WASHINGTON- DC Soccer Club, DC’s largest youth soccer organization, has hired Matt Arrington as the new Director of Soccer for the club. Arrington comes to the club after leading the DC United Academy as its Director of Coaching and brings collegiate and professional playing experience, and a high level of coaching, director, and administrative experience into the role.
Born in Washington, DC, and raised in Bethesda, Md., Arrington began his soccer journey playing for DC Soccer Club (formerly DC Stoddert) before playing DI college soccer at George Mason University. He went on to play professionally in Italy with San Paolo Ostiense and ASD Pro Calcio Cecchina. During his time working with the Academy, six players signed homegrown contracts with the first team and eight players made their professional debuts with Loudon United. Matt won the U16 MLS Next Cup Championship in his first year as the Director of Coaching.
DC Soccer Club Executive Director Greg Andrulis said, “Matt Arrington joins DC Soccer Club at an exciting time in its journey. His career has been spent working at the highest levels of our sport with players, coaches, and managers at the professional and youth levels. His dedication to player development both on and off the field are values we celebrate at our club. Matt will instill The DC Soccer Way to Play, a progressive game model based on a club-wide philosophy that imparts a holistic approach to teaching and learning at all levels of the club. By integrating the travel, recreation, and developmental programs with a common goal, he will help pave the way for the continued growth and success of our club.”
Arrington holds several coaching licenses, including his USSF “A” license, and is currently completing the Elite Formation Coaching License from the French Football Federation (FFF)--one of the most highly regarded and rigorous coaching courses in the world. He has worked in different roles at various levels throughout his coaching career that spans over a decade: coaching collegiately as an assistant for the men’s soccer program at Howard University, working as a first-team scout for the Seattle Sounders in the MLS, coaching at the high school level and founding his own soccer training/development company.
As Director of Soccer, Arrington will be responsible for overseeing the introduction and implementation of the DC Soccer Way to Play to all of our soccer constituents. By introducing a game model with all of its components, there will be a logical vehicle for the development of the foundational concepts of our style of play. A club-wide curriculum for travel, recreation, and player development programs will ensure a developmental pathway for all of our players. By embracing the importance of Community, Commitment, and Culture, Matt will have an impact both internally as he shapes the club's soccer culture, and externally as he works in the DC community to provide additional opportunities for players and families in the DC area.
“I'm very excited to help lead the DC Soccer Club in my role and work closely with the DC soccer community,” said Arrington. “DCSC provides an amazing platform for thousands of players in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas that I'm thrilled to be a part of. As a former DCSC rec player and someone who's been involved in the sport in the DMV for over 30 years, I understand and appreciate the unique responsibility to not only continue developing soccer players, but more importantly, develop young kids in our communities to be well-rounded, responsible, hard-working, and inclusive individuals. Through soccer with DCSC, we are fortunate to have a platform that supports young people to challenge themselves, to face adversity, and to develop tools to problem solve and work with others both on and off the field. The beauty of the sport is to develop individuals and bring them together working towards a common goal. It will be my focus, and that of our amazing coaching staff, to ensure we are building this environment and culture within our teams at DCSC. I can't wait to get started!”
ABOUT DC SOCCER CLUB
DC Soccer Club is a youth soccer club in Washington, DC, with a long history and strong ties to the community, bringing people together through the love of soccer. The club offers a variety of comprehensive programs for different levels of soccer training, education, and competition. Beyond teaching players technical soccer skills, our philosophy is to develop our players as a whole; we strive to help our players grow as well-rounded people with respect, dedication, and good sportsmanship. DC Soccer Club is committed to making soccer accessible to all youth players in the Washington, DC area, regardless of background or athletic ability.
CONTACT
For more information, please email DC Soccer Club’s Director of Communications and Engagement, Colleen McNickle, at communications@dcsoccerclub.org.