When the Dean of Students at Falls Church High School reached out to the local soccer community in early January, searching for a new head girls coach for the Falls Church Jaguars, with tryouts scheduled to begin in mid-February, it seemed like a tall order.  It would take someone really special to fill those shoes on such short notice.  But BRYC's Training Director Joan Smith was anxious to get the word out.  She told the EXCOM "Our coaches do a great job and DESERVE the chance to go for an opportunity to progress in their coaching career....", and with the EXCOM's encourage-ment she forwarded the "Coach Wanted" listing to BRYC coaches who might fill the bill.

Now BRYC is extremely proud to announce that Jim Clark, coach and assistant coach within BRYC recreational soccer, All Star coach with his friend Fred Welther, and most recently the head coach of the U13 Girls Braddock Road Rage, BRYC's first re-entry into the ODSL program in the spring of 2013, has been named to the position.

Jim started playing soccer in Northern Virginia as a kid with both Annandale Boys and Girls Club (ABGC) and Fairfax Police Youth Club (FPYC), moving on to play varsity soccer at Falls Church from which he graduated in 1986...so he's returning to his alma mater in the new position.  Jim went on to play both soccer and rugby at Mary Washington College (now the University of Mary Washington), graduating in 1990.  After college he played and coached indoor adult soccer for a few years before beginning his tenure with BRYC in 2009.

It was after the FPYC Spring 2012 All Star tournament that Jim entered a few of his U11 girls, nicknamed "The Rage", in BRYC Elite's "Fantastic Four" tournament, even though they'd never played 4v4 soccer.  They won, and the Rage wanted more.  By the spring season of the following year BRYC had worked out the details of returning to Old Dominion Soccer League (ODSL) competition and Coach Jim and the Rage were,very happily, the BRYC guinea pigs.  (The program has now expanded to include a dozen squads in just a year since the first successful foray under Jim's guidance, ably assisted by Welther and by Team Manager Kimberly Yeo).  By the Fall of 2013, the Rage won ODSL's Division II title, and were ranked as high as 31st in the state for a U13G team. Thankfully, Jim will continue to coach the Rage as he takes the Jaguars' reins at Falls Church HS.

In his non-coaching life (for which it would seem there is little time remaining during the spring soccer season) Jim owns his own construction company.

Echoing Joan Smith's thoughts about wanting to provide opportunities for BRYC's coaches to advance, Rec Soccer's former Junior Division Deputy Commissioner (and current Equipment Coordinator) Craig Willett said "...We should always promote an opportunity for player and coach advancement.  The pie is not limited, but rather as large as the imagination and desire of the human spirit."   Jim Clark has just taken a large bite of that pie and we wish him (and the Rage and the Jaguars) nothing but the best in the upcoming season.