Summer Soccer Action

OVPL & USL Youth

Women's OVPL

This past summer we were able to provide a platform for our female collegiate athletes to not only train but to also compete during the summer months. This program allowed local collegiate players training, sports performance, as well as game opportunities during their "off-season" in preparation for their return to their respective college pre-seasons in early August. 

In year one of the program, we had over 40 players from a variety of colleges and universities across the country! Players from California, Georgia, South Carolina, and Illinois to name a few all participated in the program. Not only that, we had numerous former players return to represent the club such as Reese Hinkle (Charleston), Maryn Zavislak (Denison University), and Lauryn Barringer (Coastal Carolina), graduated HS seniors including Pavitra Karnati  (Ohio State) and Maddee Turner (Otterbein)as well as a handful of current Columbus Force players earning valuable experience with the likes of Addison Marinelli (2010) and Wayana Alana Snyder (2008). 

Overall, in the first year of this program the team finished 5-1-2 and missed out on playoffs by just 2 points! An incredible return in our first year in the league. We are excited to watch all of these players as they return to their respective colleges this fall and wish them the best of luck and look forward to seeing them again next summer! 

USL Youth

We have just wrapped up our second year competing in USL-Youth here at Columbus Force! The amount of growth and development the staff have seen this summer from more than 130 players within the program has been incredible. With over 30 hours of training time, friendlies, as well as game opportunities players have been placed in competitive, pre-professional environments to accelerate their growth both on and off the field. Teams travelled to South Bend, Indiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Toledo, Ohio as well as Waukegan, Illinois to compete against other teams in a high performance regional environment with the chance to qualify for the national event in December! 

We are thrilled to announce that our 2011/12 Boys team has qualified for the 2025 USL Youth Finals national event!!!

A huge thank you to our staff for their commitment and passion to helping coach, educate, and lead each and every player over the summer months. USL-Youth does not just focus only on player growth and development, but as well as the education, growth, and development of our staff. Learning how to periodize training, follow as well as implement a game model, while learning to be both flexible and adaptable for both training and games helps them improve all of the tasks of a coach. 

The growth in players and staff alike from our first year to our second year has been immense and we are excited to see the continued development of our USL-Y program here in Columbus as we start to look ahead to summer 2026. 

A Notes From Our Club Director

By: Kirby Valle

Girls U16-U19

Current Status

Year two for Columbus Force is underway in August 2025! It’s an exciting time for the club as we have seen an increase in participation, new coaches helping bolster an already robust core staff, and our top Girls teams are moving into a challenging yet exciting space with the ECNL RL. 

 Although the high school teams don’t train together until November, we will be keeping an eye on high school seasons for our players. We hope your training over the summer was effective and useful while you navigate tryouts and team placement on high school teams. Good luck to everyone!

We have an experienced and talented group of coaches leading our high school teams this year, so let’s meet them!

ECNL RL Staff

NPL GLA Staff

Looking Ahead
All of our teams in the Girls High School space will attend 5 showcases mixed between Nov/Dec of 2025 and the spring of 2026. Regional play for the NPL teams will find them competing in Ohio, Indiana, and West Virginia. The ECNL RL teams will have regional play as well along with stops in Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, and New Jersey (depending on the team). It will be a busy and exciting season for our teams and we look forward to the challenge!

Coaches Corner

Stay tuned for more information about college recruiting seminars, resources, and information to help you with your college search.

Please remember to RSVP for your team pathway meetings this week. We would love for you to be in person and understand that your high school commitments may make that difficult. We will stream the meeting for those who have conflicts. Please let your coach know if you have any questions.

Lastly, please RSVP on PM for the U15-U19 Girls ECNL-RL & Blue Teams Media Day! 

Saturday, November 1 – Girls ECNL-RL & Blue Teams

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 2011 Girls ECNL-RL

10:05 AM – 11:05 AM | 2011 Girls Blue

11:10 AM – 12:10 PM | 2010 Girls ECNL-RL

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM | 2010 Girls Blue

1:20 PM – 2:20 PM | 2009 Girls ECNL-RL

2:25 PM – 3:25 PM | 2009 Girls Blue

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 2008/07 Girls ECNL-RL

Makeup Media Day

Date: Wednesday, November 12

Time: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Location: TOCA Columbus

Please note: Makeup sessions are limited to headshots, full-frame photos, and one pose only.

Let’s go Force!!

Kelly Bryan

#CHIRP

Boys U16-U19

First off, congratulations to all of you who made your high school teams! That’s a huge accomplishment and a reflection of the work you've put in on and off the field. We’re proud to see our players stepping up and representing their schools across the region.

As your high school seasons get underway, we want to wish you the best of luck. Compete hard, enjoy the experience, and make the most of every moment with your teammates. These seasons go by fast, but the memories and lessons stick with you for a long time.

For those of you with college soccer aspirations, this is also a great time to start collecting game footage. High school games can provide valuable clips for highlight reels, so, when possible, try to get your games filmed, even if it’s just on a phone or through a livestream. Good video can go a long way in helping you stand out during the college recruiting process, and we’re here to help you use it the right way when the time comes.



We’re looking forward to having everyone back with us for the club High School season, hopefully healthy, confident, and full of good stories from the fall. Until then, keep working hard and know that we’re cheering you on from the sidelines.

Vamos Force!

Girls U13-U15

Fall Season – 2012s & 2013s

We’re Back!

Our fall season is here, and we couldn’t be more excited to get started. We’re thrilled to welcome back our returning players, and we’re just as excited to greet the new faces joining the Force family for the first time.

This fall is extra special as we officially enter the ECNL-RL on the girls' side—a huge step forward for our club and players. We’re looking forward to the high level of competition and opportunities this platform will bring.

Training kicked off the first week of August, with Force Fest following with several local clubs that joined us!  We were grateful to collaborate to create a fun, competitive day of soccer for all involved.

We’re also proud to introduce our 2012 East Columbus Force girls—a fantastic addition that expands our footprint across Central Ohio. Our mission has always been to grow and serve more players, and this is an important milestone in that journey.

Meet the Coaches – 2013s & 2012s

U13-U15 Boys Director

What a Great First Year for Columbus Force SC

All of our teams within the U13-U15 Boys age groups had a very successful season. The players and coaches have built a strong culture rooted in our core values #Chirp, and that foundation will continue to grow in the years ahead. We could not be more excited about what’s to come.

This summer it has been great to see our players continuing to stay sharp and committed, whether training with Mario Suarez and Sports Performance, participating in Force 7s, or competing in USL. The drive and dedication of our players is evident as they prepare for what’s next.

SHOUT OUT

Congratulations to our 2010B ECNL RL team, led by Coach Mauricio Mendez, and our 2012B ECNL RL team, led by Coach Andy Dunaway, for being crowned State Champions in The Ohio State Cup, competing in the Super Division. Both coaches have done an outstanding job with their teams, and the hard work and commitment from everyone involved truly paid off.

Well done to the 2012B, 2011B, and 2010B ECNL RL teams for finishing in the top two of their divisions in league play and advancing to the Regional Playoffs this summer. All three teams had excellent seasons, and we are proud of their accomplishments.

A special congratulations to the 2012B RL team, also led by Coach Andy Dunaway, for being crowned ECNL RL National Champions. This marks Columbus Force SC’s first National Championship, a historic achievement in just our first year. What a year. Congratulations to all.

2025–26 Staff Announcement | U13-U15 Boys

We are thankful for the coaches who helped lead our players this past season. As some transition to new opportunities, we are excited to welcome several strong additions to our coaching staff. Below is the lineup for the 2025–26 season:

As we reflect on this incredible first year, it is clear that Columbus Force SC is building something special. From our dedicated staff and player development at all levels to league success, state championships, and national titles, our players and coaches have set the tone for a program grounded in hard work, character, and excellence. The culture we have created together, one that embodies our #Chirp values, continues to grow stronger every day.

With a talented and committed coaching staff in place and a group of players who continue to raise the bar, the future is bright. We are proud of what we have accomplished and even more excited about what is to come in the 2025-26 season.

To everyone who has supported us this year, including players, coaches, families, and our entire community, thank you. Your belief in our vision, your commitment to the process, and your passion for the game have made this first year unforgettable.



Go Force!

Boys U8-U12

We are excited to enter our second year of Columbus Force after some amazing achievements in year one from our U10-U12 Boys teams. We had 5 regular season champions, 2 league tournament champions, as well as 1 state cup champion team in the 24/25 season! To achieve that amount of success in our first year is absolutely incredible and comes down to the commitment as well as passion from players, families, and staff. Without all of their hard work and buy-in, all of the growth and development that we saw over the past year would not be possible. That is what makes us so excited to start our second year of Columbus Force! 

For the 25/26 season, we are excited to expand to 5 Regional level teams! While we have 3 teams competing in Pre-ECNL we will also have our 2014 and 2015 Blue teams competing regionally in NPL. This step allows us an additional pathway to challenge players mentally, technically, physically, as well as tactically against opponents in our region.

This year we return all of our staff as well as welcome two new coaches into the U10-U12 Boys coaching team! Coaches Maurico, Alejandro, as well as myself, will lead our Pre-ECNL 2015, 2014, and 2016 teams respectively. While Coaches Paul, Tom, and Jackie guide our 2016, 2015, and 2014 Blue teams for the 25/26 season. Lastly, we are excited to welcome Coach Jamie and Coach Jon as they join Coach Elliott in coaching our 2014, 2016, and 2015 White teams this year. 

With this coaching team, we feel they will bring their passion for the game to each and everyone of their players as we get ready to guide them all in the next step of their respective soccer journey. We are excited to have these coaches with us for the 25/26 season! 

U8 - U12 Girls and U12 and Below Technical Director

U8 - U12 Girls 

Growth in the younger girls' side
We are very much excited to kick off the season as well as year 2 with Columbus Force! The U10 - U12 Girls Age group saw some wonderful players and families make their transition into the U13 and 11v11 format this year and we wish those 2013s the best of luck under the direction of Travis Morrow, the best! 

I am very much proud of the hard work and dedication to grow our younger girls' programs from all the coaches involved and to their credit, we are welcoming a growth of an additional 2014G team this year as well as a brand new age group with having a 2016G Premier team! I want to thank those that were heavily involved in making this growth a possibility as without the amazing staff that we have, it would not be possible! Thank you to our younger girls' staff! 

New Coach, Lisa Saiben, we welcome you!

We are also very happy to announce and welcome a new coach in U10 - U12 Girls' side of the club! I hope everyone joins us in welcoming Lisa Saiben into the club as she comes in to be the head coach of our 2015G Blue team for this year! Coach Lisa brings with her an amazing passion and wealth of knowledge in coaching, and especially on the girls' side! See a brief note from Coach Lisa on a bit of her background as well as her excitement to start this new chapter of her coaching career: 

"My name is Lisa Saiben, and I have coached soccer in some capacity for 18 years. I have a USSF National D license. I began my club coaching career back in 2006 with the New Albany Freedom, then the Classics (before they became Classics Eagles), then most recently Worthington United. During some of these years I was also the Olentangy Liberty high school girl’s assistant (2007-2008) then head coach (2009-2014) as well as a member of the Ohio South ODP state staff. I did take a few years off when my boys were young, however, I truly love coaching and quickly came back to it.

I grew up in Canton, Ohio and graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas high school where I played soccer and ran track. I fortunately found a great club to play for an hour North with the Cleveland Cobras. I was lucky to have a fantastic team and won 3 Ohio North State Cups. I went on to play college soccer for St. Bonaventure University (D1/Atlantic 10). There, I learned so much, made lasting memories and friends, and even got my name in the record books. At Bonaventure I studied business then math education and have been a high school math teacher for 19 years. This year I will be entering my 18^th year as a math teacher at Olentangy Liberty High School.

I live with my husband and two sons (10 and 12) in Worthington and have coached here for the past 5 years. My oldest son was ready for a change and switched to Force this year. I took the opportunity for change as well and am excited to get started. As I mentioned I teach in Olentangy, so while I don’t live here, I am familiar with the community and am excited to be part of it in this new role.

I look forward to coaching your daughters and helping them grow in their soccer journey!"

U12 and Below Technical Director:

The Columbus Force Staff was in full go mode this past week, as we kicked off our second year of our Full Staff Coaching Education Seminar! It was a great time getting to meet and interact with everyone and get to meet the new people that are stepping on board to be a coach with Columbus Force this year! 

The coaching seminar was a huge success as staff were able to go through what it means to be a Columbus Force Individual as well as a Team! Coaches were in the classroom, learning and engaging with one another as well as getting to the field in support of our on field training session with our 2014B Blue in preparations for how we set up our training sessions for the fall! 

The on field training session was led by U12 and Below Technical Director, Braden Bell and Sports Performance Director, Mario Suarez. During this portion of the seminar, coaches were on the field, observing and interacting with the session leads on expectations, preparations as well as training deliveries to help enhance our youth soccer players on the standards and core curriculum of playing as a Force soccer player! 

It was a great night of learning, growing and getting to know one another even further, as we look to launch the start of the fall season very soon! 

All the best!

New Paragraph

Boys & Girls U8-U9
Hello Columbus Force families, I am coach Nehemiah Tanga and I am your new U8 - U9 Program Manager! First and foremost I want to thank you all for your dedication to your player's development over the summer, your support of the Force 7's and USL Y programs has been tremendously received and we as coaches enjoyed it just as much as the players did! I am very happy to be stepping into a space where I am given the opportunity to work with you in laying the foundation for what a Force player truly is and can be, a daily process we are committed to embarking on. As we start our collective season I want to challenge you all to find practical ways you can build discipline and consistency, whether that be in packing your training gear the night before or arranging your bags in a row when you arrive at training. Remember, success is intentional! GO FORCE!

Juniors Programs!

By: Jessica Shelton

Welcome to Columbus Force Juniors! Our program provides a clear developmental pathway for young athletes, focusing on skill development, growth, and a lifelong passion for soccer. Our goal is to help young players learn, grow, and have fun while building a strong soccer foundation. 

As part of our soccer club family, your child will develop skills, confidence, and a love for the game. At this age, we begin to introduce our players to the values of teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship all while building a strong foundation for future success.

Visit out Juniors Academy webpage for more information and to register! Reach out to our Juniors Director, Jessica Shelton, jshelton@tocafootball.com with any questions! 

We look forward to seeing your young athletes on the field!

Sports Performance

By: Mario Suarez

Sports Performance

My name is Mario Suarez, and I am the Sports Performance Director of Columbus Force Soccer Club. I hold a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification with over 8 years of coaching athletes of all ages and sports backgrounds through a systemic periodization model in relation to the athletes needs. I focus on athlete driven goals while enhancing movement patterns and movement efficiency development for maximal strength, speed, and power adaptations. I am passionate about continuing the athletic development and mentorship of athletes while providing a positive, engaging, and comprehensive atmosphere that builds relationships, improves athletic performance on the field/pitch/court, reduce the risk of athletic injuries, and teach lifelong fitness, movement, and skills to maximize athletic potential to play at the highest level.

Coaching Philosophy 

Create and achieve buy-in within our ecosystem to allow a conducive training environment that helps our players learn lifelong values and standards and take those to the field, classroom, or life so once they graduate from our program they are the best possible human being. 

Training Philosophy 

Total body development and enhancement utilizing methods of resistance and speed training, to ultimately allow athletes to be healthy and available for games and practices throughout the year so they can do what is most important, play the game and become better athletes for higher level of skill acquisition and development. 

Starting September to December, I will be running speed and strength classes for all players of all sports focusing on different aspects of speed, agility, full body power, and core strength to build more explosiveness and develop young athletes. As well as  general to functional strength for sport and developing proper running and jumping patterns with a progressive development model, helping athletes excel in the sport of their choosing. Follow the link below to sign-up!

CFSC Events

Trip to Spain Recap & Fall Training

Orthopedic ONE

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