Kelly Pierce is competitive.
“I hate losing more than I love winning,” she says.
That impassioned spirit has been passed from Pierce to her players over the last several seasons, and it’s an important reason why FC Tucson’s women’s team hasn’t lost a game in nearly three years. Since June 14, 2019, FC Tucson is 12-0-2.
“Having those standards I think is contagious, and they’re all out there wanting to have fun but to compete and to be successful,” Pierce said.
The FC Tucson women play their home opener Friday against the El Paso Surf, the same club it beat on the road 1-0 to start the 2022 season a week ago. The team will play three more games at Kino North Stadium as part of an eight-game schedule that runs through the middle of July.
Of course, there’s a balance to Pierce’s competitive fire. A former Salpointe Catholic High School standout, Pierce understands the grueling nature of the sport and how to get the most from her players.
“I have high expectations of the players, but I can be light and funny and we don’t keep it super-strict,” Pierce said.
FC Tucson women’s team coach Kelly Pierce shares a laugh with her players.
Hired to replace longtime coach Amy Garelick in 2019, Pierce has continued the foundation laid by her predecessor and built FC Tucson into a Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) powerhouse. She’s also done it using mostly homegrown talent.
Sixteen of the club’s 20 active players grew up in Southern Arizona. Some even went to (or are currently attending) the University of Arizona, including goaltender Hope Hisey. Additional standout local products include Hayley Harris and Syndey Lenhart, among others.
“Almost all of our players are locals that attended high schools here and return for the summer,” Pierce said. “These are products of Tucson.”
And they’re the key.
“What’s allowed us to be successful is all these (local) players go away and they bring a friend back and then those friends continue to come back or bring another one,” Pierce said. “Just word of mouth alone is our promoting and recruiting.”
Managing players of various ages on the team can be difficult, but Pierce’s deep roots in the game allow her to create a cohesive unit.
“Some of them were teammates of mine, some of them I coach at Salpointe with, some I’ve coached against,” Pierce said. “I think I’ve created this standard and environment where they know the difference and they do respect me as a coach.”
The pandemic canceled the entirety of the 2020 season. The FC Tucson women returned in full force last year, going 7-0-1 with a plus-17 goal differential. There were no WPSL playoffs, but the team was rewarded with a Desert Conference championship.
This season, however, playoffs are back and Pierce expects her team to be in the thick of the title race.
“Having the record we have has added a little bit of pressure and the target is on our back a little bit,” Pierce said. “But it just motivates us further.”
