Match Fit Academy Women's Advisory Board
"Our Game, Our Voice"
Match Fit Academy Girls Director of Coaching, Dominick Bucci, is extremely excited to announce the creation of our Match Fit Academy Women's Advisory Board which will be led by our new Technical Director Meredith Rooney. This board was created to bring a stronger voice and female vision to the women's game at the youth level. With the support of the board we plan on addressing technical, tactical, physical, mental, and social issues that directly impact our female players.
"Jordan and I are honored and excited to collaborate with this incredible group of women. These women have accomplished so much on and off the field and their backgrounds are unmatched. I have been wanting to do something like this at Match Fit since I started and when we hired Meredith I told her I wanted her to have a voice and a platform to help us continue to build our club. With her taking the lead on this and working closely with the group I know we are going to continue to get ideas that are outside the box on how to continue to develop our players on and off the field! Our players are the ones who will greatly benefit and that for us is the most important reason we formed the board." said Bucci.
"So often in my career, players have told me I am the only female coach they have ever had. Because of this, I have tried to provide opportunities for players to work with female players and coaches whenever possible. Now, Match Fit Academy is providing an even larger platform for females to make an impact DIRECTLY in the youth game by creating our Women's Advisory Board." said Rooney.
Match Fit Academy Women's Advisory Board is Directed by Meredith Rooney, Match Fit Academy Technical Director, and will include the following leaders in the Women's game:
Lauren Gregg - Legendary coach and player who played as a midfielder for the U.S Women's National Team. Lauren co-captained UNC to their first ever National Championship. She was the first-ever female Assistant Coach for any of the United States' National Teams and helped guide them to two FIFA World Cup Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal. Her tenure as a player and coach with the USWNT lasted over 15 years! She was also Head Coach of the U.S. Women's National Team in 1997 and 2000. As head coach of the women's soccer team at the University of Virginia from 1986 to 1995, Gregg was the first woman to lead a team to the NCAA Division I Final Four and to be named NSCAA Coach of the Year.
In addition, Lauren is the author of The Champion Within, highly acclaimed book on the ascension of the USWNT, sharing invaluable insight for coaches and players on how to develop champions, guiding countless players on their journey to become the best they can be.
Ingrid Wells- Played Professionally for FFC Turbine Potsdam, Göteborg FC, Washington Spirit, & WNY Flash. U.S. Women's National Team Player Pool, U.S. Under-23 National Team, U.S. Under 23 National Team Captain, U.S. Under-20 National Team, and U.S. Under-20 FIFA Women's World Champion. Played collegiately at Georgetown University. All-American -1st Team (2010, 2011), All-American -1st Team (2007), BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year (2010, 2011), BIG EAST First Team (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011), BIG EAST Rookie of the Year (2007), Hermann Trophy Finalist (2010, 2011), Semi-Finalist (2007, 2009) Watch list (2008).
Christie Welsh - Former USWNT Player and USYNT Coach, Four Time All-American and Herman Trophy Award Winner at Penn State University. Former Division 1 coach at St. Joseph's University and Oregon. Former Match Fit Academy Staff Member.
Julia Ashley - Current U23 USWNT Player. Plays professionally in Sweden for Linköpings FC, Captioned and led UNC to the National Championship Final her senior year. Played for Match Fit Academy on one of the best teams ever to play in the club.
Alana Cook - Current U23 USWNT Player. Plays professionally at PSG in France. 2018 MAC Hermann Finalist, First Team All-Pac 12, and First Team All-American at Stanford University. Started every game at Stanford all four years of her career. Match Fit Academy Alum.
Lisa (Gmitter) Pittaro - Former USWNT player, won a National Championship and College Player of the Year honors at George Mason University, Current Match Fit Academy Staff Coach. Her daughter Giana is Match Fit Alum and is currently studying and playing at Yale University.
Alyssa Riporti - Current Graduate Assistant Coach at Lehigh University, played at Lehigh and was named First Team All League and First Team All Region in Fall 2016 and Fall 2017, Senior CLASS Award Nominee, spent a week abroad in 2017 playing with Le Havre AC in France, played at Match Fit as a youth player for 10 years.
Christa Aloutta Ryan - Current Head Women's Coach and Athletic Director at Drew University. Christa was an All-American at local high school Morris Catholic prior to attending Rutgers University. Her 39 career is goals and 99 career points are third in school history and she holds the record for most assists in a game with four. Match Fit Academy Staff Member.
Krystyna Freda - Former Match Fit Academy Alum currently playing professionally for Barcelona FA Women. Previously played for Apollon FC (Cyprus) and Merilappi United (Finland), and as an amateur for WNY Flash, Portland Thorns, and Sky Blue FC. Top scorer and Best XI of the Cypriot Women's First Division 2017/18 and 2018/19. Played for D1 at Winthrop University, earning conference player of the year twice.
Kristin Giotta - Fairleigh Dickinson - Florham Head Women's Coach and Associate Athletic Director for Compliance. Winningest Coach in FDU history. Former Division 1 player at Monmouth University. Giotta was a two-time First Team All-Conference goalkeeper for the Hawks. In 1999 and 2000.
The MFA Women's Technical Advisory Board will connect once a month to discuss, strategize, and implement ideas into MFA's Development Programming for next year and beyond. It is our mission to engage and support women and girl's in their own game.
Our Voice, Our Game!
