PSV Union Football Club

Carine Ireland, Director of Girls Coaching & General Manager

"My daughter joined Union under difficult circumstances.  Her Class 3, quasi competitive team had folded and as a last ditch effort their former coaches offered the team up for Union PSV to take over.   A dozen or so players came over…..this is where the clarity in my daughters soccer future began.  Carine made it immediately clear that only players who are willing to give the full effort will receive full attention.  In the course of a month things shook out:  the original 12 became 2, but these 2 (including my daughter) were joined by a dozen like-minded players already at Union or coming from other clubs.  The resulting team was not necessarily comprised of the best players or athletes, but ones that were willing to commit to becoming the best.   Snap shot 3-4 years later,   in most respects this 93/94 team is now one of the best,   “pure soccer playing"  clubs in CA.  Carine was the difference; where Union, Gary Ireland, his brother Simon plus the staff exuded soccer quality, these were sharp weapons in the context of soccer development that needed to be dished out to young girls in a measurable way.   Carine mentored the girls, played on the field with them, built up their confidence and speed of play.    Carine brought in the available expertise over time…when the girls were physically and emotionally ready.   Soon they were all out there playing together, Carine, Gary and frequent  guest national and international players.    Carine was/is a great coach to my daughter.  She understands how to engage the girls in the process of becoming a player in every way.  Not just on the field/games,  but  also in fostering independent play/training,  creating fans of the professional sport (EPL etc.),  and linking soccer success to academic success with college goals in mind.  With all the positive development experience my daughter has become competitive in every way.  In this sense as parents we could not be more thankful and could simply say to Carine, job well done.  However, an unexpected bonus has been Carine’s steady involvement in promoting my daughter amongst colleges.   Through Carine’s contacts we have had a steady flow of interest from colleges throughout the country.   My daughter is only a sophomore, but we are very confident that through Carine’s help she will have many college options going forward.  And through Carine’s influence it is clear that my daughter will remain engaged in the sport in college and beyond;  not for the potential scholarships and awards, but simply because Carine has taught her to love the game"

Jim Kingman. Father of Annie Kingman. U16 USA Womens National team Squad; US Federation National Training Centers; NorCal State PDP & id2 Nationa; ODP Regional; St Francis HS Standout

"Our daughter Dana has been playing soccer from a very early age. Throughout her soccer career she has played for several teams and has trained with a variety of coaches. A few years ago Dana became more involved with soccer and we wanted to ensure she trained in the very best environment. We evaluated a few options and selected PSV Union, managed by Carine and Gary Ireland. Looking back, we could not have hoped for anyone better than Carine to be such an important part of Dana’s life. Carine contributes to and influences Dana far beyond soccer. Carine coaches with great passion, dedication, discipline and inspiration and was able to motivate Dana like no other coach and to instill her passion for soccer. Carine is a role model and inspires Dana to work hard and to do the very best she can not only on the soccer field but with everything else she does as well. Carine taught Dana various aspects of soccer and played a significant role in bringing Dana to the next level of play and to open her college opportunities. Carine has high expectations and is an amazing coach for players that would like to take the challenge and are willing to work hard to improve. We are grateful for everything Carine has given Dana and we have no doubt any player, no matter his or her level will greatly benefit from the valuable qualities that Carine possesses as a coach and mentor".

Gadi and Yolanda Schwarz. Parents of Dana Schwartz. NorCal State PDP & id2 National; Former ODP State; USC Womens Soccer Bound 2012.