Monticello United Soccer Club re-brands as Charlottesville Pride Sports Club

Monticello United Soccer Club is re-branding as Charlottesville Pride Sports Club as it continues into the future serving the Charlottesville-Albemarle community in Virginia.

The organization is also announcing the hiring of Shay Bell (Click for Bio), Sporting Director, and Jason Fargo (Click for Bio), Associate Sporting Director.

Bell comes to Charlottesville Pride Sports Club with an exceptional resume and one of the best in the country among youth coaches and directors. His resume showcases the coveted US Soccer Federation National ‘A’ Coaching License and National ‘Youth’ Coaching License, and United Soccer Coaches ‘Premier’ Coaching Diploma.

Bell is also a former NCAA Division II standout at Frostburg State University and represented the United States Virgin Islands National Team after a stellar youth soccer career. He is the Head Coach for the West Central District – Olympic Development Program (ODP) for the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) and is a VYSA State ODP Head Coach. Shay has also won numerous youth soccer state championships, High School championships, and is a former High School Coach of the Year.

“I know the Charlottesville-Albemarle area well as a former Elite coach in the area and hosting the West Central District ODP in Charlottesville,” Bell said. “There is a lot of talent that needs attention and I am ready to take on the challenge of creating a culture of success. Success will be defined by players and coaches wanting to come back every day because they love working together and they love the club. I can’t wait to get started.”

Fargo is no stranger to the Charlottesville-Albemarle area as he hails from Greene County, and is the former Premier Director of Coaching at SOCA (Soccer Organization Charlottesville Area) and current Associate Head Coach for the West Central District ODP for VYSA. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Charlottesville Pride Sports Club which includes a US Soccer Federation National ‘B’ Coaching License and National ‘Youth’ Coaching License.

Fargo is a former NCAA Division I scholarship athlete at Longwood University and former player for Aromas Cafe. He is also one of the few US Soccer Grassroots Instructors in the state.

Fargo stated: “I am excited to work with Coach Bell and all of the players, families, and coaches in the organization. This is a great opportunity to show our club’s focus in creating programs that meet the needs of all players, not just focusing on the top 1%. We will look to develop programs for players aged 3-19 of all playing abilities as well as offering adult playing opportunities. With this, we will have a laser focus on coaching education and making sure our coaches and educators are always learning and helping all players within the club. We will play in leagues that are meaningful but limit travel and family expenses. We will then make sure to challenge players, coaches, and teams by playing in competitively appropriate top events.”

Matt Nauman, MonU President, stated: “The hiring of Shay Bell and Jason Fargo sends a strong message to the Charlottesville-Albemarle area that we are extremely focused on fostering an environment where youth athletes can be inspired by coaches who care about development and education while challenging every athlete to be better. We are very excited to have some of the best in the industry at our club to help develop our future. These two hires alone put us on par with some of the top clubs in the country.”

The organization’s rebrand offers an exciting period of time and growth for the club and it has set new strategic imperatives to bring back the meaning of community soccer and sports to the Charlottesville-Albemarle area with the hiring of Bell and Fargo.

Nauman added: “The rebrand is another pillar in our strategic imperatives and will bring the athletes and community of the Charlottesville-Albemarle area closer together. Soccer has always been the foundation of the organization and will remain so: however, we believe strongly that multi-sport athletes become better athletes overall. Over the next couple of years, we will layer in additional programming that will offer the community and athletes unique opportunities to play the sports that they love. We are excited to connect to the community in more ways than we do now.”

According to the club, the Charlottesville Pride Sports Club is the primary logo and the colors portray inclusiveness and a connectivity to the Charlottesville-Albemarle community. The navy and orange emphasize the connection to and strength of the University of Virginia, while the circle of people raising their hands showcases the love and excitement of sport as well as their shared interests. The globe symbolizes a path for any and all athletes from around the world to join the organization with open arms.