Melissa Fernandez
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley.. playing club soccer Melissa Fernandez earned a scholarship to play at the collegiate Division 1 level for Cal State University of Northridge. Fernandez was named Big West tournament MVP as a senior where she helped her team to their first NCAA birth in 2012.
Fernandez became a volunteer assistant coach for CSUN for two years. She also played in the WPSL and UWS (formerly known as W League) for 10 years on local teams such as Santa Clarita Blue Heat, LA Strikers, and LA Villa. She was also a Portland Thorns trialist in 2014. In 2018, she joined LA Valley College as an assistant coach and is now the head coach for the junior college.
Additionally. she pursued a career advocating for people in need and spent 2019 interning at a Behavioral Health Unit. Melissa graduated with a Master's in Social Work from USC, December 2019.
Melissa plans to continue to work in the adult mental health field as well as coaching club soccer.
Current Coaching Positions
- LA Bulls
- Associate Head Coach at LA Valley College
Current Club Positions
- Head Coach
Former Coaching & Club Position
- Harvard Westlake Girls' JV & Varsity Assistant Coach
- California State University, Northridge Volunteer Coaching Assistant
- Barcelona California Head Coach (B06, B07, G04)
- Oakwood High School Assistant Coach
Playing Experience
- Blue Heat, LA Strikers, LA Villa (WPSL/UWS)
- California State University, Northridge 2009-2012
- Granada Hills Charter HS Varsity
Education
- California State University, Northridge- B.A. in Kinesiology, emphasis in Physical Education, Minor in Psychology
- California State University of Southern California- Masters in Social Work