News

Name: Michelle Rayner
Team: Lexington SC
Job title: Women’s First Team Head Coach and Sporting Director

What’s your favorite soccer memory?
That’s a loaded question; there are so many to choose from, both on the playing and the coaching side! Playing memories would definitely be participating in the first Women’s World Cup in 1991 in China. Second to that would be winning two National Championships, one in New Zealand for the Waikato Representative Team and one in Australia for New South Wales. I scored a goal in the final game! As for coaching memories, again, there are too many to list, but winning back-to-back 3v3 National championships with my boy’s team is memorable. I’ve also had many amazing experiences throughout my collegiate coaching career and retained many meaningful relationships from my time in coaching. 

What do you think is the greatest thing about working in soccer?
Undoubtedly, one of the most rewarding aspects of working in women’s soccer is the honor of coaching amazing athletes and people. The joy of seeing them pursue and succeed at something they spend countless hours working on while watching them eventually grow to be amazing young women in their respective careers and, for some, even become mothers while still playing…all the things!

Please tell us about why you decided to pursue a career in the game and what a day in life is like for you.
I was fortunate, and it fell into my lap, so to speak! I came to the US when I was in the middle of my playing season with Millwall in England to coach with an organization at that time called British Soccer (now Challenger Sports, I believe). It was at that time, through 11 or 12 weeks of soccer camps throughout the US, that I found a love for coaching and that I had knowledge of the game (albeit limited at that time with regards to coaching), but more so the ability to communicate that knowledge to youngsters. Throughout those 11 or 12 weeks of soccer camp, I made great connections and eventually decided to finish my playing career in England and move to the US to begin college and coaching.

What was it like to be a part of the new W League?
This first season with the W League was an interesting experience for us. Though from our debrief of the season both internally and with our W League players, this first season ended up being a learning experience for us regarding things we will do differently moving forward. But, overall, the feedback from our players was that they thoroughly enjoyed the season. They felt that we ran the program extremely professionally, gave them a fantastic experience, developed them as individuals and within the team concept, and were able to provide them with an experience that they would want to continue to be a part of moving forward. Halfway through our season, we had the challenge of players leaving for NWSL teams as they were releasing their players to their respective countries in preparation for the Women’s World Cup and needed to fill their rosters through short-term contracts.

While you aspire to achieve this with a pre-professional platform such as the W League program, it provides a unique challenge for W League coaches and teams to continue putting their best roster together to remain competitive. We had to deal with a fluctuating roster/squad throughout the W League season as we had a team of young women who were extremely mixed in age and experience. The team makeup can exist from youngsters within your academy programs to former college players, current college players, and players that have played professionally at some level previously in their careers. Again, I go back to how we ran this program. We did so as we would a professional team and ensured we had an organized program, training environment at the highest level, travel and meals, housing for many players who were not from this area, technology through film analysis and wearable technology, Nike equipment, and more!

What inspires you even when things are tough?
What we have the privilege to do day-in-day-out. We are creating a legacy here in Lexington, KY, with everything we’re doing from the ground up, regarding our youth club, all the way through our pre-professional and professional platforms. We are doing this on both sides of the equation – what we do on the men’s side, we mirror on the women’s side, and there are not many clubs in the entire USA that can say that they have a proper pathway from the youth level all the way through for both male and females. From the first-class, multi-million dollar professional training complex we’re building, which currently has 7-state-of-the-art highest grade FIFA approved turf installed, to our new stadium (one of two potential sites). So, when days are tough, and there are tough days, because, as you can think of us as “a start-up company,” we must continually remind ourselves how fortunate and blessed we are to be doing what we’re doing. To give players from all walks of life an experience that will remain with them for their lifetime is something extremely valuable to all of us. 

Can you tell us about a soccer organization doing work for women/ girls and marginalized folks that you admire? It can even be your own organization!
I’m glad you afforded me an answer regarding what we’re doing. We provide a soccer experience that’s never been done before seen in this area. Not only with regards to having a proper player pathway for females from the youth component all the way through to the professional platform—if they’re good enough! We all know the percentage of female athletes who continue to play professionally is minimal, so we have to ensure that what we provide for those higher-level players is the same experience for all players. Our goal when these young women ultimately leave LSC is that they have had a fantastic experience on and off the field and made a great group of friends and relationships that will last a lifetime. That being said, our ownership group is highly motivated to ensure that all female and male players within our youth club can play, and they have invested an unbelievable amount of money towards scholarships for players and families that need additional financial assistance. As we continue to build our organization, we plan to ensure that we listen to the people within our community and invest time in getting to know our fans and families. We want to provide a relationship where our community and fan base feel as though LSC is their club and we are a part of their lives as we continue building the club together. 

What makes you excited about the WIS network?
I’m new to it and the concept, but having a platform that connects all women who love the game is exciting. The ability to bring women from all walks of life into one setting that provides a space for women [and other unrepresented individuals] to have a voice and a support system is innovative. 

Michelle, thanks for joining the network and all you bring to the game!