Cris Gilmore & Christina Bell-Gilmore

Married in 2005, these two professional soccer coaches currently inspire and educate hundreds of children throughout the Bay Area via Success Through Soccer.  

     

Christina, a 3 year former professional soccer player in the WUSA, was instrumental in helping the San Jose CyberRays win the inagural league championship.  She also achieved much success abroad in Holland's Dutch Premier League and collegiately for the Fresno State Bulldogs. She was the first female athlete at Fresno State to have her jersey retired.   Christina previously was an assistant coach for San Jose State University.  She has a USSF C Coaching License and over the past 5 years Christina has helped build the Alpine Futbol Club, where she helped develop 6 girls teams ranging from a Youth Academy for 1st, 2nd & 3rd grade girls to U-15 Class 1, Division 1 soccer.  In the summer of 2008 she has moved over to the Union Football Club located in Palo Alto, where she is coaching high level youth soccer.   In 2006, she was one of the regional coaches, with her husband Cris,  for the 2006 Northern California Super Y team that participated in the 2007 Super Y League ODP National Camps held at the Cocoa Expo Center in Cocoa, Florida in January and February of 2007.  As well, she is one of the coaches on staff for the '93 & '94 girls selected to participate in the US Club Soccer 2006 id2 Regional Training Camp held at UC Irvine Oct 6-9, 2006 .  From time to time when she is not too busy coaching you will see her playing Semi-pro with some of her old WUSA teammates on the WPSL California Storm based out of Sacramento or playing on the soccer field with her son Grayson.

Cris is also a former professional soccer player with experience playing in Hawaii, Denmark, Finland and Holland.  He coached women's Division 1 college soccer at San Jose State University from 2001-2003 and was on staff with the men's program at St Mary's College in Moraga in 2005.   Prior to coaching college soccer, Cris obtained valuable coaching experience in Holland for 4 years as a coaching director for children ages 7-18.  Cris has two Dutch KNVB Coaching Licenses, a USSF B Coaching License and a distinguished passing grade with his NSCAA Advanced Natinal Diploma.   Cris was also instrumental in developing the Alpine Futbol Club helping develop 6 girls teams and 5 boys team within Alpine FC.  He started the AFC Youth Academy for 1st, 2nd & 3rd grade boys & girls which helps the development of young soccer players.  In the summer of 2008 he also moved over to the Union Football Club in Palo Alto, where he continues to coach high level youth soccer.  He was one of the regional coaches for the 2006 Northern California Super Y team that participated in the 2007 Super Y League ODP National Camps held at the Cocoa Expo Center in Cocoa, Florida in January and February of 2007.   As well, Cris likes to get his players to experience the true passion of the game.  In 2006, he arranged a 12 day World Cup tour for his U14 girls team.  They travelled through Holland, Belgium, caught a World Cup match in Germany and participated in a tournament in Sweden.  A tradition he would like to continue with his younger teams.