Directors
Chris Mitchell
Juniors Coaching Director
Chris Mitchell returned to BRSC on May 15th, 2017, from a seven-year stint as the Director of Capital City United Soccer Club. Chris grew up in Baton Rouge playing for BRSA and Baton Rouge High. A member of the Baton Rouge Soccer Associations inaugural select soccer program called United and Jaguars from 1982 – 1989. Team captain, district MVP, All-Metro Star of Stars, District MVP in HS. He went on to receive a scholarship to play soccer at Butler University and received a BS in Marketing. At Butler, he was a four-year letterman and selected to the All-State Collegiate soccer team in 1990. Chris played semi-professionally with the Seattle Sounders(1993) and Arkansas A’s(1994). He returned to Baton Rouge in 1998 and began coaching at BRHS (1998-2001) and with the BR Jaguars. In 1998, Chris became the Premier Soccer Director for BRSA. He ran the BRSC Premier Program from 1998 – 2010. During that time, he became head coach for University High(2001-present) and has lead them to 17 straight quarterfinal berths and two state title runner up appearances in 2009 & 2010.
Coach Mitchell currently holds his USSF “A” coaching license. Chris is married to Angie Mitchell, and they both have two girls: Sophia (07) and Savannah Mitchell (09).
cmitchell@brsoccer.org
Riley Proffer
ABOUT
Riley grew up in Indianapolis. He spent most of his life playing a variety of sports with his primary sport being basketball. Riley eventually moved to Bloomington, IN to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training at Indiana University. It is through this experience that he gained an abundance of experience with a vast array of different athletic training settings. He spent his senior year working with the IU Women’s Soccer program. This is where he first discovered his interest in working as a soccer athletic trainer.
Once graduating, he continued diversifying his skillset by working as an athletic trainer in a physical therapy clinic and with local high schools in Indianapolis for a year. At the conclusion of that year, he moved to Gainesville, FL to pursue a Doctor of Athletic Training degree at the University of Florida. Throughout this experience he had residencies as an outreach AT to local high schools and a junior college, with the University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports, working closely with the university club sports teams, and the university Navy/Marine Reserve officer training corps. In addition to his involvement with BRSC, Riley is active in his alumni associations and in athletic training organizations at the state, regional, and national level.
Qualifications
Licensed Athletic Trainer – Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
Certified Athletic Trainer – Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer
Doctor of Athletic Training – University of Florida
Bachelor of Athletic Training – Indiana University
Graston Technique Specialist – Graston Technique, LLC
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach – National Strength and Conditioning Association
CONTACT
Matheus Costa
Director of Supplemental Programs | Assistant Director of Facilities
Hometown
Coaching Experience
Coaching Qualifications
Playing Experience
Achievements
– Graduated in physical education and kinesiology
– Played at the college level ( Oklahoma Baptist University and Avila University)
– Men’s soccer assistant coach At Avila University (2014)
– Coach at CHS for 3 years, 2 as an assistant coach 1 as a head coach.
– Division 1/District 3 head coach of the year (2019)
– Division 1/District 3 champions (2019)
-Coached from u13 to u19 boys black teams
-Numerous state cups and GSPL multiple times
-USYS southern regional finalist with 2006 Boys Black in Nashville
BRSC Tenure
Hannah Gill
Director of Finance
hgill@brsoccer.org
Trenton Bland
Director of Marketing
Trent doesn’t play soccer. It’s not that he doesn’t want to. Trent has a medical condition that makes breaking bones a near certainty. Over his childhood, he lost count somewhere in the teens. Since he can’t actively participate in the sport he loves, it’s his mission to help other people enjoy the beautiful game. That includes his two kids, who have played in almost every program we have to offer, from Mudbugz all the way to MLS NEXT with LATDP Elite.
Trent’s work with Baton Rouge Soccer began while he was a copywriter for Otey White & Associates. For twelve years, Trent and the team at OWA would assist BRSC with marketing materials for various programs and events. In 2019, Trent joined the staff as our full-time marketing director. In this role, Trent is able to use the skills he picked up on the agency side to handle all of our graphic design, social media marketing, video production and editing, web design, photography, and more.
Trent has accrued his fair share of awards, winning several silver and gold awards at the American Advertising Awards for his copywriting and creative direction. He won the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge’s President Service award in 2014 and would later serve on the board and as president of the organization in 2016. Under his leadership, the club won Division III and National Club of the Year honors for the fourth time in the club’s 80-year history. Following his presidency, he would serve the club on the district level as the Newsletter Chair.
Since those days, he has focused his efforts more on his children and their love for soccer. Trent was also a part of the team that helped bring MLS NEXT and Girls Academy to Louisiana through our partner program with LATDP Elite. He also serves as the marketing director for LATDP Elite’s MLS NEXT and Girls Academy programs alongside his duties for BRSC.
You can often catch him at the fields watching his kids play and roaming the fields at Burbank to snap pictures or do interviews for the club’s latest TikTok.
While it’s true that Trent has never played a minute of competitive soccer outside of his backyard, he helps inspire many others to pick up the game.
tbland@brsoccer.org
