Veteran coaching educator eager to help Northern Va. youth club continue growth

LEESBURG, VA. - Loudoun Soccer is proud to announce the appointment of Dave Scruggs as the club's Director of Player Development.

The new role will see the experienced coach take charge of Loudoun's large recreational program, advise its rapidly-growing technical staff and develop a progressive new coaching curriculum, including substantial online resources to help aspiring coaches build their knowledge.

"We're very thrilled to have Dave aboard and can't wait to put his expertise to work," said Darryl Gee, Loudoun's technical director. "It's been a long search, and we wanted to make sure the person we chose would be a good fit for our club -- and I am happy to say that we got our man."

Scruggs joins Loudoun after two years as the director of coaching and player development at Norfolk United Soccer Club, where, among other duties, he managed the training staff and developed a comprehensive curriculum for player development. He previously held a similar role at Hockessin Soccer Club in Delaware, where he began coaching at the conclusion of a successful playing career featuring stints at Arizona's Yavapai College, a dominant program which has won seven junior college national championships and produced numerous professional players, as well as the South Jersey Barons of the Premier Development League.

A certified U.S. Soccer Federation "A" License coach, Scruggs also holds a USSF National Youth License and a National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and has contributed greatly to the Virginia Youth Soccer Association as a VYSA Coaching Education Staff Coach and an ODP Staff Coach.

"It's an exciting time for Loudoun Soccer and I am eager to get started," said Scruggs, who described his decision to join one of the region's largest clubs a "no-brainer" after he saw the long-term vision laid out by Gee. "I've had the opportunity to see different organizations and clubs throughout the state of Virginia and Loudoun's staff is second to none."

The club is scheduling a number of town hall meetings throughout Loudoun County over the coming weeks in order to introduce Scruggs to the Loudoun Soccer community and explain his plans for building and improving the recreational program.

"We really want to focus on technical development in 'Zone One,' players in the 6-12 age range, putting the building blocks in place for them to grow and advance their skills," said Scruggs, citing the benefits of Loudoun's Technical Training Academy, a skills-development program for travel players which he hopes to replicate on the club's recreational side.

Scruggs' arrival marks the final piece in Loudoun's revamped technical staff, which also includes Director of Travel Mark Ryan, Director of the Under-7/Under-8 Academy Vicky Hall, Director of Goalkeeping John O'Hara, Director of the U9-U12 Boys' Travel Program Michael Green, Director of the U9-U12 Girls' Travel program Rae Ann Taylor and Director of College Placement Randy May.

With over 15,000 soccer registrations annually, nearly 2,000 coaches, over 30 soccer-related programs for players between the ages of three and 18 and countless community outreach programs, Loudoun Soccer is Virginia's largest soccer program and one of the largest youth soccer clubs in the Washington, D.C. region. Learn more at Loudoun Soccer's official website.