Meet The Coaches

 Aly is a San Diego native that attended Point Loma Nazarene University. She has a Bachelor’s degree in social work, was a before and after-school program supervisor, and most recently was the Director at Formula Marketing San Diego. In her free time, she enjoys watching football and running around with her two toddlers, Stone and Cash.

She’s been to Uganda and gave birth to her son Cash, named after Johnny Cash on Johnny Cash’s birthday. Her favorite food is Italian and her favorite color is pink. Aly is beyond excited to be a part of spreading the word about Soccer Shots to give as many children as possible the opportunity to experience the best soccer program in San Diego!

Alyzza is from the Philippines, brought to San Diego when she was little as she is from a military family. She attended San Diego State University, received a bachelor’s in Human Resource Management, and graduated cum laude. She played soccer occasionally when she was in elementary school and high school. Her favorite color is red and she likes Mexican food. She plays video games and watches YouTube in her free time.

Two fun facts about her are that she has a goldendoodle and ran a side business as a fortune teller in college. She is passionate about impacting the lives of children. Witnessing their growth, development, and joy as they embrace soccer and gain essential life skills brings her immense fulfillment. She is honored to be part of a team that prioritizes holistic development and creates a positive impact on the young minds we serve.

Coach Amanda is from Staten Island, New York. She moved to San Diego in March 2018 to continue impacting children on and off the soccer field. Coach Amanda coached & directed for the Soccer Shots franchise in Staten Island before her move. Coach Amanda graduated from the University of Vermont where she played Division 1 soccer.

She earned her Bachelors’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education with a concentration in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Coach Amanda has been playing soccer since the age of 4, she typically plays in the midfield. Coach Amanda’s favorite food is pizza and she loves to make it from scratch. In her free time, Coach Amanda likes to play soccer with her friends; she is part of a co-ed league & a women’s league here in San Diego.

Fun fact about Coach Amanda: when she was first introduced to soccer she loved to play with grass more than the actual soccer ball. “Each week I would look forward to going to soccer practice, however, once I got there I would chase butterflies and play with the grass. After a year of not playing soccer I one day just decided to join in. I have been playing soccer ever since and thank my dad for continuing to bring me to the soccer field regardless of if I played or not.”

“I enjoy teaching children about the sport I love, it also fascinates me how much they enjoy learning character development while interacting with their peers. I love doing this job because of the impact Soccer Shots sessions have on children. Moving to San Diego has allowed me to visit some awesome townships and meet amazing families and children!” 

Coach Amanda’s favorite Soccer Shots game is the Silly Martian game, “children always love to kick coach with a soccer ball, and it is truly amazing to see all of them smile and giggle while doing it!” Coach Amanda can’t wait to share her passion for soccer, character development, and enthusiasm with your children!​

Coach Andrew graduated from Chapman University where he earned a Bachelors in Sociology with a Minor in Physical Education for Elementary. He was a scholarship football player in college and a multi-sport athlete at Grossmont High School where he excelled in soccer, track and field, football, and baseball. Coach Andrew first played soccer when he was 5 years old and he believes it helped him excel in all other sports in his life. His favorite position in soccer is forward because who doesn’t like scoring goals?!

Coach Andrew has been working with children for over 18 years and found the Soccer Shots opportunity while working in an after-school program. His experience of working with youth and his passion for sports made coaching for Soccer Shots an easy match. When Andrew is not coaching he enjoys being a Dad and going to the beach with his family. He has a 4-year-old daughter and they love eating their favorite food together, pizza!

“I like teaching children new games and character development words so they can learn new things every week when I am coaching soccer shots. I love being a soccer coach and having fun with all the different children I teach all over San Diego.

My favorite Soccer Shots game is Castle Keepers. It is a really fun way to teach children how to be goalie and the other children get to try to score goals. It is a good way to teach two positions in one game.” Coach Andrew can’t wait to share his passion for sports, character development, and healthy lifestyles with your children!

Coach Ava is from Northern California and grew up in a small town named Walnut Creek. She moved to San Diego because she had always wanted to live closer to the beach and she really wanted to go to SDSU. She is currently a senior at SDSU studying Child and Family Development. She is also minoring in Counseling and Social Change. She currently babysits and works at a surf shop called South Coast.

She started playing soccer when she was four years old, it was her dad’s favorite sport and he was really excited for her to get into it. She played soccer all the way until her Sophomore year in High School when she began getting too busy with other sports and activities. She also played water polo and was on the swim team all the way through high school.

Her favorite color is blue and her favorite food is pasta. In her free time, Coach Ava likes to go to the beach and surf or boogie board. A fun fact about her is that she has had a chameleon as a pet and she loves to travel! She is super excited to be working for Soccer Shots because soccer was such a big part of her childhood growing up and she has so many amazing memories with her dad and friends playing soccer! She used to coach soccer when she was in high school through Walnut Creek Soccer Club and it was a very fulfilling experience for her so she just can’t wait to get back to coaching!

Aysia McWhorter was born and raised in San Diego, California. She is attending San Diego State University, majoring in liberal studies, in hopes of becoming an elementary teacher. She enjoys playing soccer with her friends and family for fun. Her favorite colors are Green and purple. Her favorite food is sushi or pad Thai. She also loves trying different kinds of food. During her free time, she enjoys dancing (specifically hip hop or breaking) and she also writes poetry.

Two fun facts about Aysia are that she is a community-oriented person who’s constantly involved in community work, and she has lots of love for music, especially 80s and 90s hip hop and r&b. Working with children has been something she has been doing since she was in middle school, she would dedicate her summers to helping her former teachers and she also took a child development class in high school that gave her the opportunity to work with children. Children are so lovable and have such high energy and they’re very fun to be around. There’s never a dull moment when being around children. She hopes to inspire them to be leaders, follow their hearts, and do what they enjoy.

Bailey is from Lakeside, California. She was born and raised playing soccer in San Diego. She graduated from El Capitan High School, where she played varsity soccer and cheered for football and basketball. Bailey is now attending Grossmont College and majoring in childhood education.

In her 14 years of soccer, she played mainly goalkeeper but also helped her team out in defense and as a holding midfielder. Her favorite color is pink and she loves barbecue chips. Bailey was also homecoming queen in 2022 and dances whenever she gets a chance. She cannot wait to get to work with children and play soccer, working for Soccer Shots brings her two passions in life together.

Cassandra Escudero was born and raised in Sacramento, California. She majored in Public Relations and earned her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential through Sacramento State. She’s working towards earning her Master’s of Science in Education with a concentration in early childhood studies at California Baptist University. She recently moved to San Diego this past June 2023 to South Park. She enjoys spending time with friends, going to the beach, swimming, going to sporting events, reading, and trying new things.  She’s so excited to begin her journey working with Soccer Shots!

Cesar Felix was born and raised here in San Diego. He grew up in Chula Vista and has a degree in audio engineering. Cesar has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember but started playing competitively at 11 years old.

He was the starting right midfielder for his high school varsity team along with being the captain. His favorite food is carne asada tacos and his favorite color is black. Cesar also enjoys music and can play six instruments. He is very passionate about being part of the Soccer Shots family because of the impact that he can have on the youth by being a good role model and strong mentor.

Conner is from San Diego and has lived here all his life. Conner attended Grossmont High high school and earned his bachelor’s at CSU Monterey Bay. He has been playing soccer since he was 12 years old and fell in love with playing goalkeeper. He also played football and volleyball throughout high school. Conner’s favorite food is California burritos and his favorite color is turquoise.

During his free time, Conner goes to the gym and explores San Diego. Two fun facts about Conner are that he has an identical twin brother who is running cross country at CSU Stanislaus State and he broke his finger while playing soccer and it has been crooked ever since. Conner values the idea of helping children find passion in the beautiful game of soccer while also allowing him to stay active and help his community grow.

Diego Cueva is a San Diego born and raised Mexican American student-athlete. Diego has lived in San Diego his whole life while making his life very interesting forming part of various soccer teams and school. He attended Elementary school at a charter school named “CVLCC”. He then continued in the same school system all throughout middle school. He finally jumped his way over to High Tech High Chula Vista, a project based high school. Throughout his life he formed part of many different soccer teams including playing in Mexico. He played for Xolos in Tijuana for 2 years from 2018-2020. While showcasing his amazing leadership skills and wonderful play style, he can proudly say he formed part of USA’s most competitive youth soccer league “MLS NEXT”.

Playing for Chula Vista FC U17 squad at the highest level has made him grow individually as a person but also on the field with his teammates. After concluding his last two years at Chula Vista FC, his high perseverance has demonstrated he can take on the high level of play to form part of ALBION FC boys under 19 squad in the MLS Next soccer league. Diego Cueva has been playing soccer for 14 years and is a left footed center back and left outside back. A good meal is very impactful for an athlete therefore Diego Cueva’s go to meal is fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. A color Diego Cueva can really connect to is the color Blue, when having extra time Diego Cueva enjoys watching professional soccer.

He believes that watching high level play of the sport is not only entertaining but helps him observe what amazing soccer players do to succeed. 2 fun facts about Diego Cueva that make him unique from others is that he is Mexican, American and Spanish, a second fun fact is that his dream pet is a monkey. Diego Cueva is very passionate about working at Soccer Shots to inspire young children to love the sport more. He wants to impact children in helping them make bonds with their peers and being introduced to teamwork to help them in the future.

Drishya Mody is a dedicated young man from San Diego, currently a junior at Del Norte High School. With over a decade of experience in soccer, and few years of experience in the Swim Team. His favorite foods are pizza and pasta, and during his free time, he loves spending quality moments with friends and family.

Two fun facts about Drishya include being a sneaker head and having a past as a player at Soccer Shots, which showed him his true passion for soccer and inspired him to impact children positively through the sport. He is driven to work for Soccer Shots to continue his soccer journey and inspire young athletes to develop not only as players but also as well-rounded individuals.

Fallon is from Tacoma, Washington. She grew up playing soccer on the club team Washington Premier. She moved to San Diego with her fiancé for work. She came to San Diego when she was 15 for Surf Cup and has wanted to live here ever since. She worked in pediatric primary care as a medical assistant for 5 years at Banner Health in Arizona and absolutely loved working with children. She graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology and currently works in Cancer Research and Medical Device Testing.

Growing up, she played soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, track, volleyball, skateboarding, you name it, she wanted to do it! Playing all the different kinds of sports gave her a great background but her absolute love and favorite is soccer. She has played soccer since she was 6-7 years old and played every position on the field from goalkeeper to forward. She currently enjoys playing with her women’s team as a center midfielder or center-back. Her favorite food is probably chocolate if that counts as a food and not a treat, or tacos. Her favorite colors are mint green or lavender. She enjoys playing sports (soccer, golf, tennis), hiking, reading, and going to Padres games. Fun Fact #1: She created her own rap to get her first job at ColdStone and performed in front of a group interview. Fun Fact # 2: She was in choir during high school and college, and acted in plays in college.

She is passionate about working with Soccer Shots because of the positive environment and children-focused program. Their unwavering commitment to community and giving back is inspirational. She is really passionate about helping children because they encourage her to be her best self. She enjoys helping children grow and seeing them progress as people as well as little athletes.

Coach Fel was born and raised in Fresno, CA, and initially came to San Diego for grad school. She has been in SD since 2019 but misses Monterey Bay where she spent five years and earned a bachelor’s in Psychology (CSUMB). Coach Fel used to be a preschool teacher and hopes to continue pursuing a career in child development.

She has been playing soccer since she was six years old and enjoys playing forward. She also enjoys disc golf! Her favorite food is thick-crust pizza (Gianni’s in Monterey) and anything that involves bread. In her free time, she likes to go to the gym, play in her adult soccer league, play video games, and take her dog for walkies!

Two fun facts about coach Fel are that she is a Women’s National Collegiate Disc Golf Champion and has competed in several Spartan Races throughout California. She is passionate about working for Soccer Shots because she gets to impact children through her favorite sport! Especially since it’s done in a way that builds confidence and promotes character development while also experiencing the momentum of their progress.

Frankie Perna is from North Jersey, just across the river from New York City. She came to San Diego to escape northeastern winters, and for her fiancé, who is currently taking classes in the area. She has a background in education and coaching, having worked numerous tutoring jobs and as a high school soccer coach. Soccer has been a part of her life since she was 3 years old, and she is passionate about passing on her love for the sport.

Frankie was also a varsity athlete in basketball and track & field. Her favorite food is anything she can put ranch on, and her favorite drink is root beer. In her free time, Frankie likes to draw and play sports with friends. She has three younger sisters who are her best friends. Frankie is passionate about working with children and building their self-confidence.

Gabby was born in Northridge CA but moved down to San Diego after the first week of her life. She attended a small Christian liberal arts school called Westmont College and was a Kinesiology major. She has also attended an EMT school called EMSTA College and is currently studying to get her EMT certification. When she was about 10 years old, she played one season on a CSC Crusaders team mostly as a defender. She played soccer during recess in elementary school and ended up being the libero for the freshman girls’ team at Helix Charter High School. She played tennis for the rest of her high school athletic career, moving her way up to number 2 doubles on the varsity team junior year.

She would say that her favorite food is chicken nuggets and mac and cheese (specifically the Velveeta mac! ) and her favorite color is any shade of purple and dark forest green. In her free time, she loves going to the beach, going thrifting with friends, and going on road trips with her boyfriend. Two fun facts about herself are that she named her baby sister Emily Elizabeth when she was born which was inspired by Clifford the Big Red Dog and she thinks that peanut butter and chocolate is the best food combination ever!

She is passionate about working for Soccer Shots because she loves seeing kids grow not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. She wants to help them develop social skills with their classmates, mental toughness that they can use both on and off the field and help them understand that failure is a part of the process of growing up and learning a new hobby such as soccer.

Coach Gianna is from Chula Vista, Ca, she and her family have lived in San Diego her whole life and she plans to continue living here! She loves soccer and has played since she was 5 years old. Coach Gianna continued to play in club soccer teams until she was 16 and was a midfielder and defender. She also participated in Varsity cross country and track and field in High School.

Coach Gianna’s favorite color is red and her favorite food is tacos! She enjoys going to music concerts, snowboarding, playing soccer, going to the beach, and exploring San Diego with friends in her free time. Two fun facts include that she has never broken a bone and that she was a Music Education major and sang opera at SDSU! Gianna loves working with kids and admires their creativity, she is extremely excited to continue creating a positive and fun environment for the youth for years to come!

Coach Grace was born in Colorado Springs and moved to San Diego to be closer to family and the beach. She graduated from Patrick Henry High School in June 2023 and plans to attend Cuyamaca College. She has played volleyball for fun since she was in middle school. Her favorite food is pasta and her favorite color is purple.

In her free time, she loves playing video/board games with friends and also loves spreading time with her two older siblings. Some fun facts are she loves to read books and even hopes to have a small makeshift library in her house in the future. Her favorite genres of books are myths, legends, and folktales. Grace wants to be someone who positively impacts the future generation and gives them skills that will help them in their life in the future.

Coach Ivanna is joining our team as a Part-Time Coach. She is from Rancho Cucamonga, California. She is now in San Diego attending SDSU where she is studying business marketing. Coach Ivanna started playing soccer when she was 4 and continued playing in various clubs until she was 16 as a midfield and striker. She also participated in varsity track and cross country during high school.

Her favorite food is a Mexican dish called Molé and it has been her favorite since she was a little kid. Her favorite color is green and in her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and discovering the best coffee shops around. Two fun facts about her are that she loves animals and has 9 dogs and 1 cat. And she has also traveled to 20 different countries.

She is passionate about working at Soccer Shots because growing up, her coaches taught her many valuable lessons that impacted her positively. She wants to be able to hold that same impact on others and help children foster a love for the sport to create lifelong memories.

Jonathan is a San Diego native, born and raised. Fortunately, he had the opportunity to play Division 3 soccer at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York. He is currently finishing his Bachelor’s degree online, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in math and business administration. He started playing soccer in early elementary school and has played ever since. His main position that he played in club and college was right back. He loves all types of food but his favorite is Mexican, more specifically carne asada tacos. Red is his favorite color.

When he has free time he enjoys working out and taking his dog out to walk, but if he feels like relaxing you can find him playing video games. A fun fact about himself is that he was able to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain for a semester! Also, he is a big dog person. He is passionate about working for Soccer Shots and impacting children because he loves the game and wants to be able to share what he knows and teach the youth. In addition, he hopes to inspire the next generation to play soccer.

Kevin was born and raised in San Diego, CA. He graduated from the California State University of San Marcos with a Bachelor’s in Arts and Technology and a Minor in Photography. He has been playing soccer longer than he can remember, but he believes he started playing when he was 5 years old. He has played many positions growing up and is currently a defensive midfielder. His go-to food is chicken wings and his favorite color is blue.

In his spare time, he enjoys going out to try new restaurants he has never been to before. One fun fact about Kevin is that he knows how to cook and practices making new recipes when he finds them. Another fun fact about him is he likes to go exploring/adventuring to new places. Kevin is excited to be here at Soccer Shots because he is able to go out to coach children in a fun environment and capture the special moments the children have in their experience with soccer.

Liam is originally from the Bay Area. He moved to San Diego in 2018 for school and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from San Diego State University four years later. He grew up with 3 older brothers and has been involved in sports since he was 4 years old. He played soccer for 4 years growing up and continued to play football, rugby, and golf in high school.

Liam’s favorite food is chicken wings and his favorite color is orange. In his free time, he likes to skateboard, hike, and go to the beach. 2 fun facts about him are that he is a 2x Intramural flag football champion, and more than half his clothes are from thrift stores. Liam has worked with elementary school students for over 4 years and believes the positive impact sports have on children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Coach Loryn is a third-year transfer student at SDSU and she is originally from a little town on the Central Coast called Paso Robles. She is a Child and Family Development major. At home, she has worked at two preschools and obtained her AST in Early Childhood Education, and has received two Certificate of Achievements: Child Development Associate Teacher and Child Development Teacher. She plans on obtaining a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and becoming a TK Teacher!

She played soccer for over ten years where she played every position, however, her favorite positions are left defense and left forward. She also grew up also playing softball, swimming, cheer, gymnastics, and dance– but soccer was her favorite sport! Her favorite food is sushi or Mexican food and her favorite color is olive green. In her free time, Coach Loryn loves to go on hikes, go swimming, go to amusement parks, and hang out with her friends and family.

Two fun facts about Coach Loryn are: she is the oldest of six children and she raised pigs and lambs with the FFA throughout high school! She is passionate about working for Soccer Shots and impacting children because she remembers the impact her coaches had on her growing up that really helped her fall in love with the sport. She is excited to be a part of helping children discover their love for soccer as well as helping them create long-lasting, impactful relationships and memories!

Melissa was raised in Mammoth Lakes, CA, a small ski town up North. She moved down to San Diego to attend San Diego State University where she is currently completing her last semester of undergrad studying psychology and kinesiology. Melissa played soccer from elementary school until she graduated high school. She played goalkeeper and midfield, but she liked running out on the field more. She played baseball, swam for her local swim team, and skied for her elementary and middle school ski team. However, no other sport stuck to her or made as much of an impact as soccer did!

Melissa’s favorite food is beef stroganoff and her favorite color is blue! During her free time, she likes to spend time with her friends, read a book, watch soccer, and play video games. Two fun facts about her are that she has a half-blind cat named Nick and she loves going to concerts! She is passionate about working for Soccer Shots and impacting children because she believes that children deserve a fun, supportive environment that creates a healthy relationship with sports.

​Coach Michael is originally from Portland, OR.  He moved to San Diego back in 2005 for a new job.  The majority of his career has been spent building sales teams within multiple industries, including healthcare and human resources. 

Although Coach Michael never played competitive soccer, he has spent the last three years coaching both his boys in various soccer teams.  Coach Michael competed in various sports including baseball, wrestling, and hockey. 

Coach Michael has a twin sister and is a 4x fantasy football champion.  He has a passion for building relationships.  Joining the Soccer Shots team allows him to be a kid at heart and a role model for his players.

Mick McEvoy is from San Diego California. His family has lived here for their whole lives. Mick McEvoy is currently attending Santana High School. He has played soccer for one year but decided to pursue Water Polo and Swim for his high school career. Mick’s Favorite color is Orange and their favorite food is Orange Chicken.

Some things he likes to do in his free time are to go surfing, off-roading, and to make cinematography. A little more to know about Mick is that he has a cat named Milo. He also loves to listen to music. Mick is passionate about working for soccer shots because he is eager to help children grow and help them to become amazing kids!

Coach Noel is from Hemet, California. She came to San Diego for school and the beautiful coastal lifestyle. Noel earned her B.F.A in Dance at San Diego State University in 2020. She is currently attending SDSU for digital marketing. Noel played many sports growing up but focused on basketball and dance. The extent of her soccer experience has been playing soccer with her dad on the weekends.

Noel’s favorite color is yellow because it makes her happy and her favorite food is tikka masala with garlic naan bread. In her free time, she likes to surf, skateboard, and hang out with friends. Two fun facts about Noel are that she started her own clothing brand and she loves buying plants whenever she can.

Coach Rowan is from Tucson, Arizona. He started playing soccer at the age of 3 in Nogales, Arizona, and I continued to play throughout high school in Tucson. While he has played all over the field in his career, central midfield is his favorite position because he can be involved on both ends of the pitch and get lots of touches on the ball as well!

Coach Rowan’s favorite food color is green because green food is healthy and makes you grow up to be a big strong soccer player. In his free time, he likes to surf, skate, and play lots of piano. Two fun facts about him are that he has two adorable dogs back home named Nina and Bella, and another fun fact is that he won a freestyle soccer trick contest before.

Coach Rowan is incredibly passionate about joining Soccer Shots because Soccer was always the best part of the day when he was younger and wants to be able to give as many kids as possible the same opportunities which he had to go have a blast on the soccer pitch.

Coach Tiffany is originally from Orange County CA and is stoked to be down in San Diego to be a student at SDSU. Tiffany has an Associate’s degree in Child Development from Fullerton College and currently is working towards her bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development. Not only that, she has spent the past 3 years as a Nanny specializing in infants and toddlers. Most of her soccer experience comes from childhood and playing soccer with kids when she was a summer camp counselor.

Coach Tiffany’s favorite food is fish tacos, and her favorite color is blue! During her free time, she enjoys reading, going to the beach, and trying new restaurants with her friends. Two fun facts about Tiffany are that she used to work at Walt Disney World and she loves to cook! Tiffany is excited to be working for Soccer Shots because she is passionate about providing children with positive, impactful early childhood experiences and building meaningful relationships.

Thomas’s early childhood was spent in a small town near the Chicago area of Illinois but he grew into an adult in Los Angeles, California. He moved to San Diego with his wife in September of 2021 to set up roots for the next stages of their lives as she completes her Master’s in vocal performance for Opera at SDSU. Although he did not grow up playing Soccer, He is a huge Chelsea fan! Basketball has been a constant guiding light throughout his life, giving him important life lessons and team-based skills that have been just as relevant off the court as they were on the court.

Purple is the best color in his opinion; it is the color of passion! In his free time, I love coaching basketball, playing basketball, board games, and trading card games like Magic The Gathering. He played Division II Basketball in Virginia before sustaining a severe ankle injury. In 2018 he lived and worked abroad in Australia, which was an amazing and humbling experience. He is excited to work with Soccer Shots and fulfill my passionate mission to help better the lives of children positively and the communities they thrive in!