Meet the people behind the launch of Indy Eleven’s Senior Women’s Team ahead of the 2022 Inaugural W League Season
Paul Dolinsky | Head Coach
Indy Eleven didn’t have to look far to find the first head coach for its new Women’s Senior Team, as Indiana’s Team named Carmel native Paul Dolinsky as the sideline boss for its new USL W League expansion franchise on December 14, 2021.
Dolinsky has been a youth and developmental league coach for nearly two decades, the USSF “A” licensed coach most recently serving as the head coach of the WPSL’s Lady Victory FC during its own inaugural 2021 season and with Indiana Fire Juniors’ entry in ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) play. While with Lady Victory FC last summer, Dolinsky earned the 2021 WPSL Midwestern Conference’s Coach of the Year honor after guiding the squad to a 10W-1L-0D record and a conference title. Prior to returning to Central Indiana in recent years, Dolinsky served as a coach for west coast youth soccer powerhouse San Diego Surf Soccer Club, where he twice led girls teams to US Youth Soccer national championships in their age groups.
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Dolinsky was one of the most talented soccer prospects to come out of the Hoosier State, the two-time Parade All-American midfielder out of Carmel High School earning regular U.S. Youth National Team callups during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, including a stint as captain of the U.S. Under-18 MNT. At 16, Dolinsky departed Indiana for The Netherlands, where he spent five seasons in the youth development systems at Feyenoord Rotterdam and SC Heerenveen before turning professional with the latter. After five years in Holland, Dolinsky returned stateside and played four more seasons in various professional leagues before turning his focus towards the sidelines.
Grace Bahr | Assistant Coach
Indy Eleven named Grace Bahr as the club’s first USL W League Assistant Coach in conjunction with the hiring of Dolinsky on December 14, 2021, a move that continued to bolster her growing credentials in Midwestern soccer circles.
The Cleveland native spent two seasons at both the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2016-17) and Xavier University (2018-19) in Cincinnati before beginning her coaching career at the latter as a volunteer assistant in 2020. In 2021, Bahr hopped across the Ohio River after earning an invitation to the training camp of NWSL side Racing Louisville FC, where she participated as a training player for the squad’s inaugural 2021 season. Bahr also spent time in the U.S. Youth National Team system, earning call-ups from her Cleveland Internationals SC club from 2013-16 for the USA’s U-15, U-18 and U-19 WNT sides.
Bahr wrapped up her collegiate playing days with two standout campaigns for XU, earning an All-BIG EAST Second Team placement as a junior in 2018 before garnering a First Team nod in 2019 as well as All-BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Player and All-Tournament Team honors as a senior in 2019. Bahr also has plenty of experience with the pre-professional summer circuit, having played four seasons of WPSL soccer from 2017-20 for the Cleveland Ambassadors and Dayton Dutch Lions.
Brandon Kim | Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach, Brandon Kim, played both high school soccer locally (Carmel High School) along with playing for then club, Carmel United Soccer Club, and in the inaugural Developmental Academy teams for Indiana Fire Juniors. Post high-school, Brandon played soccer for the University of Southern Indiana for one season, while also running 3 seasons of track and field before transferring to finish bachelors degree in Communications Studies at IUPUI. As a coach, his early career was with Carmel United & Park Tudor High School. He has also coached collegiately with three seasons of experience at Marian University as a men’s assistant, and worked as Paul Dolinsky’s assistant at Lady Victory FC (WPSL).
He currently also serves as Assistant Director of Coaching for girls youth academy (u8-u12) at Indiana Fire Juniors as done so for the past 5 years. He currently holds his USSF B LICENSE.
Kelly Freeland | Goalkeeper Coach
Carmel native Kelly Freeland was named the Goalkeeper Coach of Indy Eleven’s W League squad on March 2, 2022. Freeland brings coaching experience at multiple levels to her role with 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. Freeland grew up playing locally with Carmel United Soccer Club and in the ECNL platform of the Indiana Fire Juniors program.
Sierra Garber, MS, LAT, ATC | Head Athletic Trainer
Garber joined the Eleven staff on March 2, 2022, 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.
DR. SARITA SHARP
TEAM CHIROPRACTOR
Dr. Sarita Sharp, the Team Chiropractor for Indy Eleven’s USL W League side, s a familiar face in club circles after having served in a similar capacity for the club’s USL Championship side from 2020-21, when her practice, Alpha Health & Wellness in Indianapolis, served concurrently as the Official Chiropractic Partner of Indy Eleven.
The aim of Alpha Health & Wellness is to improve their patients’ lifestyle by providing a high-quality level of customer service, chiropractic experience, and commitment to total health and wellness. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Sharp on the foundations of chiropractic care, Alpha Health & Wellness focuses not only on spinal care treatments, but on an overall experience geared towards achieving better health. To learn more about Alpha Health & Wellness and its full range of wellness options, visit alphahealthindy.co.
Lisa Macdonald | Manager, Team Operations
Garber joined the Eleven staff on March 2, 2022, after spending time with the Indiana Fire Juniors pMacdonald, who joined Indy Eleven’s W League staff on March 2, 2022, is no stranger to the 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.
Sarah Carl & Kaeleigh Sheehan | Team Operations Interns
Carl (pictured left) 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.
Carl (pictured left) 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.
