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Ian Decker
Washingtonspirit.com
Boyds, MD., (8/24/2020) – The Washington Spirit are excited to announce that Kris Ward will be joining the club’s technical staff as a Team Tactical Analysis & Player Performance Development Coach, effective August 25. Ward was most recently head coach of the boys’ soccer program at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, CA.
Ward has spent over 20 years coaching across all levels of the sport and holds a USSF “B” License. Over the course of his career, Ward has accrued coaching experience at all levels, ranging from coaching FIFA World Player of the Year winners such as Abby Wambach and Homare Sawa to leading developmental youth programs at the U5 level.
Ward also has a strong background in sports physiology and is certified in the fields of Modern Physiology and Sports Psychology. Ward also has a background in the executive level, as he worked as the director of coaching for DC Stoddert from 2014 to 2016.
Ward joins the Spirit with prior experience at the club, as he spent one year with the Spirit as a First Assistant in 2013. In his role, Ward designed and directed training sessions and developed a comprehensive fitness plan for the team, minimizing injuries to first-team players.
Ward also brings with him a vast knowledge of scouting, as he has spent the past eight years as a scout for the Seattle Sounders in the MLS, during which time he managed all aspects of team scouting, including video analysis and match prep. Thanks to his vast scouting experience, Ward is highly proficient with modern technologies and systems that provide coaches advanced metrics and film to better evaluate and develop players.
Ward had this to say on joining the Spirit: “I am so happy to be coming back to Washington, D.C. and rejoining the Spirit family. I cannot thank Richie [Burke] enough for the chance to come in and be a part of the staff that he and Larry [Best] have put together. It’s an exciting time and I am very fortunate to be a part of it.”Spirit Head Coach Richie Burke said this on the appointment: “I’m delighted to add another important piece to our Technical Staff and bringing Kris to the club is a huge step forward for our club. His experience in match analytics, scouting & individual player development processes will allow us to vastly improve our overall service level to our players.”
