Gary Maley joins Sporting JAX Soccer Academy as the Academy Director of Goalkeeping, bringing his expertise to elevate the development of our club's goalkeepers. In this role, Gary will be responsible for implementing a comprehensive goalkeeper curriculum across the entire academy and directly managing the goalkeeping staff.

His key contributions to the academy include:

• Training & Development: Leading specialized evening training sessions and establishing Individual Development Plans (IDP) to track and review player progress.
• Dual Role Commitment: In addition to his academy leadership, Gary maintains a primary focus on his responsibilities with the Sporting JAX Men’s First Team.
• Academy Integration: Working closely with the Elite Academy Director to meet all academy needs and supporting teams during matches whenever his first-team schedule allows.

Gary’s dual expertise ensures that academy goalkeepers receive professional-level instruction while maintaining a direct pathway to the club's flagship team.

Playing and Coaching background:

• Arbroath FC (2024–2025): Acted as the First Team Goalkeeping Coach for the Scottish club.
• Livingston FC (2022–2024): Transitioned into coaching as the First Team Goalkeeping Coach immediately after retiring from his playing career. He also previously served as the Head of Academy Goalkeeping there.
• Gary was a veteran presence in Scottish football, known for his long tenure at Livingston FC and a unique path to the professional ranks:
• Livingston FC (2016–2022): Spent six seasons with the club. In May 2022, he made history as the oldest player to make a debut in the Scottish Premiership at 39 years and 285 days old.

Matt Hollyoak, originally from just outside of London, England, developed his passion for soccer through both professional and non-league academy systems. His youth career culminated in selection to the England U18 Schoolboys National Team, where he contributed to winning the prestigious Centenary Shield.

Matt continued his playing career in the United States at the University of North Florida, where he was a four-year starter and team captain from 2006–2010. During his collegiate career, he earned All-Conference honors in the Atlantic Sun Conference each year while completing his degree in Sport Management.

Following graduation, Matt returned to England to further pursue his playing and coaching career, competing at the semi-professional level with clubs including Tranmere Rovers, Tonbridge Angels, Folkestone Invicta, and Crawley Town.

In 2012, Matt transitioned back to Jacksonville to begin his coaching career with United Soccer Alliance. Over a 14-year tenure as Club Director, he played a pivotal role in the club’s growth, player development pipeline, and community engagement. His work extended beyond the club through involvement with the Olympic Development Program (ODP), West Ham United International Coaching Academy, and Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) Coaching Education.

Throughout his career, Matt has helped develop and place dozens of players into collegiate programs, U.S. Youth National Teams, and professional clubs, establishing a reputation for building high-performing environments and advancing player pathways at every level.

From Matt:

“I’m incredibly excited to join Sporting Jax and be part of building a clear pathway to professional soccer here in Jacksonville. The opportunity to work alongside such an experienced and forward-thinking staff, while continuing to grow the game and expand opportunities in our community, is something I’m truly passionate about.

I’m also deeply grateful for my time with United Soccer Alliance. The relationships, experiences, and growth I’ve had there have been instrumental in my journey, and I look forward to staying connected as we continue to support the development of soccer in this region.”

Carrie Molaka has been coaching fulltime for the last 22 years. Carrie places a high value on quality training environments that provide: cognitive, technical, tactical, physical, and highly competitive moments that replicate matchday. She holds a USSF B License, a US Soccer Grassroots Instructor License, NSCAA National, Advanced National, and Premier Diplomas, a USYS National Youth License and a NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma. Carrie has been a Director of Coaching at Charleston United Soccer Club, Space Coast United, Rockledge Soccer Club, Florida Elite, FC Richmond and Azzurri Storm. She has been in the collegiate ranks assisting at CSU, University of Toledo and Florida Atlantic University.

Carrie is originally from Charlotte, NC where she is still one of the leading scorers in NC high school history 167 goals and 95 assists. She played her college soccer at UNCC, where she was CUSA All- Freshman, First Team All-Conference  and a leading scorer. She finished her last year at Charleston Southern as the Attacking MVP and the Big South Player of the Year. She also played for the Charlotte Speed in the W-League from 1998-2000 as the second youngest player in the league. 

We are excited to announce Gerson Penza as our new Director of Club Success & Compliance, a key leadership role dedicated to elevating the experience across Sporting JAX Academy and all Satellite clubs. In this role, Gerson will help bring our club’s vision to life across every field and every team—ensuring that players, families, and coaches experience the same high standards in coaching, communication, safety, and overall operations.

Gerson will lead the charge in building consistency and excellence across all locations by aligning coaching environments, strengthening communication, and ensuring best-in-class standards in player safety, program delivery, and club operations. His work will directly support our coaches and staff, helping create a seamless, organized, and inspiring environment where every athlete can thrive.

Gerson brings over two decades of coaching and leadership experience across the Jacksonville soccer community, with an extensive background at the ECNL, Pre-ECNL, USL Academy, USL pre-professional, collegiate, and high school levels. A former Flagler College soccer player, he holds an MBA and a Bachelor’s in Sport Management, along with a United States Soccer Federation B License. His passion for developing players, supporting coaches, and helping clubs grow makes him uniquely positioned to drive this important work forward.

This is an exciting step for Sporting JAX as we continue to strengthen alignment between our Sporting JAX Academy and Satellite clubs, building a unified, high-performing environment for our players, families, and community.

We are excited to announce that Lewis Amos has been appointed as the new Girls ECNL Program Director for Sporting Jax Soccer Academy. Lewis has been an integral part of our club’s continued growth, bringing exceptional leadership, a competitive standard of excellence, and a deep commitment to player development. With extensive experience coaching at the highest youth levels, Lewis has proven his ability to build successful environments where players are challenged, supported, and pushed to reach their true potential.

In this new role, Lewis will oversee all aspects of our Girls ECNL program — including player development pathways, coaching methodology, performance standards, and overall program culture. His vision is firmly aligned with our club’s mission to create an elite, player-centered environment that prepares our athletes for success in college, professional pathways, and beyond.

We are confident that under Lewis’s guidance, our Girls ECNL program will continue to elevate, innovate, and set a new standard of excellence within our club and our region.

We are excited to announce that Ryan Patridge has joined Sporting Jax Soccer Academy as our first-ever College Program Director.

In this new role, Ryan will lead the development, implementation, and management of our comprehensive college pathway program. He will serve as the primary resource for players and families who aspire to play at the collegiate level—providing guidance, education, and support every step of the way. Ryan will design individualized and group development plans, educate families on the college recruitment process, and offer ongoing assistance throughout each player’s journey, from initial interest all the way through college commitment. Ryan will be working directly with the College Coaches attending our College ID Camp in January.

We are thrilled to welcome Ryan to the Sporting Jax family and look forward to the positive impact he will have on our players and their futures.