BUIES CREEK, N.C. - North Carolina Football Club (NCFC) is one of the premier professional soccer organizations in the United States and the largest in North Carolina. Located in nearby Cary, N.C., the club offers men's and women's professional teams, a large network of youth soccer opportunities ranging from recreational to the academy level, and community outreach programs.
Campbell women's soccer has started to build a connection with the organization through three former program alumni: Jamie Corti (assistant coach, 2016-18), Taylor (Brown) Adcock (defender, 2010-13), and current Campbell women's soccer Director of Soccer Management Shelby Denkert (midfielder, 2014-18).
Jamie Corti - Camps and Events Coordinator / Classic Coach
Corti worked in collegiate athletics for 10+ years, transitioning to work with youth soccer after serving as on the Campbell staff as an assistant for three seasons (2016-18). Corti started as a recreation coordinator with Loudoun Soccer Club following her stint at Campbell before recently joining NCFC as a coordinator for camps and events and Classic division coach.
In her job, Corti coordinates youth tournaments for the club including scheduling, mass communications, fields, and setups, merchandising, vendors, college coach hospitality, and more. She also coordinates all NCFC youth camps, tracking out spring break and summer camps at various locations.
"Working at Campbell (and in college athletics) requires having a pulse on many different facets of the program - all of equal importance - and being able to manage and upkeep them," Corti said. "Working with (Campbell head coach) Samar Azem, specifically, added another layer to those projects - not just executing but constantly evaluating - did it work, how is it working, can it be better. These are reminders I ask myself during my tasks/projects currently."
Taylor (Brown) Adcock - U11-U12 Girls North and South Classic Director
Adcock (formerly Taylor Brown), is a 2013 Campbell women's soccer alum and two-time All-Big South first team performer. After playing professionally in Finland, Adcock began teaching. Despite her love for teaching she began missing soccer and was compelled to coach.
A North Carolina native, Adcock grew up playing for CASL (Capital Area Soccer League), now NCFC Youth. Adcock reached out to her former youth coaches, seeking an opportunity to coach and fell in love. After a year of coaching, she was offered a full-time position with the club.
Today, Adcock serves as the U11 and U12 North and South Classic Director, Adcock oversees 12 coaches and 200 plus players. Adcock designs training sessions and curriculum, provides educational opportunities for coaches, administratively handles player registration, and communicates with parents on a regular basis. This has led her to be named to the United Soccer Coaches Association's 30 Under 30 program, making her one of 15 women coaches accepted out of over 400 nominees across the country.
"What I enjoy most is sharing my NCFC experience as a player with younger girls to in return contribute to helping them become great women," Adcock said.
"I grew up playing here and it has shaped me into the individual that I am today. Through this organization, I learned many life skills: how to lead others, how to respect others that are different than myself, how to problem solve in a difficult situation, how to work hard in order to achieve goals and more. NCFC has created the opportunity for me to help young girls develop into better women/better people and this is what I enjoy most about my work."
"I became much more mature in my soccer knowledge while at Campbell," Adcock went on to say. "In order to improve my game year to year, I was constantly challenged to study the game. Playing time was never guaranteed so developing the mentality to do the extra was vital to my success on the field. What I didn't know at the time is that this was prepping me for a career in coaching. The more I studied the game and saw the benefit from it, the more I wanted to know which led to a greater understanding of the game itself. I also learned that to be at your best, you must go the extra mile to ultimately reach your full potential."
Shelby Denkert - Youth Juniors 2011 Coach
Former Campbell starting midfielder and current Director of Soccer Management for #CUWS, Shelby Denkert serves as a juniors coach for NCFC Youth.
"After graduating from Campbell I had this amazing opportunity to come back and be a part of the program again as the Director of Soccer Management," Denkert said. "This opportunity led me to want to coach my own team."
Denkert coaches youth on all aspects of the game, primarily focusing on fundamentals while mixing in more complex parts.
"Campbell women's soccer has prepared me for all aspects of life. Especially learning and growing to be a great leader throughout my four years. This program has taught me how to hold others accountable, how to always push for greatness no matter what, and learn how to lead people. These points are relevant for both on the field and off the field in the real world. Learning that has prepared me to become a great coach with NCFC; specifically, how to use what I learned and how I grew at Campbell to start doing the same thing with my own team and players. I enjoy teaching these players to push themselves, form strong relationships, and become confident and tough players."
"Working for an organization like NCFC is great. Being the biggest soccer club in North Carolina, it is an honor to be a part of the club. I really respect their mission and values for the players and families as they really emphasize developing a player both on and off the field."
