As Sporting Kansas City's roster for the 2015 season rounds into form so, too, does the club's technical staff. Academy Fitness Coach Dave McKay left in the offseason to become Head Fitness Coach at expansion club Orlando City SC. The club wasted little time looking for a replacement, hiring Josh McCallister, a longtime coach with extensive experience at the youth and collegiate levels.
"I'm just really excited for the opportunity to continue my development and learn from one of the best technical staffs in Major League Soccer," McCallister told SportingKC.com. "I've heard so many great things and I'm eager to work in such a fantastic environment."
Despite having graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2008 with a degree in Exercise Science, McCallister has more than 10 years of coaching experience. The 30-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa, spent a year playing collegiate soccer at William Penn University before giving up his dream of being a professional soccer player to pursue a career in coaching.
"I learned very quickly that I would not be a professional athlete, so I wanted to take advantage of every opportunity to start on my coaching career," McCallister said. "After transferring to the University of Northern Iowa, I began working toward my degree while volunteer coaching on the side."
After graduating from Northern Iowa, McCallister began his career with Heartland Soccer Club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, while pursuing his coaching licenses. He then moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to work for West Des Moines Soccer Club.
In May, 2014, West Des Moines Soccer Club joined with Johnston-Urbandale Soccer Club to become Sporting Iowa, an Academy Affiliate in the Sporting Club Network. McCallister coached the Sporting Iowa U-17 and U-18 girls teams before spending a year interning with Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers. Following his stint with the Timbers, McCallister was hired as as an assistant coach for the University of Drake Men's Soccer team, a position he held for two years.
"The opportunity with Sporting Kansas City really came about because of my time with the Timbers," McCallister said. "My old boss in Portland is good friends with [Sporting KC Head Fitness Coach] Mateus [Manoel] and knew there was a vacant position in Kansas City. I applied for the job, interviewed with the staff and was fortunate to get the opportunity."
Along with assisting Manoel on the first team, McCallister's primary responsiblity with lie with the club's Academy teams. McCallister will be in charge of developing fitness regimens and strength programs for each of the club's Academy squads, from the U-12s up through the U-18s.
"I'm extremely excited for the opportunity to learn under Mateus, who is considered one of the best fitness coaches in the country," he said. "It's always been my long-term goal to work with high level coaches and players and I could not be more excited to start the next chapter in my career."
