Girls diving into DC Stoddert travel soccer for the first time know little about the game’s competitive side. Khaled Hamami, our outstanding 2009 Travel Coach of the Year, quickly gets them up to speed technically and tactically.

Khaled brings a rich background as coach and player to his role as Girls’ Academy squad coach. As a young player, Khaled was a member of a youth national team in his native Yemen and also played professionally. He still plays pickup games three times a week at Arlington’s Virginia Highlands field, but his main passion is coaching soccer, which he does with great verve and skill. Over the past several years, Khaled has built up an impressive coaching resume. He holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "B" license, National Youth License, and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Goalkeeping Diploma. He also is a member of the regional Coerver Coaching staff. Best of all for the club, Khaled has applied his extensive knowledge of the game to coaching DC Stoddert kids of all ages for nearly a decade.

DC Stoddert Board member Eric Fredell captures the essence of what Khaled brings to the program when he states: “Khaled is a fantastic coach whose patience, skill and insight are extraordinary with young girl players. He is one of the best game coaches I have personally seen and his quiet, humble manner serves as an inspiration to players to work harder -- in sharp contrast to some coaches who think that by screaming they are somehow creating a desire to strive for excellence. He shows that just the opposite is true."

-- by Kate Samsot, DCST Travel Director