Meet Our Coaches

Coach Bios

Coach Bios

Faith Allen

U13 Girls White

 

Hometown: Walterboro, SC

Playing Background:
I started playing soccer at the age of 8 (2nd grade).  I played for Walterboro Soccer Club for 10 years while playing for Colleton County Middle and High School teams.  After high school I continued my soccer career playing for Francis Marion University for 4 years.

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses): Grassroots

Coaching Experience
1 year with FSA
1 season with U13 girls at Walterboro Soccer Club

Favorite Team: US Women's National Team

Fun Fact: I've never had brain freeze!

   

Lance Crouch

U11 Girls

Hometown: Hartsville, SC

Playing Background:
2000-2001 Coker College
2001-2004 Francis Marion University

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
Grassroots 9v9 and 11v11

Coaching Experience:
4 years with FSA

Favorite Team: Chelsea FC

Fun Fact: I put peanut butter on my pancakes!

   

Matt Connor

Goalkeeper Coach

Hometown: Florence, SC

Playing Background:
US Air Force Soccer Club (San Antonio, TX)

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
7v7, 9v9, 11v11 In person and National D
USC Goalkeeper 1&2 Pursing Goalkeeper
USC/English FA Goalkeeper Integration
USC/Scottish FA Goalkeeper Performance Analysis

Coaching Experience:
U8 Rec Fall/Spring City of Florence 2018-2019
10U Asst Coach Marion Recreation All Stars Fall 2021
2012 FSA Boys Interim Head Coach Fall 2021
2012 FSA Boys Asst Coach Fall 2022t
FSA Goalkeeper Coach Fall 2022 to current

Favorite Team: Atlanta Braves, Clemson Tigers, South Florence High, Any Soccer team with great goalkeeping

Fun Fact: FSA is a family affair.  My Son (McCall) plays Goalkeeper and My Wife (Carrie) is a team manager. 

   

Ross Goodknight

U10 Boys Blue

Hometown: Florence, SC

Playing Background
Recreation leagues, Middle School and High School soccer

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses): Grassroots

Coaching Experience:
2 years Boys Assistant Coach at TKA
FSA head coach since Fall 2023

Favorite Team:
Chelsea FC

Fun Fact: I was born in Rio, Brazil, adopted when I was 2 and moved to the United States.

   

Cesar Gomez

U10 Boys White

Playing Background
FSA
SC United
USC-Sumter
Francis Marion University

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
Grassroots, 9v9, 11v11

Coaching Experience:
Personal Trainer
FSA Jr. Academy boys since Fall 2024

Favorite Team:
Real Madrid

Fun Fact: I was awarded the 2019 State High School Soccer Player of the year with 37 goals and 19 assists.

   

Brooke Grooms

U13 Girls Blue

Hometown: Florence, SC

Playing Background
Started my soccer career at FSA at age 4 (over 30 years ago)
West Florence High School Varsity Girls 2001-2004 (JV in 7th & 8th grade, 1999-2000)
Newberry College Women's Soccer 2004-2007

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses): Grassroots

Coaching Experience:
Future Stars Summer Camps - Summer 2008 & 2009
FSA Recreation U6 Girls 2017-2019, U8 Girls 2019-2020
FSA 2012 Girls Blue since spring 2021

Favorite Team:
US WNT & MNT
Florence 2012 Girls Blue!

Fun Fact: I'm a die hard New England Patriots and Boston Bruins fan.

   

Nick Hayes

Assistant DOC - Select Boys
U17 Boys

Hometown: Cheraw, SC
Moved to Florence, SC in 1998 to attend FMU

Playing Background:
4 years recreation (3rd-6th grade)
2 years JV (7th-8th grade)
4 years Varsity (9th-12th grade)
2 seasons Men's Summer League (11th-12th grade)
Devastating knee injury ended my playing career prior to starting college

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
Intro to Grassroots: 9/27/18
4V4 Online: 9/27/18
9V9 In Person: 9/27/18
11v11 In Person: 6/26/18 
USSF D License 

Coaching Experience: 24 years coaching:
1999-2004 - YMCA Assistant
2005-2017 - YMCA Head Coach
2017-2018 - FSA Recreation
2018-2021 - FSA Select Assistant (Open, PMSL, Challenge)
2022-Current - FSA Head Coach (Open, PMSL, NLSC)
2023 coached State Champion PMSL team at Region Cup in Greenville, SC

Favorite Team:
Club: Manchester United
Country: USA Men's & Women's National Teams

Fun Fact:
Won PMSL State Cup with the 2005 Boys on my 40th birthday (12/8/2019)!
Coached basketball in addition to soccer for about 10 years.
Call me Coach Nick.  Coach Hayes is my dad (who was a baseball & football coach)

   

Jonathan Ladron

Assistant DOC - Jr Academy Boys
U13 Boys Blue
U16 Boys Blue

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
USSF C License

   

Jonathan Landaverde 

U19 Boys White

Hometown: Florence, SC

Playing Background
8 years with FSA
4 years South Florence Boys Varsity Soccer
2020 Greenville United - Semi Pro
2021 Goldsboro Strike Eagles - Semi Pro
2022-2023 CF Mortril - Pro

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses): Grassroots

Coaching Experience:
Assistant Coach South Florence Boys Varsity Soccer
FSA since Fall 2024

Favorite Team:
Real Madrid

Fun Fact: I've scored in 14 games in a row!

   

Alben Leon

U9 Boys Blue

Hometown: Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Playing Background:
Futsal, FCS Varsity Soccer

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
Us Soccer Grassroots 7v7 and 11v11 licenses

Coaching Experience:
4 years FSA recreation Soccer
FSA Jr Academy / Select Coach 2021 to present
Trinity Collegiate B Team Coach

Favorite Team:
Club Blooming (Bolivia)
FC Barcelona (Spain)
Manchester City (England)
Charlotte FC (USA)

Fun Fact: I dip my french fries in ice cream.

   

Pete Ludlow

U15 Boys

Hometown: Aldbourne, England

Playing Background: Started playing for school teams at 7 years old, continued with local Sunday league teams until age 20, then played on various teams in amateur tournaments in Argentina.

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
Grassroots, 9v9 and 11v11
>USSF D License

Coaching Experience
FSA 2020 to present
Coached school teams in England at age 18, and local teams in Argentina

Favorite Team
Swindon Town FC

Fun Fact: My family was born of four different land masses: Hawaii, England, Argentina, and Florence, South Carolina.

   

Chelsea Parker

Assistant DOC - Girls
U10 Girls
U17 Girls

HometownRichmond, VA

Playing Background:
Virginia ODP
Richmond Kickers
Richmond Strikers
Virginia FC
Mars Hill College 2009-2013
Richmond Destiny WPSL
Asheville City 2019 WPSL

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
USSF D License
USSF C License
Advanced National Diploma
United Coaches Goalkeeper 1 & 2

Coaching Experience:
Shorter University Assistant 2013-2015
Lees-McRae College Assistant 2015-2017
Global Premier Soccer, James Island Youth Soccer DOC 2018
Tusculum University Assistant 2018-2020
Asheville City Goalkeeper Coach 2019
Francis Marion University Head Coach 2020-2022
FSA Coach 2023 to current

Favorite Team: Liverpool FC

Fun Fact: I've been skydiving.

   

Cruz Perez

U14 Boys Blue

Hometown: Born in Michoacan Mexico, Raised in Marion, SC

Playing Background: 16 years of high school and adult amateur leagues

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
9v9 online and in-person
11v11 online and in-person
USSF D License

Coaching Experience:
Coached in Marion SC for 6 years - won U8 Recreation State Championship in 2020 and 2021 and U10 Recreation State Championship in 2021.
FSA 2021 to current

Favorite Team
Charlotte FC
Mazatlan - Liga Mexico

   

Santiago Ramirez 

U12 Boys
U16 Boys White

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia

Playing Background
Orlando Stars
Sergro Arboleda FC
Club Devortipo la Equidad

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):

Grassroots, 9v9, 11v11

Coaching Experience:
Academia Central Estudiante JR
Arnoldo Iguaran FC
Francis Marion University
Wilson High School
FSA since Fall 2024

Favorite Team:
Millonarios FC

Fun Fact: My environment has always been filled with soccer coaches and I have had great opportunities to learn a lot from them.

   

Imdad Sabri

U11 Boys White

 

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
Grassroots

   

Alex Shortall

U19 Boys Blue

Hometown: Florence, SC

Playing Background: 15 years, including select and 4 years high school varsity

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
USSF D License

Coaching Experience
FSA 2017 to present
West Florence Varsity Girls 2019 to present
West Florence JV Boys 2016 to 2018

Favorite Team
US Women's National Team

Fun Fact: My head is cluttered with useless information.  If you ever need dad jokes, I am the master!

   

Kemar Smith

U11 Boys Blue
U14 Boys White

Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica

Playing Background
Played for my parish Westmorland (Jamaica)
Represented Jamaica on Under 17 team
D-Cup in high school
Darlington High School
USC Sumter
Semi-Pro for Myrtle Beach

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
Grassroots
USSF D License

Coaching Experience:
Assistant coach for West Florence JV and Varsity Girl's teams
Coached U6 through U13

Favorite Team: Arsenal (Gunners)

Fun Fact: I'm open-minded and very humble

   

Christiaan Storm

U9 Boys White
U13 Boys White

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
USSF D License

   

Jose Weatherford

U15 Girls
U19 Girls

 

Hometown: Pamplico, SC

Playing Background: High school and intramural

Coaching Education (qualifications & licenses):
USSF D License

Fun Fact: The only thin I enjoy more than soccer is skydiving.