OUR COACHES
OUR COACHING STAFF ARE ALL FORMER PROFESSIONAL OR DIVISION 1 PLAYERS WITH EXTENSIVE COACHING EXPERIENCE AND PLAYER DEVELOPMENT.
COACH – Parnell Hegngi
Coach Parnell Hegngi has been coaching in the D.C. area for the last 8 years and is currently Director of Player Development at Bethesda Soccer Club as well as the Managing Director for DeMatha Soccer Academy - Roadrunners FC.
During his role as Director of Player Development, 48 players from DMSA - Roadrunners FC have been promoted within Bethesda SC to MLSNext, NAL, ECNL, and ECRL teams. 1 DMSA player has been promoted to the D.C. United Academy program. Most recently, he helped coach the U16 MLSNext Academy team to win the MLSNext Virginia Regional Cup Qualifier and will be coaching them at the 2026 MLSNext Nationals Cup.
He also serves as the Director of Soccer for both DeMatha Catholic High School and Elizabeth Seton High School. He is a D.C native who graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School in 2008 as an All-Conference and All-Metro player. He played for Coach Dafydd Evans and Coach Judah on the DeMatha Varsity teams, as well as with the first Development Academy (now MLSNext) teams, including the D.C. United U18 Academy team. He then played for Ohio State University and graduated in 2012 as a Big Ten All-Conference player before playing professionally in the German reserve leagues for 3 years.
He returned to D.C. in 2018 and began his coaching journey, serving as the Associate Head Coach of the DeMatha Varsity Soccer Team for four years and as the Technical Director of the DeMatha Soccer Academy and Roadrunners FC for five years. He has since joined the Bethesda Soccer Club coaching staff and holds his UEFA B License. He was recently selected by UEFA FAW to enroll in the UEFA A - Elite Youth License course. He combines his passion for coaching with Leadership Development.
COACH – ALEXIOS RODRIGUEZ
Coach Alexios Rodriguez (Coach Lex) is one of the Directors at DeMatha Soccer Academy – Roadrunners FC and a coach in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He oversees player development and club operations, with a focus on creating clear pathways for players into higher-performance environments, including MLS NEXT and the National Academy League (NAL) through the DMSA–Bethesda SC partnership.
A D.C. native, he began his development at DeMatha Soccer Academy (DMSA) under Hall of Fame coach Dafydd Evans and former D.C. United professional Andrew Quinn, as well as former Wydad Casablanca Technical Director Zaki Hamzaoui. He progressed to DeMatha Catholic High School, where he was an All-Conference WCAC player and helped lead the program to a WCAC Final in 2018. During his youth career, he also competed with Pipeline SC, achieving a national ranking of 8th in the country.
Alexios went on to play NCAA Division I soccer, earning a degree in Business Management with a minor in Communication. He then progressed into the professional game, playing in Germany before concluding his playing career in New Zealand’s First Division.
Following his playing career, he began coaching in New Zealand within a junior development program (U9–U12), gaining early experience in foundational player development and long-term athlete progression.
He returned to Washington, D.C. in 2024 and transitioned fully into coaching, serving as Associate Head Coach of DeMatha Catholic High School Varsity Soccer. In his first season back in the program where he once competed as a player, he helped lead the team to a WCAC Final appearance—marking the school’s first final appearance since his own playing career in 2018.
Today, Alexios serves as one of the Directors at DMSA – Roadrunners FC. He holds a UEFA Grassroots License and is on track to complete his UEFA C License in May 2026, with the UEFA B License to follow in 2027. He also coaches within Bethesda SC, DeMatha Soccer Academy, and DeMatha Catholic High School, with a focus on developing intelligent, adaptable players capable of progressing into elite environments.
COACH – SIMON AmATO
Simon Amato is a Silver Spring native. In his youth, he was tearing up the local club soccer scene. In high school, he was a Senior Captain for Montgomery Blair Soccer. Instead of playing Division II college soccer, he chose to pursue academics at the University of Maryland. While earning a degree in Economics and minoring in entrepreneurship, Simon started a snacking company called FRODOH (frozen donut holes). After receiving several business awards through the Smith School of Business, Simon landed an angel investor to inject $100K into the start-up. Long story short, the project dissolved due to a pending lawsuit with Lord of the Rings (you can ask him for a storytime).
After the donut company fizzled out, Simon was inspired by a friend to start working out in the gym. The gym changed his life, as well as his footballing ability. After building a new professional soccer body, Simon pursued a lifelong dream of becoming a pro soccer player and made it a reality in Costa Rica’s 3rd division.
Simon has pivoted; he is now a co-founder of a local fitness company called Life of Gains in Hyattsville. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Simon is wildly passionate about helping athletes unlock a new level in their game. He has worked with players at all levels, from youth to first-team international professionals.
Simon is currently playing for MSI PRO in the UPSL Premier Division. He is a two-time DMV North League champion, UPSL finalist, and has earned five UPSL DMV North Team of the Week selections.
His favorite player is Steven Gerrard.
COACH – JOseph Salem
Coach Joe has been coaching and developing players for the last 12 years. He is an Akron native who was a first-team All-District player at St. Vincent—St. Mary High School. He played college soccer at the University of Tulsa and was a first-team All-Conference USA player and a MAC Hermann Trophy nominee during his time with the program. During his time with the program, the Golden Hurricane won 3 consecutive Conference USA regular season and tournament championships, participating in the NCAA tournament each of those conference championship-winning seasons and advancing to the Elite 8 in 2009. Coach Joe then played in the USL Premier Development League with the Des Moines Menace before continuing into the NASL Pro League with the Puerto Rico Islanders.
Coach Joe began his coaching career working as an assistant coach with the Case Western Reserve University and University of Louisville soccer programs. He then worked with the Cleveland Force Soccer Club and served as the Director of Business Development within the Club. He earned his MBA from the University of Louisville and holds a USSF C License. Coach Joe came to the DMV after serving as the Assistant Athletic Director at Canisius High School and the Head Varsity Soccer Coach for their boys' program. Coach Joe worked as the Associate Head Coach with the DeMatha High School Varsity Soccer program as well as the Director of Player Development with DeMatha Soccer Academy. He currently serves as the Director of Player Development at the Seoul Sports Academy.
COACH – DAVE UNGRADY
Dave is a journalist, coach, public speaker, and educator. He started GoGrady Media in December 2011 in part to help youth learn the skills necessary for making good decisions and developing personal resilience.
GoGrady’s programs draw on Dave’s years of experience as a collegiate athlete and a best-selling author. Dave has conducted exclusive, personal interviews with some of the world’s top athletes, including soccer’s legendary Pele; swimming sensation Michael Phelps; basketball star Kareem Abdul Jabbar; and the track and field icon, Carl Lewis.
