The new year brings a fresh outlook for The Fish with a solid long-term vision of community, and new and exciting talent, as the Cascadia Premier League (CPL) kicks off in a few months, including preseason friendlies from some familiar USL2 & USLW teams to start the season, the launch of the Steelheads Academy, and announcement of the new coaching staff.
New Era of Coaching
With Men’s and Women’s games starting in the Spring, the Steelheads look to kickstart their outdoor program with initial tryouts starting February 5th & 6th for the Men, and 11th & 12th for the Women. After some post-season changes in the club, some old and new faces will be taking the reigns on the outdoor program this year. Long-time Steelheads Coach & former Director of Soccer Dagi Kesim resigned in late summer to focus on continuing to build his own youth program, Gala FC (Former Steelheads reserve team in the Cascadia Premier League – Division 2).
One of the new faces that will likely make a massive impact on the outdoor program for years to come is Kieren Raney. Raney will officially step in as Director of Outdoor Football. While his full-time role will be to continue leading Everett College and Arlington High School, Raney will be the primary brains behind the tactics, training, and formation, and be the main point person in terms of strategy. Raney is a Snohomish High School and Northwest University alumni, leading Everett College to two quarterfinals appearances, and a semi-final appearance in 2022 as their Head Coach. Lastly, Raney is the Outreach Director at Adventure Soccer where he does charity work in Africa.
Also included in the mix of the coaching staff will be Director of Indoor Football Andrew Escalante, who will step in as Interim Coach. President & Chairman Dorian Lair will step in to assist where needed. In the meantime, the Steelheads will look to finalize a few rounds of interviews with potential candidates for the permanent Head and Assistant Coach roles for both Men & Women.
Both Men and Women will look to finalize plans with a few Pacific Norwest Region USL 2 and USL W sides this coming spring, to keep competition high, while getting a taste for what a future Snohomish County FC bid may look like in the future
After tryouts in February, the Steelheads will be training Tuesday & Thursday at 7:00 pm, at Meadowdale Playfields in Lynnwood. Games will be played at Veterans Memorial Stadium (Snohomish High School).
Steelheads Academy
To add to the excitement, starting in march, the Steelheads have finalized a program deal, in partnership with the City of Lynnwood, to launch the new Steelheads Academy Program. the program will consist of conditioning drills, footwork drills, shooting drills, and communication drills., side-by-side with both men’s and women’s first teams. All key parts in developing youth into a strong soccer players and giving the community a sense of what it’s like to “train with the pros.”
If you are interested in trying out or registering for the youth academy, you can visit the snocofc.com website for more details!
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