The Texas Spurs FC has enjoyed watching two of their past players take on the UPSL women’s team coaching position. Amanda Pierson and Melanie Barnes have stepped back into the role of co-coaches for the Texas Spurs Women’s team and Texas Spurs U23 team. Last season, summer 2023, was their first season as co-coaches. The team went on to win the league championship, beating the Arkansas Wolves 1-0 off of a header scored by Nevaeh Johnson. They had beaten the Wolves once and lost once in season play. The unique part of these co-coaches is not only do they both hold a head coaching role together, they also are players on the women’s team. 

Barnes has a solid resume! She has had a true love for the game ever since playing for her dad in club ball with the North Texas Strikers as a kid. This created a bond and passion that kept her in it for the long run. Her freshman year of high school she was named MVP and also participated in the Olympic Development Program. She was forced to overcome multiple knee injuries throughout the rest of her high school career. Barnes committed to Northeast Texas Community College her freshman year, where she was named on the first team all conference. She joined the Texas Spurs WPSL team under Ed Puskarich for two years. In 2018, she pursued her career in Houston with the Aces where she helped the team to a National Championship in the UWS and was offered to train with the Houston Dash but suffered another ACL injury a week before. In 2023 she rejoined the Texas Spurs as co-coach and player and helped lead them into winning the conference championship. She has coached for over a decade, and owns her own soccer skills business with her husband, Fairway Soccer Academy. They have a one year old son that is sure to be a soccer player in his future as we see him kicking the ball down the field at practices!

Pierson has a lengthy soccer resume, including playing at St. Mary’s University for four years under Coach Corwin Ritch, receiving the All Heartland Conference. She played professionally in Denmark for Fortuna Hjorring, played for the MLS franchise teams the Colorado Rapids (W-league) as well as the FC Dallas women (ECNL), and she had great success in the WPSL league playing for Liverpool, the Fort Worth Panthers and the Texas Spurs. She has played in the professional indoor league PASL with Dallas Image as well as Denver Sizzle where her team won nationals. Pierson toured alongside Coach Mel in Spain and has had a solid home with the Texas Spurs for many years. Coach Ed Puskarich coached Pierson in youth soccer and women's, and gave her the opportunity to continue on in her coaching career by bringing her on as a youth coach in 2014. Pierson was excited for the opportunity to take on the women's co-coaching position and continue playing as the team moved into the UPSL. She is in her 20th year of coaching, coaching all levels and ages, including club and collegiate soccer. Pierson obtained a MS at the University of Colorado at Denver in Sports and Entertainment as well as holds her NSCAA  Advanced National License and USSF ‘C’ license. Pierson is married with two daughters, one that is a 2017 player in the Texas Spurs youth club and the other that will most likely follow in her sisters footsteps once she’s old enough! 

With the success of the 2023 UPSL season, the program has grown and in 2024 announced the expansion with an addition of a U23 team! Pierson stated, “We are excited to give more players the opportunity to train and prepare for anything they are looking to do with their soccer. Many are preparing for college, some are looking to try and play at the professional level, others have a love for the sport and need a home to keep playing, we like having the ability to be an avenue for these players to reach their goals”!

The 2024 season is underway, the Women’s team has set the tone so far with a 2-0-1 record, their draw being Arkansas Wolves, which is always a great match up! The U23 team has their home opener June 9th at 7PM at Ereckson Middle School!  Come support these amazing groups of players as they challenge themselves to play at the semi-professional level! The Texas Spurs FC women’s program was established in 2015, it is owned by Ed Puskarich, who has been a great supporter of women’s soccer for many years.