Alan Woods (soccer) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | October 12, 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Washington, D.C., United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1997 | University of Notre Dame | ||
| 1998–1999 | Clemson | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000 | Colorado Rapids | 1 | (0) |
| 2000 | Charleston Battery | 27 | (0) |
| 2001 | New England Revolution | 18 | (0) |
| 2002–04 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 75 | (5) |
| 2005 | Charleston Battery | 10 | (0) |
| 2005–06 | Virginia Beach Mariners | 36 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| Nichols College (assistant) | |||
| 2008– | Oglethorpe University | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alan Woods is an American soccer player who was born on October 12, 1978. He played as a defender for many years. Alan played one season in Major League Soccer (MLS), which is the top soccer league in the United States. He also played six seasons in the USL First Division, another professional league. Today, he is a soccer coach for the women's team at Oglethorpe University.
Playing Career
Youth Soccer
Alan Woods went to Paint Branch High School. In 1995, he was recognized as a top soccer player in the Washington, D.C. area.
In 1996, he started playing college soccer at the University of Notre Dame. There, he was named one of the best new players in the Big East conference. He also made the second team for the All Great Lakes Region.
In 1998, Alan moved to Clemson. He continued to play very well, earning first-team honors in the ACC conference and the All South team. In March 1998, he was even invited to train with the United States men's national under-23 soccer team. This team prepares young players for the Olympics.
Professional Soccer
The Colorado Rapids picked Alan Woods in the first round of the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. This draft is where professional teams choose new players. However, he only played for five minutes in one game before the Rapids let him go.
After that, he joined the Charleston Battery in the USL A-League. He played in 26 out of 27 games and was named the team's Rookie of the Year.
In April 2001, Alan's rights were traded to the New England Revolution. He then signed with them and played 18 games. He was even named to the MLS Team of the Week once.
In 2002, Alan moved to the Atlanta Silverbacks in the USL First Division. He played with them for three seasons and was the team captain for two of those years. In 2003, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and made the Second Team All-League. He even had a tryout with a team in Bulgaria, CSKA Sofia, but decided not to sign a contract with them.
On February 18, 2005, Alan rejoined the Charleston Battery. He played 10 games and scored one goal. On July 6, 2005, he moved to the Virginia Beach Mariners. He played the rest of the 2005 season and all of 2006 with them. He was named the Mariners' best defensive player.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Alan Woods became a soccer coach. He coached the Cape Henry High School soccer team for one season. He also worked as an assistant coach at Nichols College.
In 2008, Alan became the head coach for the women's soccer team at Oglethorpe University. He also coached for the Roswell Santos soccer academy, leading their U-13 girls Blue team. In 2009, he joined the Concorde Fire Soccer Academy. There, he coached the U-14 girls central team and the U-14 central black team. As of July 2025, he is coaching the 2011 Girls ECNL team at UFA, United Futbol Academy in Forsyth, Georgia.
