Locomotive FC hires Alan Lydiate as first full-time Director of Coaching
Locomotive FC has announced the hiring of Alan Lydiate as the club’s first full-time Director of Coaching (DOC). He succeeds David Jones, founding Trustee and current DOC.
“The hiring of Alan is the first step for the Board of Trustees in pursuit of the club’s ultimate vision. The move further aligns us with stated United States Soccer Federation (USSF) standards and the region’s already top performing travel clubs. His mandate is to focus solely on coach and player development.
In developing the Director of Coaching role over the last five years we learned that in order to maximize the position the DOC should not coach a team. Rather, the DOC’s focus should only be to increase the quality and quantity of players and coaches here at LFC. Our resources now, coupled with the size of the club (450 athletes) finally allow us this luxury.
A large part of Alan’s responsibilities here at LFC will be to build on the curricular standards already established while devoting his full time and energy to the development of our coaches and players along with growth of the player pool” states David Jones, who has been elevated to the role of Executive Trustee of the area’s only true soccer club.
Lydiate comes to Locomotive after having spent the last 11 years as the Director of Coaching at Brit-Am Soccer Academy where he created the curricular goals and programs for one of Montgomery County’s largest youth soccer programs. In addition, since 2008 Alan has held the Director of Youth Programs title at Potomac Soccer Association, one of the elite travel clubs in the Washington DC Metro area. A holder of the USSF’s highest coaching license (“A”), Alan played semi-professionally in his home country of England. In addition, he serves with outgoing DOC David Jones on the MSYSA Coaching Education Staff.
In 2003 he moved to the United States from Blackpool, England to pursue a professional career coaching youth soccer athletes. Alan currently resides in Hagerstown with his wife Jennifer, a native of Washington County. They have two daughters. As the spring season comes to a close Alan will complete his director and coaching responsibilities at Brit-Am and Potomac with an expected LFC start date of June 8th, 2015.
