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 6 years and is currently coaching at Bethesda Soccer Club and the Elizabeth Seton High School Girls Varsity Program with Coach Brendon Gregoire. 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 Judah on the DeMatha Varsity teams and with the first Development Academy (now MLSNext) teams in 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 has returned to D.C. and began his coaching journey working as the Associate Head Coach of the DeMatha Varsity Soccer Team for 4 years, as well as the Technical Director of the DeMatha Soccer Academy and Seton Roadrunners FC for 5 years. He has since joined the Bethesda Soccer Club coaching staff and holds his UEFA C License. He combines his passion for coaching with his work as a cybersecurity client service manager. He is enrolled in the Masters in Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management at George Washington University.
COACH – BRENDON GREGOIRE
Coach Brendon Gregoire is the Girls' Director of Seton Roadrunners F.C. and the Head Varsity Coach at Elizabeth Seton High School. As a 2007 DeMatha Catholic High School alum, he has been part of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) community. He has been coaching in the surrounding metro area for 10 years. As an All-Conference and All-Metro student athlete, he was part of the National Championship program, winning 3 WCAC Championships while on an unbeaten streak of 67 games. Like Coach Hegngi, he played for Coach Judah on the DeMatha Varsity teams and with the first Development Academy (now MLSNext) teams in the D.C United U18 Academy team and U20 Men’s team. He is also a 2011 graduate of Towson University, where I obtained my bachelor's degree in finance and played Division 1 soccer. Coach Brendon is a 2015 MBA graduate from the University of Maryland. He joined the Elizabeth Seton High School soccer program in 2019 and was voted WCAC Coach of the Year in his first season while coaching the Varsity team to their first-ever WCAC Championship appearance. Coach Brendon then founded the Seton Roadrunners F.C. club to help better promote and facilitate a pipeline for young ladies to develop as high-quality student-athletes. He combines his passion for coaching with his work as an Auditor at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
COACH – JUDAH COOKS
Coach Judah Cooks has coached and developed players for the last 20 years. He is a D.C. native and coached Coach Parnell and Coach Brendon on WCAC Championship-winning teams at DeMatha Catholic High School. Before his coaching career began, Coach Judah was a recognized talent in the greater Washington, DC metro area. He is a graduate of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland. While at Walt Whitman, Judah was a three-time Parade All-American (1993 to 1995) member of the U-17 and U-20 U.S. National Teams. During the 1993 U-17 FIFA World Championship in Japan, Cooks scored four goals for the United States. He then went on to play at the University of Maryland and was selected to the All-ACC team in 1998. Coach Judah scored 12 goals in 52 games in three years at Maryland. He was then selected to the MLS Pro 40 and joined the D.C. United team in 1998. From 1998 to 2001, Coach Judah was a member of the D.C. United squad, including the 1999 MLS championship team. He scored two goals in 26 appearances for the club. From 2001 to 2003, Cooks was a Milwaukee Rampage, Miami Fusion, Atlanta Silverbacks, Syracuse Salty Dogs, and the Charleston Battery member. Coach Judah holds a USSF B license. He started coaching in 2004 at National Cathedral School and served as an Assistant Coach at DeMatha Catholic High School from 2005 to 2009. Most recently, Coach Judah served as the Technical Director at Washington Capitol FC. From 2005 to 2011, he was the Special Projects Coordinator and a coach with the D.C. United Youth Academy. He then took on the Girls' Director of Coaching role at Weston FC in Miami, Florida, and was appointed Weston FC Technical Director. He now serves as the Director of Coaching at Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club.
COACH – JUAN CARLOS PARRA
Coach Juan Carlos Parra has coached and developed players for 15 years. He is a Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame member and was a three-time high school All-American defender before he became the first player signed to the MLS Pro 40 (now Generation Adidas). During his 6 year career in the MLS, he played for the Colorado Rapids, New England Revolution, and New York/New Jersey MetroStars (now the New York Red Bulls). Coach Carlos also played for the U.S. Men's U20 National Team and the U.S. U23 Men's National Team and helped the U20 Team reach the 1997 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Certified with USSF "A" and National Youth coaching licenses, Carlos now works with Arlington Soccer as their Girls' Academy Director after serving as the director of player development and youth academy director at RISE Soccer Club in Houston since 2020. Previously, he served as the technical director and director of player development at Ginga Football Club in his home state of Connecticut. Coach Carlos has also served as a technical director, director of coaching, director of the girls' development academy, and ECNL director for Atlanta Fire United and Weston FC in South Florida. He is currently on the coaching staff for the Puerto Rico Women's National Team, helping prepare the team for CONCACAF and FIFA events. He shares his passion for coaching with his family: his wife, Mary, and his two children, Sebastian and Luciano.