Professional Coaching Staff & Administration

We are proud to provide the best coaches and trainers to deliver the highest quality experience possible for all players. 

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Paul Ellis, Lead Coach
Paul Ellis is currently the Technical Director at Virginia Valor FC in Northern Virginia. Paul is a previous collegiate coach at George Mason University and is a current staff coach for VYSA Coach Education. Paul holds a USSF A License and is a current Coach Educator. The Ellis family established Soccer Academy in Northern VA, and launched the first adult, residential soccer camp in VA in the early 2000s.

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Sarah Strickland, Lead Coach
After an impressive 24-year coaching career that included 12 years as the head coach of App State’s women’s soccer program, Sarah is currently the App State Athletics Director. Through this role, she guides and mentors student-athletes across the athletics department. Sarah oversees student-athlete development, internal and external programming, works as a liaison for alumni, community stakeholders, campus partners and organizations, and spearheads strategic initiatives to provide networking opportunities for student-athletes. Her coaching career included previous stops at Troy, Auburn Montgomery and Mississippi State. Sarah is married to Jimmy Strickland. They are proud parents to Kelsey and Bo, current App State students, and Will, a high school senior.

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Bradley Morrison, Lead Coach
Bradley Morrison played college soccer at Gardner-Webb University and has coached collegiately at the Division I, II, and III levels. Over the past ten years, he has worked extensively in youth soccer with multiple clubs across North Carolina. Bradley currently serves as the Director of Coach Education and Development at North Carolina FC Youth and is also a U.S. Soccer Coach Educator, working with coaches in the Grassroots, D, C, and B License pathways. He is passionate about creating positive learning environments that help players grow, compete, and enjoy the game.

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Susana Archila, Goalkeeper Coach
Susana “Suzie” Archila (formally Žigante) hails from Holly Springs, NC. She played Division 1 soccer at UNC Asheville as a goalkeeper, and went on to play professionally in the UEFA Women’s Champions League with ZNK Osijek. She represented the Croatian Women’s National team from the age of 15 to age 24. Suzie also played semi-professionally locally for Oak City United in Raleigh. Today, she coaches goalkeepers of all levels, helping them achieve their own dreams using drills, techniques and knowledge she gained from her own soccer career. Her parents Ziggy and Gretchen Žigante are both former professional goalkeepers themselves, and also coach goalkeepers to this day.

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Laura Collins, Sporting North Carolina, Inc. President
Touchline Adult Soccer Camp is the work of Laura Collins who has played adult soccer in Wake County, NC for almost two decades. Laura is an advocate for soccer players of all ages and abilities. Inspired by Paul Ellis’s adult soccer camp in VA, she enlisted his help to establish the first adult soccer camp in North Carolina. Laura is a local attorney; one of the founders and co-commissioners of Wake Women’s Soccer League. She has served on the Board of North Carolina Adult Soccer Association (NCASA) since 2021. She previously served as President of Carolina Velocity, FC 2018-2021 (youth soccer club).

Emerge Ortho Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer, Kortnie Chavez MAT, LAT, ATC
Kortnie received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Western Carolina University. She then went on to receive her Masters in the Art of Teaching from Fayetteville State University. Incredibly knowledgeable about sports medicine, Kortnie is calm, kind, and attentive to players’ specific needs. From treating injuries and wrapping sprains to helping with muscle pulls, leg cramps, dehydration, and elevated heart rates, she goes above and beyond to ensure every player has a safe and healthy camp experience.

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North Carolina Adult Soccer League (NCASA)Affiliate

Touchline Soccer Camp is a program developed by Sporting North Carolina, Inc., an NCASA Affiliated Member. NCASA provides a number of benefits to players from secondary insurance to tournament passes. NCASA registers over 10,000 players annually with the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA)and is the 4th largest adult soccer state association in the country!

Member Benefits

• $5,000 Player Accident Insurance (Secondary Policy)
• Annual player pass for all USASA and NCASA Tournaments!
• Tournament Blasts
• Quarterly Newsletter
• Annual NCASA Awards
• State Association Officer Eligbility
• Annual Meeting and Workshops