Meet Coach Sara
Meet the coaches shaping the Dallas Surf player experience, both on and off the field.
Sara Alcala
Coach, Dallas Surf Soccer Club
Hi, I’m Coach Sara. I was born in Dallas and grew up in Irving, Texas, where my playing journey began through the Irving Soccer Association. From there, I continued playing with several competitive clubs and developed a lasting connection with the game.
I have now been coaching for around five years. What first began as an opportunity quickly became a passion. I wanted to teach young people more than the fundamentals of soccer. I wanted them to experience how enjoyable the game can truly be.
A Love for the Game That Never Went Away
Sara’s experience in soccer extends far beyond the field. As a player, she suffered several injuries that brought disappointment and heartbreak, but those experiences also played an important role in shaping the person and coach she is today.
Although injuries disrupted her playing journey, they never took away her love for soccer. Instead, she grew through those difficult moments and found another way to remain connected to the game by helping young players build their own relationship with it.
For Sara, coaching is not simply about teaching technique or preparing teams to win. It is about helping young people find confidence, enjoyment, and a genuine sense of belonging.
I don’t only coach to win games. I coach to make sure everyone knows that they belong and that they matter.
Coach Sara Alcala
Finding a Place to Grow
Sara was drawn to Dallas Surf after hearing positive things about the organization and the environment it was working to create. She wanted to contribute to that culture while also continuing to develop herself as a coach.
She describes the move as being like a bird leaving its familiar nest and spreading its wings. It represented both a new opportunity and a chance to challenge herself in a different coaching environment.
As she begins this next chapter, Sara is excited to meet new players and families, share her coaching culture, and help create an environment in which every player feels valued.
Quick-Fire Questions
A little more about Coach Sara, the experiences that shaped her, and what matters most to her.
Which team do you support?
I am a huge Lionel Messi fan, so I follow and support him wherever he plays. Because of him, I also became a Barcelona supporter and follow both the men’s and women’s teams.
What is your favorite DFW restaurant?
Chips Old Fashioned Hamburgers. I love burgers.
What do you want players to remember?
I want their confidence to shine brightly. I want them to know that who they are away from the field matters most, and I hope they learn to love soccer as much as I do.
Tell us one fun fact about you.
My dog has one eye, and I absolutely love him.
What is your most memorable coaching moment?
One of my most memorable moments was winning a tournament with one of my girls’ teams only weeks after losing my dad. In that moment, I realized that the players and parents had become much more than people I happened to coach. They had become family. My own family also surprised me by attending the final to support me, which made the moment even more meaningful.
Confidence, Belonging and a Love for Soccer
Sara wants every player she coaches to understand that their value is not determined by a result or by what happens during one game. Her goal is to help players become more confident, enjoy the sport, and recognize that who they are away from soccer matters most.
She is excited to build relationships with new Dallas Surf families and to create a culture where players are supported, challenged, and reminded that they belong.
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