Mark Girard
Founder/ Head Coach
Mark, the founder of The Edge Soccer Programs, has over 20 years coaching experience. Many players whom he trained have advanced to the top level clubs, colleges, and professional teams. Mark has coached and trained teams for CASL (including U23s), TFC, Cary Clarets PDL, and Raleigh Elite. He was also an Assistant Coach for the Carolina Railhawks.
Karen Retzlaff
Business Operations
Karen is The Edge's office manager that handles all aspects of day-to-day business operations including our go-to "mom" for anything and everything. She has worked in the soccer industry for over 11 years and a true soccer mom at heart. She cheers her oldest son who plays for NC State University and plays on the U23 North Carolina FC team (during the summer) and watches her youngest son play for Heritage High School & NCFC and also train in our Edge Black program.
Brian Ackley
Head Coach
Brian played youth soccer locally for CASL and the Athens Drive HS State Champions. He played college soccer at Indiana University. Brian played professionally all over the world including New Zealand, Holland, Poland, and the Czech Republic. He has also played for the Carolina Railhawks and Wilmington Hammerheads. Brian has over 10 years of youth soccer coaching experience.
Jared Girard
Lead Coach
Jared played youth soccer for CASL and was named 2009-2010 CASL Club Captain. He played college soccer at Campbell University and Drexel University. Jared played professional in Sweden and Germany. He has coached and has provided youth technical training for 3 years.
Logan Paussa
Sports Performance Director
Logan played youth soccer for CASL and collegiately. He has also coached and provided youth technical training for the last 3 years. Logan has a background in personal fitness and developed the Sports Performance program at The Edge.
Davis Griffin
Goalkeeping Coach
Davis played Division I soccer at UNC Greensboro where he played goalkeeper for the Spartans. Prior to attending UNC Greensboro, he played club soccer at CASL on their Academy team and earned all-conference and all region honors at Leesville Road High School. Davis also played for the Mississippi Bria PDL team and CASL NPSL team.
Chris Girard
Lead Coach/Business Development
Chris played youth soccer locally for CASL and Green Hope HS. He graduated from UNCC with a B.S.B.A in 2010. His background includes 10 plus years of youth soccer coaching experience. Chris concentrates on developing and growing businesses and has several years of experience devloping and maintaining professional relationships.
Evan Paussa
Coach & Camp Counselor
Evan has excelled in both CASL and state ranked Green Hope High School. He graduated from UNCC with a BS in Business Administration. He has coached and provided youth technical training for over 5 years. His goal in youth coaching is to help players gain confidence, achieve their goals, and enjoy the game of soccer.
Emily Turgeon
Sports Performance Coach
Emily holds her personal trainer certification from ISSA & comes to The Edge from Paladin Power and Speed. Her background includes playing for CASL & Cardinal Gibbon HS, Division I All-American soccer player, professional athlete in the W-League, a competitive USAPL powerlifter, NAS Strongman, & 10+ years of coaching experience.
Anna Fields
Coach
Anna played for FVAA, TFCA when the two clubs combined, and for the Fuquay Varina HS team. She is currently studying Psychology at North Carolina State University, with ambitions to become an Occupational Therapist. Anna works with the Little Edgers and loves contributing to the development of their skills.
Andrew Hevener
Coach
Andrew plays youth soccer locally for NCFC as a goalkeeper. He attends Fuquay-Varina High School, where he is the captain of the varsity soccer team. Andrew is committed to play division 1 soccer for Cornell University. After college, he holds aspirations to play professional soccer.
Lauren Ramage
Camp Counselor
Lauren played for FVAA, TFCA, and CASL. She played multiple sports and graduated from Fuquay-Varina high school. She now attends East Carolina University with a intended major of Business management and minor in Marketing..