Coaches

Jim Gabarra

Prior to his appointment as Head Coach of the Washington Freedom in August 2000, Gabarra, was head coach of the World All-Stars during the 1999 and 2000 Toys "R" Us United States National Team Indoor Victory Tour.  Gabarra's extensive background in soccer includes head coaching tenures with the Washington Warthogs in the CISL from 1994-1998, head coach in the adidas Summer League, 1998, and stints as the player-coach for the Milwaukee Wave of the NPSL from 1992-1993 and Louisville Thunder of the AISA from 1985-1987.

Gabarra was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1986-1989, earning 14 caps, and played for the U.S. Olympic Team at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.  He played indoor and outdoor soccer professionally from 1982-1994 in the ASL, AISA, MISL, CISL, and NPSL.  Gabarra was the U.S. National Indoor Team captain from 1986-1996, and played on the team achieving the highest tournament finish ever by a U.S. Men's National Team at FIFA's Indoor World Championships - capturing the Silver medal in 1992 and the Bronze medal in 1989.

Born in Key West, FL, Gabarra currently resides in Annapolis, MD with his wife Carin, a member of the first U.S. Women's World Cup Championship Team in 1991 and current head coach at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and their three children.

Clyde Watson

Watson was named an assistant coach for the Washington Freedom in February of 2001.  Prior to his appointment, Watson was the director of coaching at the Team America Soccer Club and GSC Team America Premier program.  A Washington, D.C. local, Watson is a familiar face in Washington's soccer scene having coached in the area for nearly 20 years.  In 1998, Watson was selected as the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) Boys Coach of the Year and was the current director of coaching for the GSC Team America Premier program.  Watson is a former professional player who has played and coached in over 20 countries.  He was a prominent member of the Guyana Men's National Team for 10 years.  He is a graduate of Clemson University, where he was captain of their nationally ranked soccer team and led Clemson to the NCAA finals.  He was also the former head coach at the University of the District of Columbia and of a pro team in the Caribbean Football League.

Born in Guyana, Watson currently resides on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Win Puffer

Win Puffer was named as an Assistant Coach for the Washington Freedom in 2007.  Puffer joined the Freedom staff in the spring of 2006 as an assistant coach to the Under-20 team and helped lead the team to the first USL Super-20 North American Title.  Since then has taken over as the Head Coach of the Freedom's Under-20 Team and oversees the club's USL Super-Y League program.  Puffer also coaches the Freestate Shooters Girls team that won the 2007 U17 US Club Soccer National Title and is on the coaching staff at Villa Julie College.  Prior to his appointment to the Freedom staff, he was the Program Director at a local soccer club and a staff coach at Loyola Blakefield HS in Baltimore. In 2005 he helped lead the Dons to the MIAA Championship.  Puffer has been an ODP coach with Maryland and New Hampshire since 1999, working as a girls head coach in Maryland since the fall of 2004.  Prior to moving to Maryland in 2002, he worked with his boyhood club Seacoast United SC in New Hampshire where he also played for their semi-pro indoor team from 2000-2002.  Puffer was also a member of the Allegheny College Soccer Team from 1995-1998 before a serious injury curbed his senior season. He was then brought into the coaching staff for the 1998-1999 season.

Born in Durham, NH, Puffer currently resides in Owings Mills, MD.

Nicci Wright