Yellowjacket Soccer Academy - Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa

Yellowjacket Soccer Academy

Academy Coaches

Angel Monroy
G.U. Head Men's Coach
For the past 12 years Head Coach Angel Monroy has been preparing for the task of taking over Graceland University Men's soccer program. A native of Venezuela, Monroy moved to California with his parents Mercedes and Alfonso and sister, Mariana when he was 12. He made his way to the mid west through contacts in the community of Christ church and ended up with us here at Graceland. It was a move that would change his life. He was a four year starter for the Jackets from 96-00 and was a major contributor in helping the jackets win their first ever Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) title in his sophomore year. During his days as a player he also was a member of Graceland's Track Team competing in the 200 and 400 meter dash. He continued to graduate with a degree in Psychology in 2001 and in 05 he finished his BSN in Nursing.

After graduation Monroy played a short stint of professional soccer after being drafted by the Minnesota Thunder of the A-league and later was traded to the Des Moines Menace of the Premier Development League. Following his soccer career, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Graceland Soccer from 2001 to 2004.

After finishing his nursing degree at the independence campus, he returned to the coaching staff in 2006. As assistant and associate head coach, Monroy was on staff for 2 conference championships (05' 07'), a regional championship (07')and in 2006 for the NAIA national championship title.

As recruiting coordinator, Coach Monroy's is personally responsible for bringing over 20 international students to the program and dozens more within the nation. These duties have also taken him on travels throughout the world scouting in Europe, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and all over North America. Among his travels he has come to find close connection with national teams from Canada, Puerto Rico and Colombia as well as associate contacts with the Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuelan teams. He has been an integral part of setting up connections with the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS and numerous semi professional teams.

Currently, Monroy is working on receiving his masters as a FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) and is a licensed RN in the state of Missouri. He was a member of both the Truman medical Center and Liberty Hospital medical staff where he works in Level 1 trauma and intensive care units as a certified trauma nurse. He also holds certification in basic life support and advanced condition life support. Coach Monroy holds a class "C" United States Soccer Federation License and "B" license.

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Fred Wagenaar
G.U. Women's Head Coach
44-5-2 record, top 25 NAIA program
Coach of the Year '06, '07
Fred Wagenaar begins his fourth year as head coach of the women's soccer team at Graceland.

Wagenaar arrived at Graceland in 2004 as the men's and women's goalkeeper coach. That season the women went over 1,000 minutes without surrendering a goal, and went on to the national tournament for the first time in their history, advancing to the Final Four. The 2004 goalkeeper was named All-conference, and the 2005 goalkeeper was named All-conference second team. In 2006 the new women's goalkeeper was again named All-conference first team. The men's goalkeeper was named National Tournament MVP, for not surrendering a single goal in the Graceland men's journey to the 2006 National Championship.

In his second year at Graceland, after compiling a record of 14-1-2, the women's team again went to the National Tournament, advancing to the Elite Eight. In 2006 Wagenaar's Lady Yellowjackets again had a stellar season, with a record of 17-1-0. In his three years as Graceland women's head coach, the team has a regular season record of 47-2-4, and has been HAAC Conference Champions every year. He was named the HAAC Conference Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007.

In 2005 Wagenaar became an accredited American Council Exercise personal trainer. He oversees the program's off-season weight training. Wagenaar has coached for over 20 years and has coached all ages, from 5 to university age. While his four sons were growing up they won more than 30 individual trophies as player nominated MVP, and he credits them with him having collected more than 70 first or second place trophies for season or tournament success. He coached Club Roma U-19 in Ontario, Canada, with three of his four sons on the roster, to the Ontario Cup finals, losing in penalty kicks. When his youngest son was named to the Canadian National Team U-15 as a goalkeeper, he went on to keep that role through two FIFA U-20 World Championship tournaments. The resulting time commitment meant that Fred had to give up coaching, and concentrate on Josh's goalkeeping progress.

In Canada's coaching education system of the time, Wagenaar studied level one and level two national coaching theory at Mohawk College. He took level one and level two practical levels at Richmond Hill, and Brock University. At Brock University he studied under Bill Millar, a former national coach of the Canadian Women's team. When Fred came to the States he took his "D" license, and the NSCAA's National Goalkeeping diploma.

Fred's personal playing experience started with the Saltfleet Go-Ahead's soccer club at their inception, when they were willing to sign anyone who could actually breathe. He played defense on teams that were routinely beaten 5-0, and he's still not sure if that was in spite of, or because of, his defensive skills. He earned team MVP honors and represented the Hamilton area in the CANUSA games. He attended Hamilton Christian High School, and was varsity player for four years in soccer, basketball, cross country and track and field. He was captain of the soccer and basketball teams. Fred also played rugby in his final year at Saltfleet District High School, and was the team's leading scorer and kicker.

Wagenaar has been happily married to his wife Kathy for 30 years, and has four sons, Mark, (Poet studying at University of Virginia), Jesse, (teacher in Las Vegas), Ben (seminary school in Springfield, Missouri), and Josh (professional soccer player in England). Fred is currently enrolled in education classes at Graceland in order to get his teaching certification. In his spare time he likes to read, lift weights, and dream about finding a keeper with 6 foot arms.

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Guillermo Sanchez
G.U. Men's Associate Coach
Coach Guillermo Sanchez is entering his second season with the yellow jacket coaching staff. After serving as assistant varsity coach and head Varsity Reserve coach last fall Sanchez has been promoted to Associate Head Coach and will tutor under Coach Monroy in all aspects of the program. Sanchez is also the associate director of Graceland's LEAD program.

A former captain during his senior year, Sanchez was named three times All-Conference as well as two times All-American-Scholar-Athlete.

Upon graduating from Graceland in 2006 with a degree in Psychology and Modern Foreign Languages, he moved back to Venezuela where he played professional for Estrella Roja (Red Star) and turn down a generous offer to continue playing pro in order to be here with us at Graceland. During this year in his hometown, Guillermo also worked for Santa Fe Futbol Club as the head coach and as the clubs sports consultant.

He is currently enrolled in Capella's sport psychology masters program and obtaining a fitness certification through Argentina's groupo ekipo.

All the experience gained throughout his soccer career would be a positive gain for the soccer program. Guillermo is married to Luisanna Rodriguez and they are both glad to be part of the Graceland family once again.

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Randall Porter
Head Boys Coach, Blue Valley Stars
7th overall pick in the WISL draft by Sacramento Knights

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Kevin Sherry
Head Women's Coach, Louisiana Tech University

USSF "A" Licensed Coach, NCAA Division I
Kevin Sherry begins his second season at Louisiana Tech with a history of building successful programs in a short period of time. He came to Ruston in 2007 after turning programs around at Graceland University and Western Illinois.

In his brief time at Tech, Sherry has completely revamped the culture surrounding the soccer program. Gone are the negative attitudes, cliques and general mentality of losing. Those have been replaced with the four major tenets of Lady Techster Soccer: Family, Passion, Respect, Fearless.

Sherry and the Lady Techsters had a trying first season together as injuries, attrition, and some general bad luck plagued the 2007 campaign. Two victories, a tie and strong play in several more games were highlights of a difficult season. However, Sherry has a proven track record of turning cellar-dwellers into champions.

He inherited a Western Illinois team that was 24-111-7 over its history, including a mark of 3-12-3 in 2004. In two years as head coach, he compiled a 20-13-4 record. Sherry turned the team's record around by six-and-a-half games in his first year, and the Westerwinds were recognized as one of the NCAA's most improved programs.

In 2006, Sherry led Western Illinois to its first Mid-Continent Championship finals. The Westerwinds lost their conference championship in a shootout in just his second year with the program. Western Illinois finished with an 11-7-1 record and a 3-3-0 record in the Mid-Continent Conference, earning more overall wins than any other team in school history.

Prior to the 2007 season, Sherry had been recognized by the NCAA as having the second-best winning percentage among active coaches with a minimum of five years as a collegiate head coach, but less than five years at a the Division I level. He has compiled a record of 72-30-14 as a head coach at the collegiate ranks.

Before coaching at Western Illinois, Sherry was the head women's soccer coach at Graceland University where he led the program to its biggest successes and turned a losing program into a winning one.

In his final year at Graceland, Sherry led the team to an 18-0-5 record, the school's first undefeated season, and the NAIA Final Four. The Yellowjackets won just one game in 2001 before Sherry took over the program with a 1-13-0 mark. His first season at Graceland the Yellowjackets went 7-7-1. Sherry then coached Graceland to records of 12-7-1 and 16-2-3 the next two seasons.

Sherry and his athletes on the 2004 squad were honored with a number of awards. Sherry was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Central Region NAIA Women's Coach of the Year. Last season, Sherry led two all-Americans, five all-region players, co-defensive players of the year in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) and 12 all-conference players. Graceland also achieved its highest national ranking in the program's history with a No. 7 rank by NSCAA. In four years, Sherry finished with a 52-17-10 overall record at the helm of the Graceland women's soccer program.

While coaching at Graceland, Sherry also served as head coach for the Des Moines Menace U-15 Boys Super Y League and worked with the Iowa Olympic Development program.

Sherry has international coaching experience as well as prior to his four-year stint at Graceland, he was the head men's soccer coach at Nagoya Gakuin University and the Aichi F.C. Nagoya Junior Youth Head Coach in Japan. During his eight years in Japan, Sherry earned his master's degree in the sociology of sport and sports management from Leicester University in England.

Sherry worked as the Director of Soccer Coaching and Player Youth Development for the Al Nahda national schools organization in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from 1992-93. He also headed the West London Schools F.A. Select Teams from 1989-92 where he served as the head coach for the U-16 Select Team from 1991-92 and the U-15 Select Team from 1989-90.

Sherry got his first head coaching job at Burlington Danes High School in London in 1987 and coached there through 1992. During his five years at Burlington Danes, the school won the West London area cup at every age level and also won the prestigious London Championship two straight years.

While playing for the West London Institute of Higher Education, Sherry's team won the British National College Championship in 1987.

Sherry earned his Bachelor's of Arts degree in physical education and sports science with sociology from Bangor University in Wales. He also has the United States Soccer Federation's "A" license, along with the U.E.F.A. "International" coaching license from England. Sherry has also had numerous articles published in various media publications.

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Ivan Joseph
Ryerson University Athletic Director
Former G.U. Coach
A 2006 NAIA National Championship and NAIA Coach of the Year honors validate Coach Joseph's commitment to soccer in the midwest. At Graceland his winning percentage is .833 with four Conference Championships and four Coach of the Year honors. He holds an Advanced National Diploma from the NSCAA as well as a “A” coaching license from the USSF. He has served as a state coach for ODP, assistant coach for the Region II Olympic Festival Program and head coach of the Super "Y" league of the Des Moines Menace.

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Melody Carroll
Head Women's Coach, West Des Moines Soccer Club
USSF "B" Licensed Coach