Frederick’s girls soccer team hasn’t had the best hope the past 3 years. 3 different coaches for each year. It can be very hard for some players. Being in your junior year and haven’t had a coach stay at all in more than half of your high school career. Being a senior and having a new coach 3 years in a row and for your senior year can be very hard but this season we have to have hope. All the girls have to come together and be positive and work together. 

For this new 2023 season, Simone Mortenson will be introduced as our new coach! Coach Mortenson is from Australia. She grew up and is originally from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.  Mortenson also served as an assistant women’s soccer coach at the University of Northern Colorado for 10 years. Mortenson was also a rehabilitation counselor in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Colorado at Northern Colorado as well. Her academic background includes a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Health Promotion from Coastal Carolina University.

Simone’s background comes from mainly soccer. She has played soccer pretty much her whole life.

  Starting at 8 years old, advancing each year. She played all the way from her childhood to high school and advanced to college and even to the professional level. As far as her playing experience goes, Simone started at a semi-professional level with the w-league for the club “Greensboro Twisters”. After playing semi pro for 2 years, she moved to the Australian National League for 4 seasons for the Canberra Eclipse in Australia’s top soccer league, helping the team to a league title in 2001 and a third-place finish in 2002! Simone then headed to the 2002 Women’s Youth World Cup with the Australian National Squad and was a member of the final squad for the U-19 team.

After having such great success she became a member of a U-17 team (Adidas Cup) serving as Vice Captain. After playing soccer for 10+ years, she moved to the United States when she turned 18. Simone went to Coastal Carolina University, Division 1, for 4 years for academics and athletics, and she was a starter for all 4 of those years. Simone then moved to New Jersey where she coached club soccer. She coached at a Division III school for 3 months, and then moved back to Australia in 2009.  She returned to the United States in 2010 and came to Colorado, and that is when she started her coaching and graduate school at University of Northern Colorado. She joined the Bears in 2010 as a volunteer/graduate assistant women’s soccer coach and became Associate Head Coach in 2017. Simone then helped to lead and coach the team to two big sky championships in 2015 and 2019 and finished being ranked 10th in Final Regional Rankings. She finished 11 seasons with the women’s team. 

Simone is a very outgoing and open person and I think that is something that will help our high school girls team. Simone is married and has a 2 year old boy. Her main goals for this season is building a positive team culture. Over the last 3 years that is something we need. She also mentioned team commitment. “Having girls on the team that want to be there and want to put in the work to get better. Good grades are important. Focusing on student athletes going to class and staying eligible is very important to me. The goal would be to try to have no one ineligible for a game for the season. Building a program is another important aspect. Having team dinners, team fundraising, off and on the field team building, and pre-season team activities.” Simone also states that she is excited to be here and getting to know the girls and getting to know the soccer side of the girls but the person side as well, and building character for life, not just for soccer.