New Squad Continues to Build Towards Inaugural Season Kicking off May 6 at Grand Park
INDIANAPOLIS – In conjunction with the United Soccer League’s Women’s Appreciation Month initiative, Indy Eleven today announced the hiring of five female staffers who will help lead the path towards success during the club’s Inaugural Season in the USL W League, the United States’ new pre-professional women’s league launching in May.
Today’s hires for the Indy Eleven Women’s Senior Team include:
- Goalkeeper Coach Kelly Freeland
- Manager, Team Operations Lisa MacDonald
- Head Athletic Trainer Sierra Garber, MS, LAT, ATC
- W League Team Operations Interns Sarah Carl & Kaeleigh Sheehan
“The USL’s aim to use the W League as a platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development is one Indy Eleven takes to heart,” said Indy Eleven President & CEO Greg Stremlaw. “We are proud to welcome these talented women into the organization and know they will play pivotal roles alongside Head Coach Paul Dolinsky and Assistant Coach Grace Bahr towards establishing Indy Eleven as the preeminent franchise in the W League during our Inaugural Season.”
Freeland brings coaching experience at multiple levels to her role as Goalkeeper Coach for Indiana’s Team, including working with some of the Hoosier State’s premier goalkeeping talent on the coaching staff of the Indiana Olympic Development Program (ODP) since 2017 and as a staff member with Zionsville Youth Soccer Association (ZYSA) for the last four years. Freeland has earned her United Soccer Coaches Level I Goalkeeper Diploma and will soon complete her master’s degree in Exercise Science/Clinical Exercise Psychology at the University of Indianapolis. The Carmel native grew up playing with Carmel United Soccer Club and in the ECNL platform of the Indiana Fire Juniors program.
MacDonald is no stranger to Indy Eleven’s training home of Grand Park, as she has served as the Administrative Director USYS Travel for the Westfield Youth Soccer Association (WYSA)/Indiana Fire Juniors headquartered at the sports campus since 2014. MacDonald will continue to serve in that capacity concurrently while spearheading the Indy Eleven W League club’s team side operations.
Garber also joins the Eleven staff after spending time with the Indiana Fire Juniors program, having served as their Academy Athletic Trainer from 2016-18. Since earning her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training through the University of Indianapolis and her master’s in Education from Southwestern College in Kansas, Garber has served as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Western Michigan University, when she enrolled as a master’s student in the Broncos’ Athletic Training program in 2019. That same year, Garber began serving as a Sports Medicine Network Professional for the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Youth National Teams.
Carl joins Indy Eleven for the summer from Indiana University Bloomington, where she is currently working towards her bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness in the School of Public Health. Sheehan will assist the Eleven W League squad after finishing her bachelor’s degree in Sports Management at Wayne State University, where she will continue her studies this fall by pursuing her Master’s in Sports Administration.
Right now the only way to secure tickets for the Indy Eleven USL W League Season at the Grand Park Events Center – including the first match in league history on Friday, May 6 vs. Kings Hammer FC (7:00 p.m. ET) – is by becoming an Season Ticket Member for Indy Eleven’s 2022 USL Championship season, which includes complimentary tickets to the six W League matches in 2022. For more details on Indy Eleven’s Senior Women’s Team, including its full 12-game W League regular season schedule, visit the “W League” section of indyeleven.com.
The full range of ticket offerings for Indy Eleven’s 2022 season at IUPUI Carroll Stadium – starting with the home opener on Saturday, April 2, against LA Galaxy II – are now available, including Season Ticket Memberships, single game tickets, special multi-game packages, and an increased portfolio of hospitality options. To get full details and purchase tickets, visit indyeleven.com/tickets, or call 317-685-1100 during regular business hours.
