Girls Soccer

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Welcome

Our goal is to climb to the top of the Metro West conference. We know it will take collective courage to get there. And, we know that we need everyone to achieve our goal. We are better together, which means we have made it a priority of our program to invite all students interested in playing soccer to come out and join. We have a spot for you and we are ready to help you compete, learn, and have fun!

Questions? Email Anne Beaton at: anne.beaton@gmail.com

Upcoming Import Dates

Summer Skills Training

Starts JUNE 16th

Grades 7-12

Tuesdays & Wednesdays

8:00-9:15am @SLPHS Stadium

June 16-July 29 (no sessions 6/30 & 7/1)

$75 for 12 sessions*

Come train Tuesday & Wednesday mornings with SLP Head Coach, Anne Beaton and JV Coach Jill Merkle. Have fun learning key technical skills to improve your play: first touch, dribbling, passing, shooting, finishing, defending, tactical awareness. Register below to sign up. Questions? Email Anne Beaton at anne.beaton@gmail.com

*supplemental financial support available

Register HERE NOW!!

Tryouts begin August 17th

Oriole Flight Club

Starts June 1st

OFC is an *optional* individual challenge for incoming 8-12th graders. Players that complete 8 cycles will earn an Oriole Flight Club t-shirt at the end of the summer. More info can be found HERE.

The goal of Oriole Flight Club is to expose players to the 4 pillars of soccer: technical, tactical, physical, and psychological. And to encourage kids to PLAY! By committing to building tiny habits in these areas, players will raise their individual competitive level. All work for Oriole Flight Club is done above and beyond their club and summer skills time.

Support SLP Girls Soccer

Want To Help Build Our Program?
Want to be a Ball Girl for Varsity Games?

Want To Help Build Our Program?

Want to be a Ball Girl for Varsity Games?

Important Info

Schedules

JV and C-squad will practice on non-game weekdays for 90 min between 3:30 - 6:30 at LAO, unless otherwise specified by the team coach. C squad start time will accommodate the late release of middle schoolers. Please note: Official schedule through the Athletic Department is found on our team page under "Game Schedule." Linking to this calendar will give you automatic updates should a game get canceled or rescheduled.

Varsity JV B-Squad

Coaching Staff

Anne Beaton

Anne Beaton
Varsity Head CoachAnne holds a USSF B Coaching License and Level 1 Goalkeeping License. She has coached youth soccer for over 30 years at all levels including recreational, club, high school, and with the Minnesota Olympic Development Program. Anne was a three-sport athlete at Minneapolis South High School and played Division I soccer at the University of Minnesota (Go Gophers!). Anne has a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction, Literacy Education and works as an English teacher and BARR Coordinator at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School.

Email: anne.beaton@gmail.com

Phone: 612-298-3425

Andy Beaton

Andy Beaton
Varsity Assistant

Andy holds a USSF B Coaching License and Level 1 Goalkeeping License. He was an all-state and all-metro player in high school, captained the Macalester College varsity soccer team, and played for the Minnesota Thunder pro team. For over 30 years, Andy has coached all levels of soccer including club teams, a state championship Armstrong High School team, Minnesota Olympic Development, and the Minnesota Men's State Select team. Andy was a high school principal for over 20 years and is the assistant superintendent of North St. Paul Public Schools. Email: andy.beaton70@gmail.com

Jill Merkle

Jill Merkle
Junior Varsity Co-Coach

Jill has been involved with every aspect of soccer--from player to coach to referee. She has over a decade of experience coaching a wide range of age levels in soccer, track, basketball, and ultimate Frisbee. Jill was an All-State soccer player at Hopkins High School and played Division III soccer at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. She has a Masters in Leadership in Education from the University of Minnesota, and works as a social studies teacher at St. Louis Park High School.

Email: merkle.jillian@slpschools.org

Phone: 612-247-1688

Julia Germain

Julia Germain
Junior Varsity Co-Coach

Julia has many years of experience playing soccer for Blaine Soccer Club and High School. She has a Masters in Social Studies Education from the University of Minnesota, and works as a social studies teacher at St. Louis Park High School. In addition to teaching, she has several years of experience in youth program leadership, and is passionate about youth development through sports.

Ella Short

Ella Short
B-Squad Coach

Ella played Division III soccer at Macalester College, where she served as a team captain for two years. After graduating, she has continued her involvement in the game as an assistant coach at Macalester. Ella currently lives in Minnesota and works in St. Louis Park Public Schools as a kindergarten teaching assistant. She is also in the process of earning her Master’s degree in Education and is passionate about supporting young learners both in the classroom and through sport.

Cam Xu

Cam Xu
GK CoachCam is a former Division I goalkeeper with five years of collegiate playing experience. She spent three years at the University of Montana, where she was named Goalkeeper of the Year, before finishing her career at the University of Minnesota. Over her collegiate career, she made three NCAA National Tournament appearances. Since graduation Cam now lives in Minnesota and stays involved in the game by working with youth soccer clubs and teams. Cam holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology.

Key Dates & Locations

Key Dates for 2025 Season
(Locations TBD due to construction)

Tryouts Start Date: August 11

Parent/Player Meeting (Required): August 11 @ 7:15PM (SLPHS Track Turf)

Media Day (ALL TEAMS): August 16 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM (SLPHS Track Turf)

First Scrimmage at Breck: August 16

First Game at Richfield: August 21

Car Wash Fundraiser @ Jerry's Hardware [Cedar Lk & Louisiana]: August 24th 11:00am - 1:45pm

Cub Bagging Fundraiser (ALL TEAMS) : September 7th 11:00am - 6:00pm

Teacher Appreciation Night (VARSITY): Sept. 9

Youth Night(VARSITY): Sept. 11

Senior Night (All Seniors during Varsity Game): Sept. 25

Post-Season Play - 1st Round of Sections: October 7th

All-Program Pasta Party @ 6PM:
Aug. 20th @ High School Track Turf
Sept. 10 @ Louisiana Oaks Building
Sept. 24 @ Louisiana Oaks Building

Banquet (All Teams) : November 9th from 10AM-12PM @ Minneapolis Golf Club
Key Locations


Practice Sites	Varsity: SLPHS Stadium (turf) & Louisiana Oaks (grass) JV: Louisiana Oaks JV-B: Louisiana Oaks C-Squad: Louisiana Oaks
Home Game Sites	Varsity: SLPHS Stadium (turf) JV: Track Turf & Walker Park JV-B: Track Turf & Walker Park C-Squad: Track Turf & Walker Park

Social Media

Philosophy

We are better together.

St. Louis Park Girls' Soccer is an inclusive program. We believe in the power of invitation and actively seek out interested students to join us and come play. Regardless of your level of experience, we have a spot for you and will work to create a dynamic learning environment that challenges you and supports your growth as a player and person. We see student athletes as decision-makers and understand the value of goal setting and self-reflection. We also believe that it's fun to compete! We know we need everyone in order to reach our goal of climbing to the top of the Metro West conference.

Best Fit Team.

During the tryout process, the coaching staff will evaluate players on technical, tactical, physical, and psychological components of their game. Special attention is paid to player impact and effectiveness in game situations. Our goal is to place each player on their best fit team. Each team offers a chance for players to compete, learn, and have fun.

Varsity: Team representing SLPHS in conference, section play, and the state tournament.
JV: Junior Varsity team for players continuing to grow and gain experience as competitive high school soccer players.
C Team: Developmental team for younger players or those new to high school soccer.

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" - Seneca
For those who have a goal to play varsity soccer, consider the impact that playing for a club soccer team will have on your development. Clubs near St. Louis Park include Park Valley, Minneapolis United, Tonka Fusion, or Minnesota Thunder Academy. Check out their websites to learn more about the tryout process. Most teams host tryouts in mid-July and teams train and play from November through June.

For those who choose to compete in other sports year round or are not interested in club soccer, consider summer rec soccer leagues like Minneapolis United (through 9th grade) or the Joy of the People program that promotes the concept of free play. Touching a ball in the months leading up to tryouts will help you prepare. **CHECK OUT our summer skills opportunities and co-ed pick-up soccer**

St. Louis Park High School Strength and Conditioning is another great option for those student athletes looking to improve their game and create their own luck. Visit the SLPHS Strength and Conditioning page here for more information.

Health and Wellness.
We know that beyond the four pillars of soccer (technical, tactical, physical, and psychological), nutrition and sleep are key factors in student athletes finding success on the field and in the classroom. We promote healthy eating and the importance of sleep and recovery to help support student athlete wellbeing.

Lettering Policy.

A player can earn a varsity letter one of two ways:

Play any amount of time in one or more SLPHS Girls' Varsity games.
Be an active participant in the SLPHS Girls' Soccer Program for four years from 9th -12th grade.

Team Captains

2025-2026 SLPHS Girls' Soccer Captains:

Amelia Beach (12), Lucia Versalles (12), Audrey Martin (12), Abby Carlson (11)

EVERYONE is welcome to come to Captains’ Practice! We are pumped for this upcoming season and want to get to know everyone before tryouts and get better together. We’ve planned a super fun two weeks that should combine soccer & fitness training while meeting everybody and creating a positive SLP girls soccer community.

Important Links

Photos

Handouts & Handbook

Off-Season & Summer Training

Summer Skills Training

Grades 7-12

Tuesdays & Wednesday

8:00-9:15am @SLP Stadium

June 16-July 29 (no sessions 6/30 & 7/1)

$75 for 12 sessions*

Come train Tuesday & Wednesday with SLP Head Coach, Anne Beaton and JV Coach Jill Merkle. Have fun learning key technical skills to improve your play: first touch, dribbling, passing, shooting, finishing, defending, tactical awareness. Opening to incoming 7th-12th graders.
Register Here
Questions? Email Anne Beaton at anne.beaton@gmail.com

*supplemental financial support available

Oriole Flight ClubJoin the summer challenge!Open to all in-coming 8-12th graders.

More info
June 1-August 11Submit your cycles

District