Kevin Ireland – Executive Director | Soccer Executive | Youth Development Leader

Kevin Ireland is a seasoned soccer executive and strategic leader with over a decade of experience driving growth, development, and excellence in soccer organizations across the United States and internationally.

He currently serves as the Executive Director for Idaho Youth Soccer Association, where he leads strategic planning, financial oversight, and community engagement initiatives across the state. In this role, Kevin works to elevate youth soccer standards, expand access, and align long-term development goals with U.S. Soccer best practices.

Previously, Kevin served as Associate General Manager for Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USL League One) and Northern Colorado Rain FC (USL W League), as well as Academy Director for Northern Colorado Lightning. In that role, he was part of the executive leadership team overseeing the Sporting Department, Merchandise, Ticketing, Marketing, Game Day Experience, and Youth Programming.

Key Accomplishments:

• Launched the first-ever Hailstorm FC Winter Training Camp in 2023, drawing over 600 players.
• Helped drive growth in attendance, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and youth camp/clinic revenue.
• Expanded the Lightning Academy to 750+ players, achieving national recognition for its grassroots-to-elite development model.

Prior to that, Kevin served as Director of Coaching at Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club (Fort Collins) and worked in elite youth development roles with Orlando City Youth Soccer Club, coaching across MLS Next and ECNL age groups. His U19 MLS Next team advanced to the Round of 32 in the MLS Next Cup in Dallas.

International Leadership Highlights:

As Director of Football and Community Outreach at East Coast Bays AFC (New Zealand):

• Guided the club to earn New Zealand Football Y-License accreditation in both 2020 and 2021.
• Developed a club-wide style of play and development model, leading to U17 and U20 national team call-ups.
• Built a Skill Centre (U9–U12) that earned elite accreditation from the New Zealand Football Federation.
• Played a key role in ECBAFC being selected as the USWNT’s training base for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Earlier in his career, Kevin was Director of Coaching and Soccer Operations for Jupiter United SC (Florida), where he led the competitive program to a five-fold expansion, establishing it as one of the top youth clubs in the state.

Kevin holds coaching licenses from the Scottish FA, New Zealand Football Federation, and U.S. Soccer Federation. He earned a B.S. in Physical Education and completed coursework toward a Master of Organizational Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he also served as Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach.