Washington Spirit Academy – Baltimore Armour announces 2018-2019 Girls’ DA coaching staff

Washington Spirit  |   May 31, 2018
Washington Spirit Academy – Baltimore Armour announces 2018-2019 Girls’ DA coaching staff Featured Image

Boyds, MD (May 31, 2018) – Washington Spirit Academy – Baltimore Armour director Santino Quaranta has finalized the club’s coaching staff for the 2018-2019 U.S. Soccer Girls’ Development Academy season.

Quaranta has added Denison Cabral and Morgan Ruhl to the development academy coaching staff. The two will join returning academy coaches Sam Haddad, Danny Skelton and Adam Wrede for the academy’s second season.

“We’re very excited to finalize such a professional staff that embodies the core values and principles of the Washington Spirit,” Quaranta said. “Our vision this year will be to incorporate a group-like approach with coaches being integrated throughout all teams. Our playing style and mentality will be similar from our youngest group to the U-19 level. Vertical integration and challenging players is a staple of our program and we will do the same with the staff.”

Cabral, known for his playing and coaching experience in indoor soccer, will become head coach for the 2006 year age group. He is most known for playing 13 seasons with the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team; winning five championships with the team. The past two seasons, Cabral has been the head coach for the Harrisburg Heat in the Major Arena Soccer League. He also has experience at the collegiate level as an assistant coach with the Johns Hopkins women’s soccer team. In 2006, Cabral opened the Denison Cabral Futsal Academy in Maryland to teach young players the skills that made the Brazilian soccer team a leader in the sport.

Ruhl, a former goalkeeper for the LSU women’s soccer team, will serve as the goalkeeper coach for the Spirit Academy – Baltimore Armour program this season. She has previously spent time as both an assistant and volunteer coach at Loyola University Maryland for the 2016 and 2017 season. In her senior year at LSU, Ruhl served as the undergraduate goalkeepers coach for the women’s soccer team.

Haddad will return as an assistant coach for the Spirit Academy – Baltimore Armour program this season. The returning coach has over 15 years of coaching experience with the Soccer Association of Columbia (SAC) and other clubs including women’s semi-professional WPSL side Maryland Pride.

Skelton is coming back for his second season with the program. Following a four-year playing career at Towson University and one season with Crystal Palace USA, Skelton has now spent more than a decade coaching some of the top players in the Baltimore area, at the high school, club and amateur levels.

Wrede will return as head coach of the U-17 team with the Spirit Academy. Wrede brings over 25 years of playing and coaching experience to the training fields. He was a four-year starter at Goucher College where he earned CAC All-Conference honors. Wrede spent four years as a director and trainer for Coerver Training before joining SAC’s travel soccer coaching staff.

  • Santino Quaranta – Director
  • Denison Cabral – 2006
  • Adam Wrede / Danny Skelton – 2005
  • Danny Skelton / Adam Wrede – 2004
  • Adam Wrede – U17 Head Coach
  • Santino Quaranta / Danny Skelton – U19
  • Morgan Ruhl – Goalkeeper Coach
  • Sam Haddad – Assistant Coach

The addition of Cabral gives the overall Spirit Academy staff eight (8) coaches with significant professional playing or coaching experience:

  • Overall Academy Technical Director – Jim Gabarra, former U.S. Men’s National Team member and 1988 Olympian
  • Overall Academy Technical Advisor – Briana Scurry, former U.S. Women’s National Team member, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 1999 World Cup Champion
  • Academy Director – Baltimore – Santino Quaranta, former U.S. Men’s National Team member and forward for D.C. United, LA Galaxy, and New York Red Bulls
  • Academy Director – Virginia – Tom Torres, 9-year veteran of D.C. United Academy with time spent as assistant for D.C. United U23 team and MLS team. Current Assistant Coach with the NWSL team
  • Academy Head Coach – Virginia – Lisa Cole, original National Women’s Soccer League head coach with the Boston Breakers
  • Academy Head Coach – Baltimore – Denison Cabral, 13 year player for Baltimore Blast and 5 year head coach for Harrisburg Heat professional indoor teams.
  • Academy Assistant Coach – Virginia – Holly Wiles, former U.S. Youth Women’s National Team member
  • Academy Speed and Conditioning Coach – Virginia – Lori Lindsey, former U.S. Women’s National Team member and captain of the Washington Spirit NWSL

A full list of the club’s 2018-2019 coaching assignments will be posted soon on WashingtonSpirit.com/DA.

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