year on the CASL Board of Directors was in 2001, but his impact in laying the groundwork for a unified youth soccer organization is still felt today. Tommy was heavily involved on the boys side of programming, but he also recognized the more wide reaching impact that club changes across the board could have on the organization’s success and longevity as well as the individual player experience.
He (along with Jimmy Rogers) was instrumental in helping CASL navigate through challenging times in the late 90s and early 2000s. Specifically, within the travel program, he understood the need to move away from the existing, independent team centric model at the time to a club-based model to maximize player development and overall team and club success. Up until this point, in the traditional “travel” programs (now classic, ECNL, etc.), teams were operating mostly on their own – examples include finding and hiring their own coach, team names, and non-standardized methodologies to coaching within age groups/programs. Cline understood that having a more unified approach to operations, team and coach management, coaching expectations, and more could lead to better player, team, and coach satisfaction. Cline, (like Rogers), was also a supporter of more connectivity between programs, to create a more clearly defined player pathway from Recreation to Challenge to Classic: a pathway that has been built on over the years.
Cline was inducted into the CASL Hall of Fame in 2009.
Bill Barnett
In 2009, Bill Barnett (an attorney by day at Smith Anderson) was named Director of the Year by the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association. At the time, he was the Immediate Past Chair of the CASL Board of Directors.
As Chairman of the Board, Barnett helped guide the strategic direction for club. During his tenure at the helm of the Board, there were significant changes in the operations and hiring of key professional and technical staff to help change the trajectory of CASL. Barnett recognized the need for the organization to be run more professionally to ensure its longevity, while also providing a high-quality service and product to our community.
Barnett, in addition to fellow board member and Chairman Geoff Griffin, played an integral role in the development of WakeMed Soccer Park, a legacy that continues to drive the growth of the game and provides an economic impact to the area through soccer and non-soccer events.
Geoff Griffin
Griffin wore many hats at CASL/NCFC Youth, including being a former player, coach, board member, and Chairman of the Board. His service and accomplishments in multiple capacities were recognized when he was inducted into the CASL Hall of Fame in 2009.
Griffin had soccer in his blood. He played at UNC (1972-1976) and served as an Assistant Coach for the Tar Heels for 10 years after his collegiate career. He brought his passion for soccer and the game to CASL in his various capacities. Griffin and fellow Board Member and Chairman Bill Barnett were each at the helm of the Board during the years when CASL took a lead role in building WakeMed Soccer Park. Griffin worked with the county manager at the time to transition the operations of the facility and park to the town of Cary after CASL managed it for the first year. WakeMed Soccer Park and CASL’s legacy in helping to build it have led to creating a home for many ACC and NCAA College Cups and other soccer and non-soccer events year-round.
According to others who served with him, Griffin was an “All-Star” volunteer for many years.
Clark Brisson
Brisson is a Raleigh, NC native who according to one of his nominator’s “was the best male player of my generation…hands down.” He was inducted into the CASL Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of accepting former players (2010), into the Sanderson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, and into the NC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2015.
Brisson grew up playing in CASL on the ’69 Raleigh Stars. During some of the earliest years of the organization, he was mentored in the game by one of CASL’s founders, Steve Almasi, and his father, Ike. Not only did Brisson have a successful youth club career, but he made a name for himself at Raleigh’s Sanderson High School, where he scored 76 goals and 45 assists, earned All-State and All-American recognition, and was MVP in the 1986 State Finals. He went on to have a successful career as a student-athlete at the University of South Carolina.

Brisson was one of the earliest players from the area to have a long-term, successful professional career for nearly a decade. After his playing days, he has continued to devote his life to the game in different coach/director capacities, and currently, he serves as the Executive Director for James Island Youth Soccer Club in South Carolina.
Roland Paiva
Paiva served as CASL’s first hired, paid full time Executive Director. He was hired by the Board in 1988 to lead the organization and to bring the soccer and business expertise the club needed. Prior to his hire, the club was volunteer-led and run, with significant day-to-day operations falling on the Board Members and other volunteers. Hiring Paiva alleviated some of this load and was the first step in the professionalization of the youth soccer organization.
Paiva continued the legacy of all those who came before him. But, as Billy Trott, former Board Chairman said, “hiring a first full time employee (Paiva) allowed the club to begin doing great things”. Up until that point, the Board volunteers spent huge amounts of time meeting until late at night each week, which as Trott recalled, “was unsustainable.” Paiva was “a great guy who had coached soccer, and he had immediate credibility with lots of people from the RTP area who were from countries where soccer was the number one sport.” His relationships, soccer knowledge, and business acumen were the perfect formula to help launch CASL into a new era of hiring qualified staff, building fields, offering and enhancing new program offerings, and creating a better on field experience for players and their families.
Damon Nahas
Damon Nahas, the current Interim Head Coach for the UNC Women’s Soccer team, started his youth club coaching career at CASL in 2000 after wrapping up a collegiate playing career at NC State (1992-1996) and professionally with the Wilmington Hammerheads and Capital Express. During his time at CASL, which spanned nearly 20 years, he served as Technical Director and was a decorated coach on the field where his teams won two ECNL National Championships, a U.S. Club National Championship, a Super Y League National Title, four NCYSA State Championships and multiple other tournament championships as well as supporting many individual players advancing to college and professional play. He also helped with the development and launch of CASL’s Capital Area Youth Academy (now Juniors program). When he wasn’t on the field at CASL, his dedication to the game and developing youth players was evident when he and Marlow Campbell (current NCFC Youth staff member and former Executive Director of TFCA) started Next Level Academy in 2000 – a leader in the youth technical development space that has supported the development of youth players all over the Triangle area.
In 2011, Nahas’ coaching acumen was recognized when he was called on to coach the U15 girls US Youth National Team (2011-2014). His U.S. Soccer coaching ranks also included a stint as the U17 WNT assistant coach and an assistant for the full USWNT in 2014, where he conducted technical training sessions during national team camps.
Nahas has helped produce players and teams that have achieved some of the highest accolades in the game and helped give CASL a reputation for developing the most elite level players.
Diego Munoz
Diego Munoz is currently a seasonal coach within NCFC Youth’s Classic program, but his service and impact stretches back nearly 25 years with the club. In 1999, while still living in New York, he answered the call to a job posted for an “office manager at CASL” in the News & Observer. He started coaching in January 2000 with CASL and has never looked back.
His passion over the many years is symbolic of and represents the greater impact that all of our coaches (both seasonal and volunteer) have within the game. He, like most, got involved in volunteer coaching Recreation and Challenge because his daughters were playing, but his coaching evolved into coaching at the Juniors (then YTS) and Classic levels across boys and girls. His Classic teams have gone on to achieve team success, like the '02 Gold North Girls who made a good run in 2019 as they advanced into USYS Southern Regional play. But more importantly than the on-field success, Munoz is known for his support of each player’s development and genuinely caring for each player. As one of his nominator’s shared, “Diego is one of the best coaches I have known. He loves the game…He genuinely cares for his players and coaches with positivity. He has helped his players on and off the field…”
Shortly after he took on the role as Office Manager and a Coach in 2000, he was “called up” in 2001 to serve as CASL’s interim CEO and General Manager. During that time, he helped launch a website for the club (which used to operate on registrations from a circulated CASL publication/mailer) and really helped getting the club operations codified inter proper policies and systems and giving staff more ownership in their areas of work and collaborative opportunities. He also created a formal agreement with the local La Liga de Futbol de Raleigh, to help bridge the gap with the local Hispanic community. This opened up WRAL Soccer Park fields to the league on Sunday mornings, providing a safe and stable playing environment. This was a huge community step to help further everyone’s love and access to the game.
His passion for the game has been present for a long time, as he served as the Director for the NC Adult Soccer Association (2004-2010) and was a founding member of the Triangle Adult Soccer League (TASL), which he still plays in today. He was a soccer coach at North Raleigh Christian Academy (2011-2012), and was the Vice President of Triangle Soccer Development from 2010-2013, a non-profit whose mission was to provide soccer facilities for the growth and promotion of soccer as well as educational opportunities to learn the rules and skills of the sport.
When he’s not on the field, he works as Principal/Broker for KW Commercial North Raleigh.

Indie Cowie
Indie Cowie grew up in the area playing for both CASL and TFCA, prior to going on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her youth club career, she helped her teams advance to multiple State Cup finals. In addition, she has left her individual mark on the game as a world championship FreeStyle Juggler.
While her playing career got cut short after an injury at UNC Chapel Hill, she continues to bring attention to the sport and promote the growth of players in their own way through her juggling. She became the first ever female freestyler to land the trick “three revolution”, where the foot does three full rotations around the ball while the ball is still in the air. She’s performed at half time in front of 76,000 Manchester United and Chelsea fans at Old Trafford, participated in Mia Hamm’s Celebrity Soccer Challenge alsongside Kobe Bryant and Pepe Guardiola of FC Barcelona, and was selected by Lionel Messi as the EA Games Street v Street World Champion.
Cowie is a testament to the fact that everyone’s soccer journey and impact on the game is different.
'02 NCFC Youth Elite Boys
In 2018, the '02 Elite Boys, under Head Coach Rich Flaim, won the NCYSA State Cup and the USYS Southern Regionals Championship, earning them the opportunity to compete for the USYS National Title in Frisco, Texas.
During the USYS Regionals, the team advanced out of group play even after losing a game early on to FC Dallas (North Texas). After battling through subsequent knock-out rounds, the team would get their chance at redemption when they faced FC Dallas (again!) in the Regional Championship game. NCFC’s Alexander Burnside scored the lone first half goal to give NCFC the advantage headed into halftime. FC Dallas had a chance to even the score, but its penalty kick attempt smashed off the post and out. FC Dallas kept pushing late but could not get by the NCFC goalkeeper who made a point blank save late in the game to keep the lead.
The '02 Elite Boys advanced to Nationals with the win, where they ended up advancing out of group play to face Arlington SA 2002 Red in the National Championship Game, a team they had beaten 2-1 in earlier group play. The team was unable to beat them a second time despite a valiant effort in overtime and finished the year as National Finalists – an amazing accomplishment nonetheless.
NCFC Youth's '02 Elite’s run to the National Championship came at a pivotal time in the club’s history, as the club had just rebranded (in 2017) to NCFC Youth (with Triangle Futbol Club Alliance). This helped create a new reputation for the club under a new name.
Darrius Barnes
Barnes grew up playing in the Knightdale Soccer Club, which eventually joined forces with other area clubs to form the Triangle Futbol Club (TFC; which would go on to be Triangle Futbol Club Alliance and the club that became part of NCFC Youth alongside CASL in 2017). After TFC was formed, he was part of the '86 TFC team and came back to play with the Raleigh CASL Elite (U23s).
In addition to playing club soccer, he was a standout on the Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School. Between club and high school soccer, Barnes achieved many team and individual accolades including being part of the NC Olympic Development Program, Adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP), and a member of the Super-Y Regional Olympic Development Program, All-Region and All-State teams, and NSCAA (now United Soccer Coaches) Youth All-American Team. He went on to have a successful 4-year playing career at Duke University, where he helped lead the Blue Devils to four post-season NCAA tournament appearances.
He would go on to continue playing professionally with the New England Revolution, where he started all 30 regular season matches as a rookie in 2009. He had an 8-year MLS career with the Revolution and finished his playing career with the New York Cosmos (North American Soccer League). After finishing his playing career, Barnes transitioned to the business side of the sport.
In 2022, he was named President of Charlotte FC’s MLS NEXT Pro Team, Crown Legacy FC. In 2023, he was named MLS Next Pro Executive of the Year.
'06 NCFC Youth Elite Girls
After a dramatic 5-4 overtime win against Wheaton United 2006 G Academy in the USYS National Championships, the 06 NCFC Youth Elite girls’ team, coached by Dave Arensdorf, captured the club’s 6th National Championship, and the first since the rebrand to NCFC Youth.
The 06 NCFC Youth Elite girls captured the NCYSA State Cup in November Fall 2023. After which, they would have to wait the next 6 months before they would regroup to begin training for the USYS Southern Regionals. The team, who are primarily graduating seniors, finished their high school graduations and committed to the post-season.
They made there way through the USYS Southern Regional Championships, going 3-0 in group play, and rolling through the semi-finals and finals shutting out their opponents in both games and earning the spot at USYS Nationals. At Nationals, they went 3-0 in group play against teams from West Virginia, Illinois, and South Carolina. The top two teams in group play advanced to the championship, so NCFC would face a similar opponent, Wheaton United 2006 G Academy, a team they had just defeated 3-2 two days earlier. The dramatic finals game saw NCFC with as much as a 4-1 lead with 67 minutes left, and the game would end up in overtime, where NCFC would pull out the 5-4 national championship win.
ADDRESS
3150 Spring Forest Road, Suite 116
Raleigh, NC 27616
OFFICE HOURS
Monday 11 AM–4 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–4PM
Wednesday 11 AM–4 PM
Thursday 11 AM-4 PM
Friday 9 AM-2 PM
