staff

Eclipse coaches live our Five P's philosophy every day on the field. We believe the best coaches don't just teach soccer—they create environments where players feel confident, supported, and excited to improve.

Our staff coaches are trained in youth development practices and follow a club-wide curriculum that emphasizes technical skill, tactical understanding, and—most importantly—joy in the game. All coaches pass background checks and are committed to making Eclipse a place where every player belongs.

Alex grew up playing forward in his youth soccer career before continuing to play on the Sacramento State University club soccer team. He graduated with a degree in Kinesiology - Exercise Science and Therapeutic Rehab and now works as an exercise specialist for cardiac rehab at John Muir. He began his coaching career with Alhambra High School before joining Eclipse in 2019.

Alex is currently the head coach of the Acalanes Varsity Girls. He holds his USSF Grassroots license and is currently working toward his D license. He also holds La Liga Level 2 and 3 certifications and the United Soccer Coaches 11v11 diploma. This is his eighth year with Eclipse.

Alexi joined the coaching staff in the winter of 2023 after many years of following the club through his friends, coaches Tarek and Riad. He was a standout player at Acalanes High School, earning All-League and Team MVP honors. He continued playing during his time at UCSD through intramural leagues and adult leagues, and has also played with Bladium Rosal, spent a year in Kreisliga B with BSC Eintracht Suedring in Berlin, Germany, and played five years in the SFSFL.

His passion for soccer has crossed over into his career, having spent 12 years working in soccer data and analytics for various organizations, including MLS, Liga MX, the Bundesliga, various college programs, and the USA and Germany national teams. He holds a La Liga license. This is his third year with Eclipse.

Amir grew up locally and spent his high school years playing in the early years of Eclipse. He played for Coach Shane Carney for four years at Campolindo High School, winning multiple titles and earning All-League honors his junior and senior seasons. After high school, he pursued his playing career in Germany playing for FC Emmendingen.

Amir coached for Eclipse as an assistant for four seasons before returning to the staff as a head coach in 2024 after moving back into the area following completion of his degree at UCSD. He holds his USSF D license and four total USSF coaching licenses. This is his third year with Eclipse.

Bennett grew up in the Bay Area, playing club and school soccer in Piedmont. He continues to play recreationally through local futsal leagues and pick-up soccer games. He is a diehard fan of the sport and wants to share that passion through coaching. He is a true believer in Eclipse's culture of promoting multi-sport athletes, as he also competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Prior to joining Eclipse, Bennett coached a variety of sports including basketball, football, and baseball and has worked as a camp counselor. He holds his USSF Grassroots license and two total USSF coaching licenses. This is his third year with Eclipse.

Brandon grew up in Oakland, playing for Montclair Clippers, Bay Oaks Soccer Club, and Rockridge Sting (now East Bay United) as a goalkeeper, striker, and midfielder. He still plays weekly with his group of friends and has been a dedicated Manchester United fan for 25 years. Some of his best soccer memories are being with teammates at tournaments - those were some of the best times of his life.

Brandon coaches because he had coaches who made a lifelong impact on him - they pushed him to be a better person and player, and gave him confidence when he really needed it. Now he wants to do his part with the next generation of young players. He holds his USSF C license and has completed 10 total coaching licenses and certifications, including all four USSF Grassroots licenses and Ajax's education program for Youth Academies. This is his tenth year with the club.

Chris grew up in England where he played throughout high school, collegiately at Salford University, and in various adult leagues. He began his coaching career in the United States as an assistant coach for the Washington and Lee University men's soccer team. He moved to the area when he began working as a math professor at Saint Mary's College, where he founded both the men's and women's club soccer teams.

Chris coached the women's team from 2009 to 2015, including an undefeated season in 2013 with wins over Stanford and USC. He was an assistant coach with Eclipse for three seasons before moving into a head coaching role in 2024. He is also SMC's Faculty Athletics Representative and a member of the West Coast Conference Executive Council. This is his third year with Eclipse.

Fernando grew up playing soccer and futsal in his childhood in Guadalajara, Mexico. In an effort to improve his life, he moved to the United States at the age of 19 and is forever grateful for the opportunities he has found. For the past ten years, he has volunteered as a coach for many soccer clubs throughout the Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond areas.

In addition to coaching soccer, Fernando has experience and knowledge in various physical training methods, including agility, coordination, CrossFit, boot camps, yoga, stretching, and weight training. He is also very passionate about nutrition and passing that knowledge on to his players. This is his second year with Eclipse.

Hayes grew up in Virginia where he was a three-sport varsity captain in high school - soccer, basketball, and field hockey. He played over 10 years of club soccer at a high level and was named All-Conference in high school. Hayes moved to the area to attend UC Berkeley and graduated with a BS in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research, as well as a Minor in Data Science. While at Cal, he played on and was Co-President/CFO of the UC Berkeley Club Soccer Team.

Hayes holds his USSF D license and more than ten additional coaching licenses. This is his third year coaching with Eclipse.

Johnny enters his 12th year with Eclipse and 36th year of coaching. Prior to Eclipse, Johnny coached at MDSA, DVSC, DFC, and Heritage Soccer Club. He also coached the varsity girls at Clayton Valley High School where he led them to a BVAL title. He played at the Private University of Nicaragua.

Johnny holds his USSF D license and several coaching diplomas from United Soccer Coaches, La Liga Level 2 and 3, and four from Fiorentina. He also spent three years as Eclipse's U11-U14 Boys Director.

Jose was a three-year varsity soccer captain for Alhambra High School, where he was named to the All-DVAL First Team in 2015-16. He also played club soccer locally for 12 years. His favorite soccer memories as a kid were the friendships that came from the game - teammates who became family, and the pure joy of competing together.

Jose spent three seasons coaching at Campolindo High School and currently serves as head JV coach and varsity assistant and program goalkeeper coach for the Acalanes Girls. He holds his USSF C license and is currently working toward his B License. He has more than 10 licenses from organizations including USSF, United Soccer Coaches, La Liga and TOVO. This is his eighth year with Eclipse.

After years of coaching local teams against Eclipse, Jose joined the club in 2019. Jose has been coaching for eleven total years with experience at Deportivo Oakland, Real Oakland, and the BullDogs Brazil Soccer Club, where he served as club vice president in addition to his head coaching responsibilities. In addition to club coaching, he has worked as a teacher and academic mentor and ran the soccer program for ASCEND Sunset Warriors.

Jose holds his USSF C license and is currently working toward his B license. He also holds the United Soccer Coaches National Diploma, USSF National D license, all USSF Grassroots licenses, and several additional United Soccer Coaches diplomas. This is his eighth year with Eclipse.

Juan is a soccer fanatic who enjoys the sport any chance he gets. He started playing as a child and has played his entire life - still competing in adult leagues around the Bay Area. He got into coaching with a team in Martinez, but after hearing about Eclipse from his cousin, Coach Fernando, he wanted to join the Eclipse Family. At Eclipse, he has spent time coaching boys teams at multiple age groups and Future Eclipse.

Juan holds a license from La Liga. This is his fifth year with Eclipse.

Kaci began playing soccer at the age of 4 and competed at high levels of club soccer for DFC and Mustang ECNL. While a student at Clayton Valley Charter High School, she was a varsity captain for 3 years, was named to the DVAL Second Team, DVAL First Team, and was the league's Offensive MVP. After graduating high school in 2017, she continued her playing career at Solano Community College and Diablo Valley College, including being a captain for DVC.

Kaci began her coaching career with the organization Kidz Love Soccer and graduated from Stan State with a degree in Exercise Science. In addition to coaching for Eclipse, she is also the JV Girls head coach at Campolindo and an assistant coach for the DVC Women's Soccer team. She holds her USSF D license and three total USSF licenses. This is her fourth year with Eclipse.

Kaj joined Eclipse's coaching staff for the 2022-23 Winter Program. He grew up in Lafayette and played club soccer for Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, and DFC. While playing varsity soccer for Acalanes, he was a key contributor to their undefeated league champion team his junior year and was named the league's Offensive MVP his senior year.

Prior to Eclipse, Kaj worked as an assistant coach at Lamorinda and spent several summers working camps and clinics for America Scores and Gino's Soccer Camps. He is also a certified referee. He graduated with a degree in Sport Management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He holds his USSF D license and three total USSF licenses. This is his fourth year with Eclipse.

Kevin is a Pennsylvania native who played soccer at the highest youth levels—an 8-year standout in the state and Region 1 ODP, an All-State and Regional All-American in high school, and a 4-year D1 player at Bucknell. His approach to coaching is deeply rooted in the team-first culture he experienced with two of Pennsylvania's most decorated club teams: the '75 Pittsburgh Hotspurs and '76 Pittsburgh Strikers—both multi-time state champions and national contenders.

At Eclipse, Kevin focuses on player development and building a lasting love for the game. He brings his experience from playing at the highest levels while maintaining the joy and team-first mentality that keeps kids engaged in the sport. He holds multiple USSF licenses and La Liga Level 3 certification. This is his sixth year with Eclipse.

Lisel joined Eclipse's coaching staff during the 2021-22 Winter Program. She played at Ransom Everglades High School in Miami where she was a 4-year varsity player, team captain, and earned All-City honors twice. She went on to play for two years at Williams College. Growing up without much opportunity for organized soccer, she often found her way to fields to play with and against local boys. Eventually she began playing on her first team with girls in middle school.

Being a soccer player was one of the most formative experiences of her life, so she wants to support young girls on their journeys. Lisel holds her USSF C license and 12 total coaching licenses, including five from United Soccer Coaches. This is her fifth year coaching with Eclipse.

Piotr grew up playing soccer in Poland throughout his childhood. He was a member of the Polish National Olympic Team in Taekwondo, finishing fifth at the World Junior Taekwondo Championship in Barcelona, Spain. He also compiled two gold, two silver, and four bronze medals in Polish National Championships and Poland Cups. He began his coaching journey in Taekwondo, but his love for soccer and his soccer-playing son have brought him back to the sport.

Piotr holds his USSF B license and 15 total coaching licenses, including all USSF Grassroots licenses, La Liga Level 3, USSF National C license, and a diploma from the Barça Coach Academy. He is also a certified US Soccer referee. This is his fifth year with Eclipse.

Steve grew up playing soccer in elementary school, junior high, and high school, and on club teams while in college in Seattle. He has been coaching for 16 years for high school and club teams. He began his coaching career at Sacred Heart Academy in Honolulu when he was in the US Coast Guard; then he coached club teams in Hawaii, at Lick Wilmerding High School in San Francisco, and most recently at The College Preparatory High School in Oakland.

He coached U8 - U16 players at Albany-Berkeley Soccer Club for 12 seasons, at Eastshore Alliance for three seasons, and at Rayados FC in Richmond for four seasons. Steve holds his USSF C license and all four USSF Grassroots licenses. He's also earned his national referee license. This is his second year with Eclipse.

Taylor played high school soccer under Coach Shane Carney at Campolindo from 2009-2012. He coached for Eclipse for five years (including its inaugural year) and even played a year with the U19 Eclipse Men's team. He left the club to study Architecture at the University of Southern California for 5 years and returned to the Bay Area in 2021. While in Los Angeles, Taylor stayed active playing in adult and intramural college divisions.

Taylor is currently the head varsity coach for the Miramonte Girls Soccer Program and has coached the team to a league title and an NCS title. He holds four USSF coaching licenses and a La Liga license. He is in his 11th year overall with Eclipse.

Hannah has played soccer for over 15 years, playing her youth soccer primarily for Walnut Creek SC and Northgate High School. She has most recently played two seasons in the Women's Premier Soccer League. Prior to Eclipse, she spent the past few years coaching for Mt. Diablo Soccer Association.

Hannah has a BS in Kinesiology and is currently pursuing her master's in the same subject area. She is also a coach for the Northgate High School Girls Soccer Program. She holds her USSF Grassroots license. This is her third year coaching with Eclipse.

Jenna grew up in the East Bay and played soccer throughout her youth. She played club soccer for MPHFC where she was actually coached by Eclipse Coach Casey. She also competed at the high school level for College Park High School. She began coaching for Eclipse in 2024 as an assistant coach with various teams throughout the club.

Through her commitment to development, she has grown tremendously as a coach and will serve as a head coach this season. She holds her USSF Grassroots license. This is her third year with Eclipse.

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coaches

head coaches

Alex Avelar

Alexi Anderson

Amir Aliakbari

Bennett Barnes

Brandon Thompson

Chris Jones

Fernando Salazar

Hayes Nguyen

Jesse Jobert

Jesus Perez

Johnny Molina

Jose Diaz Mercado

Jose Luis Diaz

Juan Perri

Juan Vargas

Kaci Trujillo

Kaj Simonsen

Kevin McClure

Lisel Welden

Mario Ramirez

Peter Yu

Piotr Zarzycki

Ronit Garg

Steve Aitkins

Taylor Abbott

staff coaches

Alec Real

Ben Kokel

Ben Sagi

Charlotte Fabo

Fernando Sevilla

Hannah Walden

Jenna Lindenau

Jossy Grilli

Luke Ahearn

Newt Lloyd

Victor Ruesga