WAYNE HARPENAU
Director of Coaches; Head Coach 2004 Boys Green (Premier) and 2008 Girls Green (Premier), 2007 Girls White (Premier)
Coach Wayne has over eight years of experience coaching soccer. In addition to coaching with PSC, he has also coached with the American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO) and the Indiana Youth Soccer Association (IYSA). He is certified through IYSA on Youth Coaching models I & II and currently has his USSF D License. He is currently the men's JV coach as well as the assistant Varsity men's and women's coach at Hackett Catholic Prep. In addition to his coaching duties, he is an active member of the PSC board serving as Vice President of Coaching. He works very closely with Vu Le, Director of Technical Development, to assist our club's coaching staff by providing invaluable guidance and support.
scott austin
Head Coach 2014 Girls Green
Coach Scott currently holds USSF 7v7, 9v9, and 11v11Grassroots licenses. He has coached with PSC since 2022, and he has also coached with AYSO Region 74 since 2021. Scott's coaching philosophy is focused on providing opportunities for players to make as many decisions as possible, allowing them to grow as individuals and a team while gaining a deeper understanding of the game. In addition to coaching, Scott serves as on the Board as Director of Communication.
Steve Abdo
Head Coach 2005 Girls Green (Premier)
Coach Steve has over 20 years coaching experience with all age groups from U9 to U18. His coaching experience includes Head Coach and Assistant Coach responsibilities for boys’ and girls’ teams with AYSO, Kalamazoo Kingdom, and Portage Soccer Club. His teams have played at the Select, Elite, State Cup and Premier levels. He holds his USSF E License. In addition to coaching Steve is also an active USSF & MHSAA referee.
David Areaux
Head Coach 2009 Girls Green
Coach David currently holds a USSF D & E License. David has been with Portage Soccer Club for 11 years, working with teams from Academy to Premier I level. David also does specialized goalie training for the club. David has played soccer since he was 4-years old, where he started in goal. He played goalie for Jackson High School, where he still holds two records: lowest goals against and lowest goals against average. His senior year, he was named to the Jackson Citizen Patriot Dream Team, as well as the Capital Area All-Conference team. He has continued to play in adult and intramural leagues throughout college.
Matt Cavalli
Head Coach 2011 Boys White
Coach Matt has coached soccer for over seven years at the U5 through U12 levels in both Minnesota and Michigan, including one year with AYSO 74. Coach Matt holds a USSF Grassroots 9v9 license and is currently completing his USSF Grassroots11v11 license. Matt grew up in Wyoming and played soccer through early middle school, preferring to play defender/back (before switching to the other football...). He is committed to providing an encouraging atmosphere for players to learn, grow and compete.
BABAJIDE DARANIJOH
Head Coach 2009 Boys Green (Premier)
Coach Baba has 5 years coaching experience with the Portage Soccer Club and 2 years with the American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO Region 74). He currently holds a USSF E License. He grew up playing soccer in his native country Nigeria. He is a patriotic supporter of the Nigeria national football teams and an avid fan of Chelsea FC. His love of the beautiful game keeps him busy all year round coaching, watching, or playing.
Derek Dee
Head Coach 2010 Boys White, 2013 Boys Yellow
Coach Derek holds a USSF class D license. He played collegiate soccer for four years at Kalamazoo College and has coached nine years at the high school level and youth level 2014. Derek says, “I have been playing soccer since I was 4, and I love to share my passion for the game.”
Bill Dietzel
Head Coach 2008 Girls White (Premier)
Coach Bill holds a USSF class E license and has coached with the Portage Soccer Club for three years. Bill says, “My philosophy on coaching is to build an environment that highlights fun, respect and continued learning as the foundation of the team. I believe that personal and team growth carry more weight than wins and losses. I enjoy coaching at the PSC because of the different levels of competition offered by the club and the emphasis of finding the right level of competition for each player.”
Leann Gaviglio
Head Coach 2013 Girls White
Coach Leann has been coaching for four years. Prior to this season she coached U13 through high school aged girls. She played travel soccer growing up, and has played in adult recreational leagues since graduation. In her spare time she enjoys running, playing softball and soccer, and spending time outside with her dogs.
Jenn Harris
Head Coach 2004 Girls Green (Premier)
Coach Jenn has played soccer since she was 3 years old. She played travel club soccer growing up and loved her experience. She was First Team All-State in high school and played on WMU's first ever Womens’ Varsity soccer team from 1996 through 1999. She received The Coach’s Award at WMU in 1996. She still plays soccer competitively at least twice a week. She has coached AYSO in the past and has been coaching with PSC for 5 years. Coach Jenn says, “I love the sport and I love kids, so coaching comes pretty easy to me. My main focus is building self-esteem in these young women and skill development. Once they have that, I watch them achieve so much in soccer and in life. It's been very fulfilling coaching. I have formed life-long relationships with players and families. I may be the loudest coach you've ever heard, I can't help it... And I coach for the Portage Soccer Club because they believe in player development while promoting a positive and fun environment. PSC wants every kid to be able to play, offering scholarships for some kids in need. PSC facilities are above and beyond anything in this area.
P.S. “They have the best coaches.””
Brandon Hilts
Head Coach 2005 Girls Green (Premier) Spring Season, 2005 Girls White
Coach Brandon holds a USSF class E license and has coached AYSO teams for three years prior to coaching with the PSC for the last seven years. He has over 30 years of playing experience with AYSO, club teams, high school, and adult recreational teams. Brandon says, “I am passionate about the game of soccer and enjoy creating an environment where players can build their own passion for the game. I believe that club soccer should be both, a very fun as well as very educational experience. I believe that the game is the best teacher and building a strong foundation of technical skills and then giving players the opportunity to put those skills to use in games and game like activities puts them in the best position to find success on the field. I expect my players to have good sportsmanship on and off the field and to be good teammates, students and citizens, and always, to be thankful for their parents/guardians for providing the opportunity for them to play the beautiful game.
Katy Hopkins
Coach PSC Academy, Co-Coach 2013 Girls White
Coach Katy currently holds a USSF Class E License and has coached youth soccer for over 10 years. Katy’s coaching and training experience is from the U5 to U10 age groups with Kingdom, PSC and AYSO Region 212. She started at AYSO for four years before coaching Kingdom U10 Girls Black team for a year. Then she managed/coached the Academy for two years. She played Rugby in College at CMU before starting to play indoor and outdoor recreational soccer. Katy has currently has one daughter playing soccer.
Katy’s philosophy is “Watching the players develop skills and confidence through positive reinforcement throughout the course of a season gives me the greatest satisfaction as a coach along with the players excitement to be playing and learning soccer every week.” Katy hopes that she and Phil will create a life-long love of the sport for the Academy players, using the Grass Roots Coaching approach, Play-Practice-Play, from US Soccer.
Shannon Howard
Head Coach 2013 Green Girls
Coach Shannon has played soccer all her life and still plays once a week in an adult recreational league. She played 1 year of club soccer at GVSU in 2005 and coached Varsity Women's Soccer at Comstock High School from 2009-2014. She has her grassroots coaching certificate and is working towards getting her coaching license. She has secondary teaching degree and have been working with kids for over 13 years. Coach Shannon says; "Making mistakes is an essential part of learning and players need to be in an environment where they can make mistakes and recover quickly in order for growth and learning to take place. My main objective is to create a positive, supportive and competitive learning environment where every player can reach their full potential."
Tracy Jezewski
Head Coach 2007 Boys White, 2009 Girls White, 2006 Girls Green (Premier)
Coach Tracy currently holds certifications in all Grassroots programs 4v4 through 11v11 and is in the process of obtaining USSF Class D License in 2019. Tracy has coached age groups from Academy to U9 for five years with AYSO and PSC and has completed one year of U12 coaching with the PSC boys team. In addition, she has been an active sideline Team Manager for three years, sitting on the sideline with PSC coaches to learn from them and assist the players in any way needed. Tracy played on a local travel team for one season and on her high school team. She also played intramurals in college and continues to play when she can on an adult co-ed league at Soccer Zone. Tracy says, “What I try to bring to the team is not just soccer, but life lessons. Yes, I want to win. More importantly, I want the kids to play together as a team; working together in a positive manner; understanding that errors happen and instead of harping on them, using them to improve themselves and each other. The 2007 Boys team plays by the motto "I will be better. I will improve." I don't ask them to be perfect. I don't ask them to win. I want them to be better. I want them to find ways to improve. For some, that's in their skills. For others, that's in their sportsmanship and ability to play as a team. I want the kids to play tough soccer; give it their best; but still find the fun in and love for the game....because it's the love of the game that brought us all here.”
Cliff Lambarth
Assistant Coach 2011 Girls Green. 2011 Girls White
Coach Cliff love sports. Cliff grew up playing football, basketball, and hockey. Cliff enjoys being an assistant coach and bringing a different perspective to soccer. Watching players improve is why Cliff want to be a part of this great club. These days if Cliff get some free time you can find hi, on a bike or a snow/wake/kite board.
Melissa Martin
Head Coach 2014 Boys Green
Coach Melissa has been coaching or assisting with PSC for 3 years including helping with the Academy level. Melissa currently do not have a coach's license, but has taken grass roots courses. Melissa’s plan is to get her D license as time permits. Melissa grew up in the Plymouth Canton area on the East side of the state when soccer was just becoming popular when she was younger. Melissa played soccer 4 years on Varsity at Canton High School and won a state championship her sophomore year. Melissa enjoy spending time with family and friends along with watching her kid's sports activities in my spare time.
Jamie Miles
Assistant Coach 2009 Girls White
Coach Jamie currently holds a USSF E License. He has coached soccer from the U7 - U14 age groups. Jamie has been coaching at Portage Soccer Club since 2018, and coached in AYSO for 2 years before that. He played soccer as a youth starting from 4 years old, ultimately playing on a U19 national level team. He played as striker leading his team in scoring all four years of high school varsity soccer and on the U19 national team. Jamie coaches his teams through positivity with a focus on growing character, skill, teamwork, and tactical awareness.
Paul Mullins
Head Coach 2008 Boys Green (Premier)
Coach Paul currently holds a USSF Class D license and previously coached at TKO/Crew Juniors. Paul’s playing experience started in England at age five and continued at every school level finishing at the club level for Skipton Town. Paul says, “My passion for the game has allowed me to participate as a player, coach, mentor, and avid fan in several countries and three continents. My playing beliefs were formed in the late 70's from watching my beloved Nottingham Forest and the philosophy of the late, great Brian Clough. Basic technical ability being foremost, with the ability to pass and move effectively combined with a solid team togetherness. Portage Soccer Club is, by far, the closest organization that reflects the grass roots philosophy that led to my soccer journey and the facilities we have available to us are the best I have ever experienced.”
Davin Ojala
Head Coach 2007 Girls Green
Coach Davin holds a USSF Class D license and began coaching at PSC in 2018. A life-long Portage residence, his soccer journey started at a young age with AYSO, continued through high school and even included wearing the PSC jersey as a player. With an injury that prevented additional competitive soccer, he is grateful for the opportunity to remain involved and coach. Coach Davin enjoys sharing his passion of the sport with youth players, teaching them tactical and technical skills, and supporting them as they develop individually and as a team.
Sean O'Reilly
Head Coach 2012 Girls Green, 2008 Girls White
Coach Sean currently holds a USSF D License, Meulensteen Method 100 Certification and is a Certified USSF Grassroots Referee. He plans on working towards his USSF C License in 2023. Coach Sean has 10 years of experience including Head Coaching, Assistant Coaching and team management responsibilities with AYSO, Kalamazoo Soccer Club, and Portage Soccer Club. He started playing soccer at the age of 5, continued through high school and still occasionally gets out on the pitch with adult recreational leagues.
David Rice
Head Coach 2006 Boys Green (Premier), 2007 Boys Green (Premier)
Coach Rice holds a USSF National D level license and has 30 years of coaching experience for the PSC. He began coaching for the PSC in 1990 and is the longest tenured coach in WMYSA. Over that time he has coached boys and girls teams including many players who excelled in local high school programs, all levels of college play and one player who played professionally. Over the past few years he has co-coached the 1997 Boys Green team (Premier 1 champions) and the 1989 Boys team which won multiple Elite Championships, had two State Cup quarter-final runs, as well as tournament championships across the Midwest. The 1998 Boys Green team were the Spring 2015 MSPSP Champions in Premier Classic 2. He is well respected in the soccer community for his coaching and volunteerism. He has been an integral part of the Portage Soccer Club board and is an active member holding various positions within the West Michigan Youth Soccer Association. When not coaching (his first love) Rice is serving his 2nd term as PSC President (1997-2003 and 2007 to present), Portage Soccer Classic Director (2003 to present), and was a former Chair of the United Soccer Foundation (the non-profit organization that raised the monies to build the Portage Soccer Complex and improvements to River Oaks Soccer Complex). He was inducted into the MSYSA Hall of Fame in 2018. David says, “The game is a great teacher if we coaches allow it to be. Developing players happens at training sessions; the weekend game is the recital performance.”
Steve Rypma
Head Coach 2010 Boys Green (Premier)
Coach Rypma currently holds a USSF Grassroots 9v9 License. He has coached with PSC since 2017. During his playing days he played his club soccer for Lakeshore United and high school soccer at Holland Christian. Steve says, “I appreciate PSC's focus on player development from a young age. I believe my primary job as a coach is to ensure that each player on the team is developing the foundational skills and increasing his or her understanding and enjoyment of the game. I try to find "teaching moments" in every training session and game situation to help players understand how their individual skill development will translate into success on the field.”
Joe Schreurs
Head Coach 2013 Boys Green, 2013 Boys White, 2015 Boys Green
Coach Joe has over 6 years of experience coaching soccer. He holds a Grassroots license and is pursuing his Class D license. Joe began coaching in recreation leagues including AYSO and then transitioned over to club soccer with PSC. Interestingly he played for PSC himself now coaching at PSC with his kids all playing for PSC. Joe has coached our younger age groups, boys and girls, from academy through 9v9 play. While Joe has been playing soccer the last 35 years, and continues in coed and mens leagues today, he has found new passion in coaching soccer. Joe is committed to developing players with a high soccer IQ. He takes pride in seeing the growth of his players and team progression. Outside of soccer Joe is an avid Michigan Wolverines fan and enjoys spending time with his family, fishing and DIYing.
Marc Surprenant
Head Coach 2011 Girls Green, 2011 Girls White, 2011 Girls Yellow
Marc has been coaching youth soccer for over 10 years, across U5 to U15 age groups. He prioritizes helping players develop a love of the game, excellent fundamentals (technical and psycho-social) and personal creativity. In 2021, he completed the USSF National D license, is enrolled in the USSF National C license course, and also borrows heavily from the Muelensteen Method concepts. In his spare time, he enjoys supporting the US national teams, Manchester City, and talking about developing the game with others.
Lindsay Tarpley
Head Coach 2015 Girls Green
Coach Lindsay is a 2X Olympic Gold Medalist, 2004 National Champion, and currently runs the World Campion Soccer Academy.
John Twiehaus
Head Coach 2005 Boys Green (Premier)
Coach John currently holds a USSF Class E License. He played his club and high school soccer in the metro Detroit area. John says, “I have a passion for the game because it can not only build character, but reveal it as well. Many life lessons can be learned, like working together for a common goal, and the harder you work and push yourself the better chances and opportunities you may have. My favorite soccer quote is, “Let the game be the teacher.”
Ryan Whiting
Head Coach 2011Boys Green (Elite)
Coach Ryan has a USSF Level E license and has been coaching youth soccer for the past nine years. Previously he was the assistant to the PSC White U10 Boys team and is currently the coach of the PCS U-9 Boys White Team. Ryan has played soccer for the last 40 years. He played for PSC as a child, TKO in his teens, and for Hackett Catholic Prep where he was a part pf two MHSAA state title winning teams. He also played Club soccer at Central Michigan University for two years. He was utilized primarily as a central midfielder in his playing days. Ryan’s coaching philosophy is to “focus on the total player and team development. At the younger ages, this may hinder our team in “wins.” However, over the course of time, as the children get older, that philosophy turns in to team wins. Soccer is about learning how to win and lose, be a part of a team, take direction, give direction, lead, and be led. It is more to me than simply a sport.”
Mark Wimsett
Head Coach 2014 Green Girls
Mark is passionate about soccer and has been playing for almost 40 years, and he continues to play adult rec league soccer. He and his family were drawn to PSC because of the club's philosophy - "The philosophy of the Club is to emphasize player development. We believe that consistent achievement at the highest level possible is a goal that is reached through development and not by coaching to simply win games in the short term."