FRISCO, Texas (Nov. 2, 2022) – US Youth Soccer is excited to announce that its Olympic Development Program (ODP), home to many of the nation’s top players, has hired three new regional Technical Advisors.
Craig Jones, the new East Boys Technical Advisor, Carolyn Warhaftig, the new East Girls Technical Advisor, and Gina Brewer, the new West Girls Technical Advisor, will be instrumental factors in continuing to further ODP’s purpose: to identify and provide opportunities for high potential players, facilitate their development, and expose them to the next level of their chosen pathway.
Jones, who has been an East Region Olympic Development Program Head Coach since 2017, remains on staff in his new, elevated role. Jones is the collegiate head coach of his alma mater, George Washington, where he holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and has recently earned national acclaim during his 11-year coaching tenure. He led the Colonials to the 2015 Atlantic-10 Regular Season Championship and was promptly named the conference’s Coach of the Year that season. Additionally, Jones holds a USSF A License and played for the Welsh National Youth Team prior to his four-year career at George Washington, where he started all but one of his 63 matches played.
Warhaftig joins ODP having seen much success in her professional career after graduating from Colgate University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Spanish from Colgate, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching from Western Carolina University. She followed up her successful tenure at Colgate, where she was named a captain and team MVP during her senior year, with a professional stint at Fjölnir in Iceland’s Landsbankinn Premier Division. Warhaftig was named to the NSCAA 30 Under 30 Program in 2013 and has since served as the Asheville City Head Coach in the WPSL, Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association’s Director of Coaching, and in an Administrative Operations role with the University of Virginia’s women’s soccer team. She is currently the Dean of Students and a middle school teacher at the Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Brewer continues her work with ODP after holding numerous positions with the program in recent years. She was previously an Idaho and Utah ODP State Team Assistant Coach, ODP West Region Assistant Coach, and most recently, the Hawaii ODP State Team Head Coach in 2019. Brewer was also Hawaii Pacific University’s Head Coach for nine seasons (2011-2020) and has served as an assistant coach at numerous colleges, including the University of Idaho, Utah State University, University of Hawaii, Loyola Marymount University, and Santa Clara University. Before starting her career on the sidelines, Brewer attended the University of Washington and was a member of the team from 1998-2001. With the Huskies, she was a Pac-10 Champion (2000) and went to the NCAA Tournament three times, reaching the national quarterfinals once. Brewer holds a USSF A License and is both a USSF Youth National Team Scout and Grassroots Instructor.
For more information on the Olympic Development Program, click here.
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About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer)
US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and nearly 1 million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game.
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