7 Elite Academy has unveiled a strengthened coaching structure in the St. George area as it looks to build on two years of continued expansion across Utah.

The youth soccer organization, which has operations on three continents, delivers top-level coaching and league/tournament play to thousands of youngsters in the region.

As part of that expansion, 7EA has recruited one new member of coaching staff and promoted three others to continue offering players a professional approach to the game.

UEFA A Licensed coach and UEFA A Goalkeeping licensed coach Jonas Tanzer has joined the Academy as Head of Phases for Southern Utah.

JuliAnne Nield and Laura Evans, meanwhile, will now become Joint Assistant Head of Foundation for Southern Utah. They will focus on the key development of our Under-4 to Under-11 players.

And popular 7EA coach Stuart Dewey has been promoted to the role of Assistant Head of Youth Development for Southern Utah.

Anthony Godfrey, Global Technical Director at 7 Elite Academy, said: “These appointments are part of the building blocks we are putting in place to strengthen our coaching structure with the most knowledgeable, principled, and experienced coaches in Southern Utah.

“What makes these appointments so more special is that these coaches have such a caring approach towards the children and communities of Saint George and they will go above and beyond in developing players the right way.

"They are all very proud of their city and they want to develop greatness within it for the future.

“We know that to make sure our players receive the finest professional coaching, we need to have the right staff in place throughout the organisation.

“That is why we have worked hard to develop these new roles. All four positions have been filled by coaches who have the experience to continue taking our coaching methods to ever higher levels.

“I look forward to them contributing to our continued growth in Southern Utah.”

Tanzer will focus on coach mentoring, education, and curriculum use and implementation. He has coached at Washington Premier, Smedby AIS (Sweden) and Sweden’s Olympic Development Program.

Nield, who holds a U.S. Soccer D License, played at Dixie State University and with the FCSG WPSL professional team. She was assistant coach for DSU Women and coached at Collegiate, Club and High School levels for 16 years.

Evans is a U.S. Soccer Licensed coach who started coaching in 2005 after finishing her playing career at Dixie State and Utah State Universities. She has coached at Club and Collegiate levels, and is currently an assistant women’s coach at Dixie State University. 

Dewey, meanwhile, holds a U.S. Soccer D license and is highly regarded throughout the youth soccer community in Utah for taking the 7EA 01 Boys (South) to a national championship title in Indiana last year.

Wayne Scholes, Chief Executive at 7 Elite Academy, said: “I am very happy that we have been able to add strength to our already strong coaching structure in Southern Utah.

“All are keen to get started and join us as we continue to drive up standards in youth soccer in the state instead of recycling old ideas. Our players and parents will be delighted with these appointments.

“This is a time of remarkable growth within 7 Elite Academy, not only in Utah, but across the world. We want to use this growth to offer even more life-changing experiences to our players.

“I am very excited for the future of our organization and the prospects of our young people to continue developing, both on and off the pitch.”