Jordan Ferrell ’17 loves the game of soccer. He loves the joy of scoring and winning, and the infinite possibilities, creativity and complexities of the game. But, most importantly he loves what the sport can do.

“Soccer can impact the social world like nothing else,” said Ferrell. “It can end wars, give insignificant people pride and shed light on issues that would have normally been unnoticed. The language of soccer is universal.”

Ferrell is prepared to spread his love of the game in his new role as Technical Director for the Oakland Roots. In this role, he will focus on developing players, creating a consistent approach and style across all of the club’s technical efforts, building a youth pipeline and building the overall culture and values of the organization.

With the Oakland Roots, Ferrell hopes to implement those lessons he learned at University of the Pacific and build a squad that reflects the City of Oakland.

“For me, sport has always been a way I can focus my energy to add value,” said Ferrell. “I am excited to focus on putting a competitive club on the field, but also embrace our organizational philosophy of being leaders in our community.”

Although the Oakland Roots are primarily a soccer club, they are also focused on, committed to creating social impact on the community. The organization believes in the power of sport for social good whether it be on the field, in the stands or in the community.

“Our purpose statement gives us our ‘why’ of what we do on a daily basis,” explained Ferrell. “I’m thrilled to be in a position to foster these values throughout our organization.”

Ferrell credits his time at Pacific, where he earned his Master of Arts in Coaching Science and was an assistant men’s soccer coach, for teaching him how to build an organization.

“Pacific's coaching science program really helped me learn how to build a culture,” said Ferrell. “The program helped me understand not just the technical elements of coaching, but also the human side. Not all universities teach that to their students.”

Ferrell is also grateful for his experience coaching at Pacific, which he says helped him learn about managing people who come from different places. It was the first time in his career he was coaching players from not only other states, but other countries. As he noted, “No matter our differences, being a good coach is finding ways to bring individuals together and make them a team.”

In describing his new role, Ferrell said “Oakland feels like a small town and also a big city at the same time. There are people who grew up here and have never left, but we are also a global community at the same time. Ultimately, we want to play exciting and competitive football, while bringing joy to the hearts of those watching.”