The Soccer Wire started with just a Mid-Atlantic focused email newsletter in December, 2006, and has been going strong ever since. It’s unique focus on covering “local” soccer news and information quickly took hold within the local soccer community throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC; growing to become the leading provider of news, information, opinion, and community discussion throughout the region.
In subsequent years, the concept expanded nationally with an email newsletter property called “National Soccer Wire”, and in early 2012 we launched a new website platform (where you are right now) capable of segregating content based on geographic relevancy, thereby proving readers with the ability to consume and contribute within their own “local” geographies of interest.
Our philosophy is to cover the things players, coaches, and parents care about most in their soccer news – which we have found becomes a more “caring” experience the more local the information. We try to publish something every day that is locally-relevant to each of these audiences. Our goal is to be the first place everyone thinks of when they want to see what’s going on out on the fields in their town.
Our Staff
Chris Hummer, Founder, Publisher
Chris a long-time player, coach, and soccer business executive living in Northern Virginia, who has spent over a decade in proving web-based solutions and services to the local and national grassroots soccer community.
Charles Boehm, Editor-in-Chief (@cboehm)
Charlie has covered MLS and the rest of the North American soccer world for more than six years. A native of Dallas, Texas, Charlie made D.C. his home following a hard-working – but hardly spectacular – NCAA Division III college career and subsequent Peace Corps stint in the small, soccer-crazed, island nation of Grenada, where he also coached and played in the Grenadian Premier League (such as it is).
Hannah Krieger, Newsletter Editor
Hannah is also a long-time coach and player, living in Denver, and is responsible for deciding what third-party submitted content is posted to our websites, as well as the assembly and management of our many regular email newsletters. She also squeezes in some original articles of her own, and writes most of the story introductions when we cover news from other publishers.
Jimmy LaRoue, Elite Youth Editor (@jlaroue)
Jimmy focuses on coverage of youth clubs, showcase tournaments, leagues, and players coast-to-coast. Prior to joining the Soccer Wire staff, Jimmy was an award-winning sports and education reporter, as well as a photographer for The Central Virginian, a Lakeway Publications newspaper based in Louisa, Va. He also worked at The News Virginian, a Media General newspaper in Waynesboro, Va. and The Shenandoah Valley-Herald, receiving several VPA awards for both. Jimmy also attended the 2002 World Cup, chronicled in the book by Andy Gustafson “23 Days in Korea“.
Roger Gonzalez, Staff Writer (@RCGonzalez10)
Roger Gonzalez is a Staff Writer from Charlottesville, Virginia. Originally from Connecticut, he is a 2011 graduate of Virginia Tech and also works as a freelance writer for Goal.com International, Rivals.com, The Daily Progress, The Roanoke Times, etc. Roger has covered soccer from youth competitions to 2014 World Cup qualifying in South America.
Quinn Casteel, Staff Writer
Quinn is a full-time student and journalism major at Virginia Commonwealth University with planned graduation in 2013, where he is also the assistant sports editor for the student newspaper, The Commonwealth Times. Quinn has been covering the VCU men’s and women’s soccer teams since 2009, and interned for The Falls Church News Press while in high school.
John Loy, Account Manager
John is a long-time player and nearly full-time referee living in Northern Virginia, and is responsible for managing partnerships and advertising clients for the Soccer Wire. John also works in sponsorships and operations with D.C. United Women, a W-League pro-am franchise based out of Germantown, Md.
Ashlee Comber, Director of Operations
Ashlee is originally from Michigan, and is the niece of former NFL coach Wayne Fontes. An elite basketball and soccer player in high school (Ashlee Fontes), chose soccer when it comes to college scholarship options, and starred for Florida State as a defender from 1999-2002. She is an active soccer coach in both elite club and high school in Northern, Va., and splits time in operations between The Soccer Wire and parent company HummerSport’s sports marketing and public relations business.
Other active guest columnists and occasional contributors:
Beau Dure, Joe Dougherty, Dr. Wendy Lebolt
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If you would like to host your blog or contribute content to The Soccer Wire, email news@thesoccerwire.com