Thomas O’Daniels is the head coach for the New York Shockers UPSL Women’s Team and a returning assistant coach for the New York Shockers Women’s WPSL Senior Team. With over eight years of experience empowering and coaching female soccer players between the ages of four and twenty-two, Thomas strives to not only develop his players’ technical and tactical abilities but also enhance their leadership capabilities. In addition, Thomas works to create an autonomy-enabling environment and differentiates his training techniques to support the learning styles of his players in conjunction with the opportunity to enhance transferable life skills. He often utilizes his ISPAS certification in training sessions, incorporating film analysis as a core instructing tool.

 

Prior to working with the New York Shockers, Thomas coached professional, collegiate, and high school soccer players for the Baltimore Kings Pro Soccer Club, Saint Thomas Aquinas College Women’s program, Nirvana FC, and the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. In 2021, he volunteered for the boys and girls varsity soccer teams of his high school alma mater, S.S. Seward Institute, and led both teams to win a Section IX Class C Title.

 

Thomas is a USSF D licensed coach and holds advanced national and high school diplomas issued by United Soccer Coaches, the world’s largest soccer coaches organization. He has also obtained a level one coaching certificate for goalkeeping as well as a level 3 NFHS license (formerly AIC and CIC). In addition to coaching, Thomas is a USSF referee, an active member of NISOA, and a licensed Futsal referee with over ten years of experience behind the whistle.