Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 4, 2023)—USA Ultimate added 11 coaches to its coaching staff for the upcoming WFDF World Junior Ultimate Championships (WJUC), the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States announced today.

Following the previously announced appointment of head coaches Martin Aguilera (mixed), DeAnna Ball (women) and Reid Koss (open), the addition of assistant coaches and selection assistants marked the next step in Team USA’s ongoing preparation to defend its world titles from 2022 in the open and women’s divisions, while also making its debut in the mixed division.

Joining Ball’s staff in support of the women’s team are assistant coaches Jason Adams (Boston, Mass.) and Tulsa Douglas (White Plains, N.Y.) and selection assistants Amelia Cuarenta (Atlanta, Ga.)and AnnaMaria Pape (Seattle, Wash.).

Assistant coach Claire Revere (Carrboro, N.C.) and selection assistants Alexia McCaskill (Boulder, Colo.) and Chupzi Lema (Atlanta, Ga.) join Aguilera’s staff in the mixed division.

Andy Neilsen (Chicago, Ill.) and Sam Lehman will support Koss as assistant coaches for the men’s team along with selection assistants Dave Ohls and Ken Porter (Indian Trail, N.C.).

A veteran of the Team USA program, Adams once again returns to the sidelines where he previously served under Ball at the 2022 and 2018 editions of WJUC. He was also an assistant coach for the 2019 U-24 National Team and a selection assistant in 2018. In all four instances, Adams helped Team USA win gold. In the college ranks, Adams has also coached the Northeastern Valkyries for 15 seasons, while also coaching Boston-area club teams Siege and the Ghosts.

Douglas also returns to the Team USA program where she served as a selection assistant for the gold-medal-winning U-20 open team in 2022 and captured a world title as a player on the U-24 women’s team in 2018. She is also an assistant coach on Adams’ staff at Northeastern. Douglas also brings a wealth of leadership and experience to the sidelines as an athlete and captain across a variety of competition levels, including high school (Amherst), youth club (BUDA), college (St. Olaf.) and club (Boston Brute Squad).

A newcomer to the National Team program, Cuarenta most notably led both the University of Wisconsin Bella Donna (2018-20) and the James Madison High School teams (2015-18) as head coach. Currently, Cuarenta plays in the club division for Atlanta Ozone. She previously played for Pittsburgh Parcha, Madison NOISE and Madison Heist in the club division and was a two-time captain at Wisconsin.

Pape returns as a selection assistant after serving in the same capacity for the U-20 women’s team last year. Her résumé also includes a long list of coaching experiences, including nine seasons at The Northwest School in Seattle and two years with the University of Michigan Flywheel. As an athlete, Pape played for Seattle BFG in the mixed division where she won both a national title (2021) and a world title (2018).

As a coach, Revere is also a new addition to the Team USA program, but brings with her a solid coaching pedigree from North Carolina where she coached the University of North Carolina Pleiades to a national title in 2021. She also served as coach for a pair of Triangle-area YCC teams: Triforce in the U-20 boys division and the Warhawks in the U-20 girls division. Inside the lines, Revere is currently the captain of Durham Toro. She played for Raleigh Phoenix for four years – including two as team captain – and Seattle Mixtape, where she won a national title in 2017. Revere is also a three-time world champion (2014, ’15, ’18) and silver medalist (2012) for Team USA in the U-24 and U-20 ranks.

McCaskill joins the U.S. National Team after helping Denver Molly Brown win a national title in 2022. She has since returned to the sidelines for Colorado’s top women’s club team in 2023 while also coaching both the girls and mixed teams at Boulder High School – a position she’s held since 2014.

Lema comes to the National Team program from Atlanta where she has coached both the JV and varsity girls’ teams at Paideia High School. She also coached Atlanta flATLine to a silver medal in the mixed division at the 2021 Youth Club Championships.

Nielsen has a pair of world titles to his credit as an assistant to Koss at both the 2018 and 2022 editions of WJUC. He also coached Chicago Machine at the club level for seven years (2015-21) and led Chicago Elite, the area’s U-20 boys team, from 2015 through 2018.

Having previously been a part of Team USA as both a player and selection assistant, Lehman now adds the title of assistant coach to his list of accolades. As a player, he was part of the 2014 WJUC squad that won silver in Italy before serving as a selection assistant for the 2020 WJUC team. For the past two seasons, Lehman has served as head coach of Boston DiG and coached Emerald City Ultimate in 2020. In addition to his experience in the men’s club division, he also coached in the collegiate ranks at Brown University for four seasons, leading the team to a national title in 2019, and the youth division for four seasons where he helped coach Seattle to three national titles in the U-17 boys division.

For the last decade, Ohls has served as head coach at Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, D.C. He has also coached in the youth club division, where he has led the U-17 boys team, Capitol Heights, since 2017 and the U-20 mixed team, Swing Vote, to a national title in 2016. This season will be his first as a member of Team USA.

Porter is currently an assistant coach for Team USA’s mixed squad that will compete at the World Beach Ultimate Championships next month in California. He has also served as head coach of Davidson College since 2014. As player, Porter competed at North Carolina State, where he was a two-time captain, and played for Raleigh Ring of Fire from 2008 through 2016.

The 2024 World Junior Ultimate Championships will take place July 20-27 in Birmingham, England. Next month, 200 players from across the U.S. will attend a pair of tryouts.