Katie Schoepfer named new head coach of U.S. U-15 Girls National Team

CHICAGO – U.S. Soccer has appointed Katie Schoepfer as the new head coach of the U.S. Under-15 Girls’ National Team.

Following seven years as a professional player in the United States, Schoepfer has spent seven years coaching at youth clubs in Massachusetts. She joins U.S. Soccer after serving as technical director at South Shore Select in Hingham, Mass. Previously, she spent time as assistant director of coaching at Valeo FC in Newton, Mass. and worked as a head coach in the Boston Breakers Academy during her playing career. Over the last three years, Schoepfer has served as an assistant coach with the U-17 and U-20 U.S. Women’s National Teams as well as the U-16 USGNT.

“As all of our Youth National Teams get back on the field, we’re excited to bring Katie on board to lead the U-15 program,” said USWNT General Manager Kate Markgraf. “She’s very familiar with our Youth National Teams set-up and after a top notch playing career, has risen through the youth coaching ranks. We’re confident she’s ready to take the next step in her coaching career and she’s the perfect person to guide our youngest National Team prospects.”

As part of an integrated YNT coaching staff, Schoepfer will work across age groups with a focus on the Under-15 USGNT.

Schoepfer holds a U.S. Soccer “A” Coaching License and serves as a coach educator for the Talent Scout License after completing the pilot course in spring 2019. She also brings six years of experience as an assistant in the college game with Boston University and College of the Holy Cross. She helped guide the Terriers to Patriot League championships in 2014 and 2015, plus a second-place conference finish in 2016.

As a player, Schoepfer was in the U.S. Youth National Team player pools from the U-17 to U-23 USWNTs and started all four years for Penn State University, twice earning All-American honors while scoring 48 career goals. In her professional career, the forward made 100 appearances with the Boston Breakers in two leagues — Women’s Professional Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League. She played the NWSL’s first four seasons and her 100 games for the Breakers are the third-most in club history. The Connecticut native was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019.

“I’m thrilled to join U.S. Soccer and play a part in developing future National Team players with the U-15s,” Schoepfer said. “It’s been an honor to serve as an assistant at numerous YNT camps and now it’s a privilege to work with the country’s best young players in a full-time capacity. I’m excited to be a part of the program that helped me grow so much as a player.”

Schoepfer’s first training camp with the U-15 USGNT is scheduled for January 2022 as she will prepare the team for future Concacaf U-15 Girls’ Championships. The USA has won the last two editions of the tournament and while the 2018 tournament featured mostly 2003-birth year players, the USA took home the title with a squad composed of players born in 2004 and 2005.

In her role, Schoepfer will work closely with U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team head coach Natalia Astrain to maximize the development, evaluation and movement of players between the age groups for training camps and matches during the two-year cycle.