Nordic prides itself on having the best coaching staff in the state. With 3 current college coaches, 7 Varsity High School coaches, recent and current college players on staff, it's easy to back up that claim.

Frances grew up in Northern California and made her way to Vermont in 2019 when she arrived at UVM to play D1 college soccer and pursue a degree in Exercise Science. She played at UVM for 5 years, finishing as captain, and earning a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, with minors in Nutrition and Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching, and a Master of Science in Physical Activity and Wellness Science. Frances was a starter for the duration of her college career (although battled a season ending ankle injury her senior year, that also took away the first half of her graduate season). She helped lead UVM Women's Soccer to its first ever America East Championship in 2019 and was recognized as an Offensive Player of the Week in 2023.

Frances grew up coaching a youth soccer academy in CA with her family and doing private trainings. She coached a season for BFC during her sophomore year of college and has assisted with the Vermont ODP Program. Fun fact: Frances' club team (Davis Legacy) made it to the ECNL National Finals in 2018, ultimately losing to Trinity Rodman's club team, SoCal Blues.

Since graduation, Frances now works full time for UVMMC on the Employee Wellness team, and her role includes wellness program development and implementation, health and wellness coaching, and biometric screenings for employees. She also is a certified Vinyasa Yoga instructor and teaches at YogaSix in South Burlington. 

Brad grew up in Dallas, TX and went to the University of Virginiato play college soccer under Bruce Arena. While he was at the UVa program won its first three National Championships. He then played professionally in a variety of leagues across the United States as well as in Germany, Holland and Costa Rica.

After he finished playing, he spent the next 15 years coaching at the collegiate level, mainly as the first assistant coach at Cal-Berkeley and Head Coach at Seattle University. After this, he spent several years as a part of the Portland Timbers youth academy as the U18 Head Coach.

Brad has been a network scout for US Soccer since 2007. He was recently the Director of Coaching at Burlington FC, as well as the head coach for both the U8 and U18B, who won the Jefferson Cup in 2023. He recently won the Division III State Championship as the head coach of the Winooski High School Boys Varsity team. 

He is married to Dr. Deb Hinchey, who is the Director of the undergraduate Public Health degree at UVM, and his two kids (Luke 9 and Olivia 7), both play at Nordic. In his spare time he makes slightly sketchy furniture and does woodworking.

Coaching Qualifications

US Soccer A License

KNVB (Dutch) Trainer-Coach III License

SafeSport/HeadsUp

Josie brings high energy, championship experience, and a vibrant passion for player development to the Nordic Soccer Club staff.

As an active student-athlete on the Vermont high school soccer scene, Josie’s playing background includes competing on the pitch for Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU), where she helped her team capture a State Championship title. She transferred to Essex High School, where she currently competes for the EHS Girls’ Varsity Soccer team and continues to bring that same high-level championship intensity to her play and coaching.

A dedicated goalkeeper, Josie is particularly passionate about working with the next generation of keepers. She loves inspiring and mentoring young players, instilling the mental toughness, focus, and drive required to excel at such a demanding position. Beyond specialized positional training, Josie brings contagious positive energy to the pitch, supporting all Nordic athletes and sharing her deep love for the game across the club.

Lynn Sobczyk brings a combination of collegiate playing experience, goalkeeper expertise, and coaching experience across youth, high school, and collegiate soccer to Nordic Soccer Club. She currently serves as a Head Coach for Nordic’s U10 Girls, U12 Girls Green VPL, and U17 Girls White teams, as well as a Goalkeeper Coach working with players throughout the club. Lynn is passionate about helping players develop strong technical foundations, tactical understanding, confidence, and a love for the game.

Lynn’s playing career began at Mercy College before transferring to SUNY Cortland, where she spent two seasons as a goalkeeper for the Red Dragons. During her time at SUNY Cortland, her teams compiled a 21-10-5 record and advanced to both the SUNYAC tournament semifinals and finals. She recently played in goal for the Vermont Wild Women  (WPSL) during the 2026 season.

Lynn has been coaching since 2021 and has built experience across youth, high school, ODP, and collegiate soccer. She is entering her fourth year as the Head Coach of the Harwood Union High School girls varsity program, where her teams have made two state championship appearances and one semifinal appearance. She also currently works with the goalkeepers at Johnson College. 

In addition to her coaching roles, Lynn holds United Soccer Coaches Goalkeeper Level 1 and Level 2 diplomas. She focuses on helping goalkeepers become confident, technically strong players who understand the game and can contribute beyond the goal. At Nordic, Lynn wants players to work hard, enjoy the game, compete, and continue growing as both players and people.

Stephanie’s roots in local soccer and community outreach run deep. Raised in Essex Junction, she developed her game on the pitch at Essex High School before going on to complete a successful four-year collegiate career at Johnson State College (now Vermont State University – Johnson). Her passion for the sport, paired with her strong foundation in youth development, led her to graduate in 2014 with a degree in Elementary and Special Education.

Stephanie has been coaching soccer continuously since graduating, spending the majority of her coaching career as an assistant with the Essex High School girls’ soccer program. Professionally, she works as a preschool teacher, bringing an innate patience, energy, and developmental approach to all of her coaching roles.

At Nordic, Stephanie leads our local TOPSoccer program as Head Coach, adapting the game she loves to provide a supportive, fun, and inclusive environment for athletes with special needs. Beyond the pitch, Stephanie is an avid educator and mentor—having spent the past 20 years teaching swim lessons to youth in the community. Her dedication to inclusive play and youth sports makes her an incredible asset to the Nordic family.

Avery’s connection to Nordic Soccer Club comes full circle as she brings her extensive playing background, competitive drive, and passion for athlete development back to the organization. Growing up in Vermont, Avery played eight years of club soccer with Nordic, developing a strong tactical foundation and deep roots within the club's culture while competing in top travel tournaments across New England.

Her playing career continued at Colchester High School, where she was a four-year varsity starter, team captain, and was selected to represent Vermont in the prestigious Twin State Cup against New Hampshire. At the collegiate level, Avery competed as a defensive center back for Regis College, starting 15 matches during her freshman season. Later, while completing her graduate studies at the University of Vermont, she continued to stay active on the pitch playing with local adult competitive leagues.

Professionally, Avery holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from UVM and works as a physical therapist specializing in orthopedics and sports performance. Her clinical background in movement mechanics, injury prevention, and athletic recovery brings an invaluable perspective to her coaching—helping Nordic athletes build resilience, refine their physical movement, and safely reach their full potential on the pitch.

Sam grew up in Essex Junction, playing soccer at Essex High School. After high school, she went onto UVM where she studied Elementary Education. Following UVM, she attended SNHU where she received her Master's Degree in Teaching. She is now a kindergarten teacher.

Alongside Nordic, Sam has been coaching for the past five years as an assistant coach for the Essex High School Girl's Varsity Program. Fun fact, she is now teaching at the school she attended as a student growing up!