The Cutters Soccer Club takes pride in having one of the top coaching staff’s in the state of Indiana. The club’s priority is to bring in coaches that understand the importance of player development as well as youth development and who value long term participation from all their players. Coaches are required to hold a coaching license through either the NSCAA or USSF coaching schools and 11 hold a “C” equivalent or higher. These schools provide guidelines and methodology for age appropriate training and development. The current coaching staff consists of 7 former or current college coaches, 3 IYSA Coach of the Year award winners and 6 local high school coaches. Several of the current coaches are former Cutter players and 16 of the coaches played college soccer. Please click through their photos below and discover for yourself what a wonderful staff the club is so fortunate to have assembled.

Coach Ali Conquest

Coach Ali Conquest relocated to Bloomington to pursue her graduate degree at IU in the fall of 2010.  She played youth soccer in Merriville, IN and was an Indiana ODP state team member.  Ali attended the University of Southern Indiana where she was a 4 year stater and two year captain of the Women’s soccer team.  She spent two years while in school helping the Evansville Soccer Club as an assistant for their U16 Girls’ team.   Ali also coached U10 girls for the SWISA soccer club in 2009/2010.  Ali holds the USSF National Youth License, the USSF E License and NSCAA National Diploma.

Why I coach youth soccer: The youth are so eager to play soccer and they will do anything to learn as much as they can to become a better player. It is so rewarding to watch these athletes perform what you teach them.

Coach Hannah Davidson

Hannah is originally from Sacramento, California where she was a standout youth player and 4 member of the Region IV ODP team.  In 2006 she qualified for the ODP national pool team.  Hannah began coaching as a trainer for the River City Soccer Club U16 girls team before moving to Bloomington to attend school at Indiana University, where she was a member of the IU Women’s soccer team.

Why I coach youth soccer: “Soccer is one of my biggest passions in life. But more important than the game of soccer itself is growth as a person and the relationships you hold with others. I cannot think of a more valuable “job” for me than to have the opportunity to work with a team and help them learn to interact within a team dynamic, build confidence, display good sportsmanship, enjoy competition, learn new things, and have fun– all while playing the game I love.”

Laddie Derenchuck - 99 White

Laddie first began coaching recreational soccer at the YMCA, and then with Cutters Academy in 1999 when his son Alex joined the club.   Laddie has since helped coordinate the Cutters Academy program and volunteered as a Cutters Soccer Club board member for the last 6 years.  Laddie is currently the 99 Boys White coach and his been coaching travel soccer since 2008.  Laddie holds the USSF “E” Coaching License.

Why I coach youth soccer: I think it is very important that our children have every opportunity to develop confidence, maturity, teamwork and leadership attributes through sports and outdoor activities.  I have a passion for soccer and feel that this is an excellent sport to help them develop.  I feel that as a coach I am most successful when the players build their enthusiasm to play and become better with every week of practice and competition.

Shaun Figueirido - 00 Boys, 01 Boys

Shaun is a native of Bloomington and grew up playing and learning the game of soccer with the Cutters Soccer Club. As a player, Shaun won back-to-back state championships in 2004 and 2005 for the Cutters Soccer Club during his U18 and U19 seasons.  Shaun attended and played soccer for the University of Indianapolis.  Upon returning to Bloomington Shaun began coaching for the club with the Junior Cutter program and in 2008 became a varsity assistant at Bloomington North High School.  Shaun holds the USSF “E” License.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: After returning to Bloomington, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help coach for the club that I once played for. I think that soccer is an important tool that can help kids develop not only athletically, but also as in terms of their character. My focus is to help young players develop a passion for the game of soccer, have fun, and reach their full potential.

Victor Kaposonore - 99 Boys Red

Originally from Zimbabwe, coach Victor came to Bloomington in the 1990s  to attend Indiana Univeristy.  He began coaching for the club his junior year at IU in 1999 and has coached a wide range of age groups from U9-U18.  From 1999-2000, Victor was the JV coach for the BHSN Boys soccer team.   He rejoined the North coaching staff as an assistant/JV coach in 2005 and became the head coach for Bloomington North in 2008 (to present).   Victor holds the USSF “D” License and NSCAA National Diploma.

Why I coach youth soccer: Soccer is a huge passion for me and some of my fondest memories from childhood are from playing, whether with neighborhood friends, club and school teams or semi-professionally. Growing up in Zimbabwe, soccer was the number one sport and everyone wanted to play and emulate their heroes they saw at the stadiums and on TV. I want to pass that passion on to the young players I have the privilege to work with and coaching is a small way of saying thank you to the game that has brought me so much joy.

Don Madvig - 93 Red, 97 Red, 98 Girls

Don Madvig is a long time member of the Cutters Soccer Club and brings 27 years of coaching experience to the club’s staff.   Don is originally from Illinois where he spent 4 seasons as the head coach for Monmouth College (IL) in the 1980s.  After relocating to Bloomington in 1990, Don coached the Bloomington North High School team and for the Cutters Soccer Club before joining Indiana University’s soccer staff as an assistant for the both the men’s and women’s programs.   (Assistant Coach, Indiana University Women’s Team, 1994 – 2002; Assistant Coach, Indiana University Men’s Team, 1994 1995).  In 2005, Don was named Indiana Youth Soccer Coach of the Year by the Indiana Youth Soccer Association.and is a member of the Cutters Soccer Hall of Fame.  Don Holds the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.

Don has been coaching the Cutters 93 Boys age group with coach Terry Phelps since they were U11.  Don has been instrumental in creating a high rate of retention of his players in the 93 boys age group.  Don and Terry’s efforts have truly achieved the club’s mission of developing their players passion for the game while fulfilling their potential as soccer players and young people.

Don’s 93 Red team has reached the final 4 of the State Cup and qualified to participate in the Midwest Regional League each of the last three seasons.

Coach Madvig will be coaching the 98 girls, 97 boys red and 93 boys red for 2009/2010 seasons.

Why I coach youth soccer: I coach soccer because I love the sport.  It’s helped shape me as an athlete, a team member and a coach.  It has affected the type of person I am in everyday life as well.  As a result, I want the chance to give back to the sport some of what it has given me.

Michael Nosofsky - 00 Boys White

Michael is a Bloomington native and grew up playing and learning the game as a member of the Cutters Soccer Club.  Michael has coached continually (ages 11-14) since joining the Cutters staff in 2003.  While both an undergrad and graduate student at IU, Michael also participated as a trainer for the Cutters Community soccer recreational program.  Michael played soccer for Bloomington North and as a starter helped North advance to two semi-states (final 8).  Michael holds the USSF “D” License and NSCAA National Diploma.

Why I coach youth soccer: As someone who grew up playing in the Cutters program, I definitely feel an obligation to give back.  Promoting such an amazing game to young kids is extremely rewarding.  Seeing the kids have a smile on their face gives me a great sense of pride and makes it fun for me.  Cutters is a great program and I am happy to be a part of it.

Terry Phelps - 93 Boys White

Terry grew up in a small town in upstate New York where there was no “American football”.  The fall sport was soccer and Terry learned the game when much of the country still had no exposure to the sport.  Terry began coaching  many years ago when his family moved Nebraska and his son begain playing for  a newly formed youth club in Gretna, Nebraska.  Since moving to Bloomington, Terry started coaching with the Cutters club after his grandson began participating.  Terry has been involved as an assistant and now the head coach for the Cutters 93 White for the past 6 years.  Terry holds the USSF National “D” Coaching License.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: First, I love the game. What other sport forces both an individual player and his teamates to make adjustments on the field without the benefit of a timeout or substitutions every 30 seconds. What a game !!  Also, after going through a bad experience with one of my kids in another organized sport, I wanted to be certain that my other kids and grandkids had a good experience that they can pass on to their children. As a side benefit I have been able to watch both my grandson and his teamates grow both as players and young adults. I like to think that I have had a positive affect on the 30 or so kids in my grandsons age group that will help them to be responsible adults in the community they elect live and raise their familys. I do believe that higher education is very important, however I also belive that being a part of team of 15-18 young men has benefits past what any level of formal education can bring.

Ian Rickerby - 99 Girls

Ian brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Cutters Soccer Club with his 20+ years of experience coaching soccer.  Ian is originally from England and a former assistant to coach Mick Lyon with Indiana University and Evansville women’s soccer teams.  Over the years, Ian has coached youth, collegiate and ODP teams in Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana.  Ian holds the USSF “A” License.

Why I coach youth soccer: Having played and watched “football” for many years, coaching is a great way to stay involved and try to pass on some of the positive things that the sport has imparted to me over my life. As long as there are young people interested in playing soccer, then there should be others available to help them get the most out of it in the best possible way.

Kevin Sparks - 98 Boys White

Kevin is a native of Bloomington and grew up playing and learning the game of soccer in the Cutters Soccer Club.  As a player, Kevin won back to back state championships for the Cutters Soccer Club during his U18 and U19 seasons.  Kevin attended IU and was a member of the IU men’s soccer team.  During his time at IU Kevin became involved with the club coaching in the Cutters Academy as a trainer.  Kevin spent 4 years as a varsity assistant for Bloomington HS South before being named the head varsity coach in 2011.  Kevin holds the USSF “D” Coaching license.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: I coach youth soccer because when I was playing youth soccer I was given some amazing opportunities that allowed me to take my passion for the game to high levels.  It’s very rewarding to provide our local youth with the same opportunities.

Carl Salzmann - 95 Boys White

Carl is a young and passionate coach who has been coaching soccer over at Edgewood High School for two years. He also assisted with Cutters travel team before he took the current coaching responsibility with Cutters 95 Boys White. Carl holds the USSF “E” Coaching license.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: I love the game and I want to see soccer grow in the community. I also feel that soccer, as an organized team sport, teaches our youth skills that will help them later in life such as responsibility, teamwork, orginization, perseverance, sportsmanship, leadership and so on.

Coach Tony Starks

Coach Tony Starks is originally from Lafayette, Indiana and began coaching with the Lil’ Mavs Soccer Club while still in high school.   While attending undergrad at Indiana University, Tony worked as a trainer in the Cutters Community Soccer program.  After graduation, Tony received a teaching position with Bloomington North High School and has continued his coaching development as an assistant with the North Girl’s soccer team.   Tony holds the USSF “E” License and the NSCAA State Goal Keeper Diploma.

Why I coach youth soccer: “Soccer is a beautiful game that teaches so much more than how to kick a ball. A good soccer team is built around the concepts of hard work and fun. By sharing difficult and enjoyable experiences with teammates, soccer helps develop special bonds between players and coaches. Most importantly, soccer teaches you life lessons like dealing with adversity, building confidence and trust, the benefits of hard work, and the importance of cooperation.  While I am a fierce competitor, my true passion is teaching young people how to do things and how to do them the RIGHT way. Soccer provides a fun and relaxing environment to learn these challenging life skills.  That’s why I coach”.

Jeff Thomas - 97 Girls

Jeff Thomas is the current coach of the 97 Cutters Girls travel team. Originally from New Zealand he is a long time Bloomington resident and father of three current players at Cutters. Jeff is currently also Volunteer Assistant Coach for the IU Women’s team.  He previously coached the Cutters 98 boys and was an assistant with the Bloomington High School South Girl’s team.  In 2008, Jeff received the honor of Recreational Coach of the Year from the Indiana Youth Soccer Association. He holds the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, the USSF “C” License, NSCAA Level 1&2 Goal Keeping diplomas and the USSF National Youth License.

Why I coach youth soccer: My coaching philosophy for youth players is to try to make every day challenging but fun for the players, and to help them develop a love of the game regardless of results or performance. I know that the players I coach are spending only part of their soccer journey with me, but I seek to improve a player’s technical ability when the opportunity to instruct them arrives.  I want to build self-reliance, a sense of responsibility, fair play, and shared teamwork among all the players on my teams.  And in the end, I hope for them to enjoy soccer as much as I do.

Peter Van Leusen 96 Boys Red

Originally from Germany, Peter grew up playing and learning the game of soccer for his local club KTSV Preussen Krefeld.  Peter came to the states to attend school at  Goldley- Beacom College where he was an All-American for the GBC Lightning.   Peter began coaching in Delaware and was a state ODP staff coach for three years.  Peter’s studies brought him west to Louisville where he coached for the Javanon S.C. before moving to Bloomington to begin work on his PhD.  Peter has been active on the Cutters coaching staff since 2008.  Peter holds the USSF “D” License and the NSCAA Regional Diploma.

Why I Coach Youth Soccer: The game of soccer has taught me many important life lessons, connected me with players from all over the world, and provided me with opportunities which I would not have had otherwise. My goal is to share some of these experience through coaching youth soccer while learning from and about my players at the same time.

Coach Darren Wright

Darren is originally from Nashville, TN and relocated to Bloomington after finishing his graduate degree at the University of Missouri.  Darren grew up playing youth soccer for the Nashville Sting where his team won a state championship and appeared in the finals on several occasions.   In College, Darren was the captain of his Kentucky Wesleyan team from 2003-2006 and was Academic All-Conference each year.   After college, Darren began coaching for a program in Kentucky called Top Soccer
working with handicapped youth who wanted to play sports.  From 2005-2006 he coached the U14 boys Henderson Flash club team in Kentucky before heading to Missouri for graduate school.  During his time in Columbia, he coached the 92 Boys for the Columbia Pride Soccer Club for two years.   Darren hold the USSF F Coaching License.

Why I coach youth soccer: For me, youth soccer is a combination of two wonderful things, soccer
and youth. Having played soccer since the age of 4, it is a game thatI know and love. Not only is it a fun game to play, but it has helped teach me about a number of important things in life includingteamwork, discipline, respect, the benefits of hard work, the benefits of practice, leadership, respect, and courage. Similarly, having worked with youth through coaching and teaching for the past 7 years I find myself amazed by young people on a regular basis. I enjoy both teaching and learning from them and am encouraged by the reality that they are our future, but I also understand they need guidance through the process of becoming the future. Ultimately, youth soccer is a combination of two things I am passionate about and coaching youth soccer allows me to interact with them both on a regular basis. It also provides a natural framework through which I can help young people develop both as soccer players and as individuals.