Don_D'Ambra
Don D'Ambra
American soccer player and coach
Don D'Ambra (born May 5, 1972 in Philadelphia) is a retired American soccer forward who currently coaches the Saint Joseph's University men's soccer team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1972-05-05) May 5, 1972 (age 51) | ||
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1994 | Saint Joseph's Hawks | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1995 | Milwaukee Wave (indoor) | 79 | (71) |
| 1995 | Chicago Stingers | ||
| 1996–2007 | Philadelphia KiXX (indoor) | 436 | (385) |
| 1997–1998 | Hershey Wildcats | 51 | (19) |
| 2009–2010 | Philadelphia KiXX (indoor) | 9 | (8) |
| International career | |||
| 2003–2007 | U.S. Futsal | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2002–2010 | Philadelphia KiXX (indoor) | ||
| 2010– | Saint Joseph's University | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Youth
D'Ambra graduated from Northeast Catholic High School. He then attended Saint Joseph's University, playing soccer there from 1990 to 1994. He scored 41 goals and 102 points during his career, setting school records in both categories. He additionally holds school records for goals in a season with 15, and points in a season with 38. He is the only player from Saint Joseph's ever to be named Atlantic 10 player of the year.
Professional
He began his professional career with the Milwaukee Wave of the National Professional Soccer League in 1994. He was a 1994–1995 All Rookie forward.[1] In 1995, D'Ambra spent the outdoor season with the Chicago Stingers of the USISL.[2] In 1995, he left the Wave for the Philadelphia KiXX' inaugural season. From 1996 to 2002, he was solely a player for the Kixx, but from 2002 to 2010, he assumed a head coaching role as well. He currently holds all-time club records for games played (436), points (1020), goals (380), and game winning goals (42). He has reached the 100 point plateau three different seasons, including a career high in 1997–1998. In 1997 and 1998, D'Ambra played for the Hershey Wildcats in the USISL A-League. He also returned during the 2009–2010 indoor season to play nine games for the KiXX.
Futsal
In 2003, D'Ambra joined the United States national futsal team and continued to play for it through the 2008 Pan American Games.[3]
On October 24, 2002, he was appointed interim head coach of the Philadelphia KiXX from the Major Indoor Soccer League. On December 3, he was officially named the club's third head coach, succeeding Omid Namazi. From 2002 to 2010, he served as a player-coach for the squad, amassing a club record 111 wins. He led the 2007 squad to an MISL championship. On April 15, 2010, he was named head men's soccer coach at Saint Joseph's University.