Washington Spirit Announces Inaugural Female Coaching Mentorship Class

Three local coaches to receive unique development opportunities

The Washington Spirit has announced the club’s inaugural coaching mentorship class. This unique professional development opportunity is designed to elevate and support female soccer coaches in the Washington, D.C. region. The Spirit selected next-generation coaches Madeleine DiFolco, Saede Eifrig, and Clare Roche from an impressive pool of applicants. Each selected mentee demonstrated promising coaching potential, open-minded curiosity, and a strong ambition to innovate for the future of the sport.

“This program helps bring to life our club vision to create access and opportunity for the next generation. “The selected mentees will provide a positive impact on our organization as they hone their tactical and leadership skills.”

Mark Krikorian, Washington Spirit President of Soccer Operations

Meet the Mentees:

Madeleine DiFolco is in the midst of her youth coaching tenure with the Alexandria Soccer Association Junior Academy. DiFolco has spent the past two years guiding young players through the formative years of their athletic careers. With her experience at the youth soccer level, DiFolco knows firsthand the importance of young girls seeing women in coaching positions. She names “growth and resilience” as two of her key coaching principles. She aims to further develop the ability to facilitate continuous player improvement, emphasizing the importance of various physical and mental skills both on and off the field to one’s athletic career. DiFolco studied psychology at James Madison University in Virginia.

Saede Eifrig currently manages DC SCORES programs while earning her U.S. Soccer Federation D-class coaching license. Eifrig has also been coaching youth soccer in the DC area for over two years, having led various youth teams at The Player Progression Academy and Washington Capital United. Eifrig is interested in learning about a wide range of coaching methodologies and how to tailor technical skill development plans for each player. She hopes to observe a range of approaches to develop her blend of coaching styles. One point of emphasis in Eifrig’s coaching philosophy is the importance of individuality and how to balance encouraging a team identity while preserving each player’s unique identity. Before her coaching career, Eifrig played at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

Clare Roche is an experienced youth academy coach and former collegiate soccer player. Roche has led the Player Progression Academy’s 2010 Green Girls team to recent success, leading them to a top-five ranking in Maryland and a finals appearance in the Maryland State Cup this year. Roche believes that it is essential for young players to have female role models in sports leadership positions, citing her own positive experience and the encouragement she received from playing for a female head coach at George Washington University. Additionally, she is committed to promoting a focus on individual development both on and off the field while ensuring a love of the game. One tenet of coaching that Roche feels strongly about is that the players’ dedication to success on the field should be mirrored by a commitment to excellence from a coaching staff.

The Spirit’s new mentorship program aims to elevate and support female soccer coaches in the Washington, D.C. area. The three participants will work closely with Assistant Coach Angela Salem, Assistant Coach/Player Development Coach Mami Yamaguchi, and Player Development Coach Morinao Imaizumi, gaining approximately 150 hours of experience in women’s soccer coaching over the next 12 months.

DiFolco, Eifrig, and Roche will go through a highly personalized program with their Spirit mentors. These hands-on programs will help each mentee develop a comprehensive understanding of soccer-specific tactics, explore technologies revolutionizing the game, gain insight into performance and strength & conditioning methodologies, and work through opponent analysis and game preparation. In covering all aspects of coaching professional soccer, each mentee will participate in a customized mentorship process that aligns with their respective strengths and addresses their specific interests.

In 2024, all home matches will take place at Audi Field in Buzzard Point, ensuring players and fans alike have access to a facility befitting a professional club. Fans can secure tickets to all 2024 home matches with a season membership.