LA JUNTA, Colo. – Chico State men’s soccer assistant coach Donny Ribaudo has been named the new Otero Junior College (La Junta, Colo.) women’s soccer coach. An assistant coach at California State University, Chico, Ribaudo comes to OJC with a lengthy resume of accomplishment as both a player and coach, and has a definite plan in mind to fill the inaugural roster with players who want to be part of creating a competitive women’s soccer program.
 
Women’s soccer is a new program for OJC that is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2012. The program will be one of the first junior college programs to be offered in Colorado. The team will play in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region IX, against teams from Wyoming and Nebraska.
 
“It is my goal to build a competitive women’s program that focuses on hard work, teamwork and respect. My ultimate goal is to help my players develop athletically, academically and personally,” said Ribaudo.
 
Having played soccer as a youth and into his high school years; Ribaudo continued his soccer career as a member of the team for Chico State, where he was recognized as an All CCAA player.
 
He also played for the California Gold in a professional league and was a member of the Chico Rooks team from 2003-2006; winning the USASA National Championship in 2004.
 
While earning his soccer credentials on the field at Chico State, Ribaudo also earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in kinesiology from the college. Upon graduation, he began teaching for the kinesiology department for Chico State, as well as working as the assistant men’s coach for the Chico State Wildcats. During the five years he served as an assistant coach, his teams made two NCAA tournament appearances, making it to the Elite Eight in 2010 and into the first round in 2011. His teams have also won two CCAA North Division titles.
 
His coaching experience also extends to a head coaching position for the past four years with the Butte United Soccer Club, that includes both boys and girls teams.
 
Ribaudo arrived at OJC with a good idea about how to build a program from the ground up. “When I became an assistant at CSU-Chico, our task was to completely rebuild the men’s program. In a short amount of time we did just that; rebuilding that program into a national contender. I’ve experienced all facets of building and managing a program from recruiting, fundraising, managing players, managing staff and conducting training sessions and camps,” he explained.
 
Ribaudo said his goal has always been to be a head coach, and feels confident that his prior experiences have prepared him to take on the challenge of stepping into a first-year program.
 
“When I came to La Junta to interview for the job, I was impressed with the sense of community that existed at OJC and in the town. I could tell there was great support here for athletics and that is critical for any program, but especially for a first-year program. I know this is a good fit for me, and I’m anxious to start recruiting and building the kind of program that I think will make the college and community proud,” he said.
 
Ribaudo’s recruiting strategy will start with spreading the word with Colorado high school programs and youth soccer clubs. He also plans to attend some showcase tournaments in Phoenix and Las Vegas this spring.
 
“Colorado will be my primary area of recruitment; however, I’ll be looking at players from some of the surrounding states and tapping into my contacts in California as well,” he said.
 
Ribaudo said he plans on keeping the number of recruits to a manageable number. “I’m not planning on recruiting a large inaugural team; I want to make sure all the new recruits feel like they are part of the team and have a key role in building the program,” he said.
 
“I plan to create a competitive environment where our young players can develop. This includes academic development and leadership skills to prepare them for the four-year university or the career of their choice,” Ribuado explained.
 
Otero Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College will be the first junior colleges in Colorado to offer varsity women’s soccer, starting in the fall of 2012. The new programs will play in the NJCAA Region IX against Western Nebraska CC, Northwest College, Western Wyoming CC and Laramie County CC for Region IX conference competition. OJC will be allowed to schedule up to 22 games for their first season consisting of conference and non-conference games.
 
According to Gary Addington, OJC athletic director, the Lady Rattlers will have a home practice field on the OJC campus and will play on the newly constructed Tiger Field, just two blocks from the campus.
 
“OJC launched the men’s soccer program just three years ago, and the campus and community have fallen in love with the sport,” said Addington. “Our men’s program has had some outstanding success at the regional and national level; putting OJC on the map as a school to watch. We have full confidence that Coach Ribaudo will be able to build a women’s program with the same high caliber players who are committed to their academics and athletic goals. We feel very fortunate to have been able to hire a coach like Donny Ribaudo, and look forward to helping him build a competitive inaugural team,” said Addington.
 
Soccer players who would like to explore the possibility of playing soccer on the collegiate level will have the opportunity to meet Coach Ribaudo and participate in a High School Girls’ Soccer I.D. Camp on April 21, 2012 at OJC. This camp is for girls in grades 9-12 and will focus on skill instruction and game play.
 
For more information about the High School Girls’ Soccer I.D. Camp, contact:
Donny Ribaudo, Head Women’s Soccer Coach
719-384-6880
donald.ribaudo@ojc.edu
 
More information about the OJC Women’s Soccer program and applications for the Soccer Camp can be found at:
www.ojc.edu/wSoccer.aspx
 
Building successful athletic programs is not new to OJC, a rural college on the plains of southeast Colorado. The college launched a men’s soccer program in 2010. The inaugural men’s team won the Region IX conference championship and the West District championship in 2010, securing a berth in the NJCAA National Championship tournament. The addition of women’s soccer now brings the total number of intercollegiate sports at OJC to 11 sports. Those sports include: women’s volleyball; men’s and women’s rodeo; men’s and women’s soccer; men’s and women’s basketball; women’s softball; men’s baseball and men’s and women’s golf.
 
To follow Rattler Athletics, go to: www.ojc.edu/athletics.aspx