Photography by Laura Wiegmann
Ashly Kennedy may be the closest thing to the ideal coach for the first-year Annapolis Blues semi-pro women’s soccer team.
Kennedy grew up in Edgewater and now lives there. She knows nearly all the players on her team and played at the University of Maryland as a defender while earning All-American status and First-Team Atlantic Coast Conference honors three times.
The 40-year-old Kennedy coaches the girls’ soccer team at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn and coached the semi-pro team, Baltimore Cristo, who play in the same league (USLW League) as the Blues, for three years.
On top of that, Kennedy coached at George Mason University and played professional soccer for the Washington Spirit and in Canada for the Ottawa Fury.
“She’s built for the community,” says Annapolis Blues midfielder Talia Gabarra, an Annapolis resident and Broadneck High graduate. “Growing up in the area is huge. With her coaching and playing background, it’s just evident she knows how to build a successful team. To have a local coach is pretty unique and uncommon.”
Gabarra, a midfielder, highlights a deep, extremely talented, and experienced roster. She co-captained the team at the University of Central Florida, where the 24-year-old Gabarra started for three years. A professional team, the Orlando Pride, drafted her after college.
In high school, Gabarra was named an All-State player three times and won Anne Arundel Player of the Year honors.
Several area players, including Meghan Bernetti (Edgewater), Courtney Corcoran (Crownsville), Sophie Thibeault (Severn), and Reagan Mallia (Severna Park) support Gabarra in the lineup. The Blues also get plenty of leadership from co-captains Sara Martin and Caroline Duffy. The team also features forward Baylee DeSmit, who scored the most goals in the USLW League last year.
“I have been coaching the core of the players for the past three years,” says Kennedy, whose team’s season starts in May. “I know their playing style.”
We spoke with Kennedy and Gabarra about the Blues.
Ashly, what does it mean to coach a team in Annapolis when you have lived most of your life in the area? It’s a very humbling and rewarding experience. Coming to my stomping grounds, there are a lot of people that I know and grew up with that have reached out. The encouragement, support, and excitement are great. Having that support makes it that much more special.
What will be your style of play? Offense or defensive-oriented? I am going to fit the style around the personnel. I play a combination of styles, but I make sure we are organized defensively and have strong defensive components mastered. As far as on the attacking side, I run possession style of play.
What is your approach to inspiring a brand-new collection of players? The one positive is that I have connections with them. So, I have been coaching the core of the players for the past three years. I know their style. Now, it’s just merging and putting the puzzle together of what players work well together. As far as inspiration, I want this to be fun for them. I don’t want it to be super structured like they are in college and just have to fill a role. I want them to be able to build creativity and confidence. Having players around them that are going to make them better is always a way to inspire and make it fun for them. Those are big pieces. Also, the support they’ll have in the stands will be inspiring.
What are the biggest challenges in putting a new team together? A lot of players from the DMV area also play out of state. Working with their schedules and if they are going to be back at school or not before the season ends. I stress the importance of what this summer will look like. They will get quality experience in a really competitive environment.
How exactly did you learn about the Blues’ team and how did you get tapped to be the coach? What was that process? Jim Gabarra is the general of our club. I have known him for a long time in the soccer community. He used to coach me when I played with the Washington Spirit. I used to train with that team in summers when I was at Maryland. Our philosophies and values aligned. Through my coaching experiences, giving back to the community in the area, and having success, I think it made sense. He said I would love you to be coach of the team and that’s how it was settled.
Do you expect the motivation and intensity of a new team gives you an edge over opponents? It’s definitely raising the level of interest of the players. The quality and the number of players that are coming out for the team has definitely elevated the team. I would say I probably have the strongest player pool at tryouts to build a team that I’ve had coaching semi-pro soccer for the past three years. This will be my strongest for sure.
Talia, how excited are you and all the players for the upcoming season? It is really special and I know a lot of players feel the same. We are excited to have this in the heart of Annapolis. We are surrounded by so many supportive fans. We are also supported by a great staff, owner, and front office. It’s not normal to have this much excitement. If someone told us a few years ago that a professional soccer team would be in Annapolis, we would have laughed just because it is so lacrosse-oriented around here.
What do you think about playing in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium? I think it’s great. Having the Navy-Marine Corps as part of the name of the stadium kind of speaks for itself. We will be grateful and have a sense of pride. Playing on their turf is something special. Playing in a city with such honorable young individuals that serve our country is something we will not take lightly. To be on the field, surrounded by a lot of fans from Annapolis and having Annapolis on the jersey will feel so incredible. Representing my hometown is not something everybody gets to do. I am grateful for that.
Do you feel the Blues can compete for a championship considering the team is so new? Of course. We have been set up for success already because of our coaching staff and resources. I have a ton of faith in Ashly. I never played for her, but I grew up around her coaching. I know she will put together the best team and really lead us in the right direction. Ashly will only put fierce competitors on the team. The players will be competing day in and day out to win a championship and game after game. And we have the community behind us.
