Langley United Soccer Club has two new technical leads who will share their expertise with local players.
Nick Soolsma and Chelsey Hannesson start their duties Sept. 1.
“The club is currently experiencing its highest growth in history in terms of registration,” said LUSA first vice president Arnout Stams. “As such it was needed to add to the technical department by creating two fulltime technical lead positions to support our technical director, Mark Parker.
Hannesson is a former Langley resident and is returning to the community where she started playing soccer. She is a staff coach with Richmond Hill Soccer Club in Toronto.
“Having a female coach in the club with such vast experience locally as well as at the collegiate level was an easy decision for us to make,” Stams said. “Our girls program is growing at the same rate as our boys program, and we needed to ensure that all areas where covered. Chelsey’s enthusiasm and passion for coaching will be a benefit to both our girls and boys programs and her experience from the university level in the NCAA will be one that we will be looking to share with our players.”
In her luggage will surely be some accolades. In addition to representing B.C. in the provincial program at the national training centre program, Hannesson won a gold medal at the Canada Games.
She attended Eastern Washington University on a full-ride scholarship and captained her NCAA Division 1 women’s team for three years.
The club announced Soolsma’s appointment a couple of days previously.
“We interviewed many suitable candidates and are extremely happy to have Nick join our staff.”
Most recently Soolsma was with Preston GM Langley FC, a position he took up following retirement from professional football with South Melbourne FC.
Prior to playing in the southern hemisphere, Soulsma was with Toronto FC in the MLS.
His career began in the Netherlands in the youth ranks of Dutch side FC Volendam. During the 2007 season he played for FC Volendam’s Under-19 side.
He then played for HFC Haarlem in the Eerste Divisie before moving to the HFC Haarlem in the Eerste Divisie.
“In the coming days once we have finalized some further details will be announcing the second technical lead. The future of Langley United is very, very exciting,” Stams said.
