[U.S. SOCCER] Former U.S. women’s national team captain and coach April Heinrichs and UCLA women’s coach Jillian Ellis have been hired as technical director and development director for the U.S. women’s national team program. The hirings follow concerns about the levelof talent coming out of the girls program and mark the first time U.S. Soccer has appointed full-time management positions on the girls side.
Heinrichs will focus on the technicaldirection for women’s soccer and oversee the U-20s and U-18s. Ellis will work with coaches of major youth clubs and direct the U-17s, U-15s and U-14s.
“I am extremely pleasedthat April and Jill have joined our women’s national team program,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati in a statement. “We have twovastly experienced coaches who have the knowledge and the tools to focus heavily on the development of girls’ soccer in the United States.”
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