Katie Culp To All Instructors

Hello and wishing you a very warm welcome to Thrive! My name is Katie Culp or “Coach Katie” and I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Thrive community offering the Footvolley-Soccer Essentials class to K-12th (broken down into 2 separate age groups) beginning in September. I was born and raised in Encinitas and recently launched Encinitas Footvolley Academy which teaches kids the fundamentals of one of Brazil’s most beloved sports (think volleyball using everything but your hands!) in a fun, high energy environment tailored to their age and skill level! Here’s a little bit about my background and the origins of this program:

Katie fell in love with soccer when she was five years old, playing club for Surf, La Costa Canyon High School, followed by a D1 college career at the University of Denver where she double majored in Sociology and International Studies. Katie’s love for soccer coupled with her passion for working with kids kept her coaching and tutoring throughout high school, college, and beyond, coaching youth club teams in Colorado and Hawaii, private clinics in North County, as well as working for the FC Barcelona Academy’s youth camp in 2021. Katie was inspired to live in Brazil from a young age, fascinated by their passionate “futebol” (aka soccer) culture, raw talent, style, and skill. While living in Brazil, Katie was in awe of the exceptional level of every Brazilian, being able to control the ball masterfully with every imaginable part of their body, whether playing on a field, in the streets, or on the beach. This led her to Footvolley, one of Brazil’s most popular sports, played similarly to beach volleyball - but with your feet, head, chest, etc! She’s partnering with some exceptional Brazilian soccer and Footvolley players and coaches to deliver this exciting new program designed by Encinitas Footvolley Academy.

In addition to coaching, Katie has spent several years in corporate tech positions, taught ESL English at an elementary school in Spain, and runs a small health & wellness business. She loves traveling, volunteering, surfing, and linguistics!

I can’t wait to get to know each one of your kids and help them improve their soccer skills and confidence with the ball while having a blast! Please reach out and I’d love to answer any questions you have!