Darin Van Tassell
Co-Owner & President
Darin Van Tassell is the Statesboro USL League One and League Two franchise President. Darin H. Van Tassell and his wife, Netra Van Tassell, are the owners of The Clubhouse, the 64-acre entertainment complex located in Statesboro, GA. From 1989-2012, Van Tassell was active in the International Baseball Federation and conducted baseball clinics and coached in over forty countries. He served as the Competition Director for the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing. He served as Technical Commissioner for 2009 Baseball World Classic in Los Angeles and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, the same position he occupied at the 30th Intercontinental Cup in Taiwan in 2006 and at the XXXV World Cup in Havana, Cuba in 2003. In September 2007, he served as the Tournament Director for the European Championships and Olympic Qualifier, held in Barcelona, Spain. In 1996 he became the youngest head coach in Olympic history, when he served as Head Coach for the Nicaraguan Olympic Baseball Team at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, leading the team to the Bronze Medal game against the USA. From 1994-1999, he was the Assistant Baseball coach at Georgia Southern, where he played for the Eagles from 1985-1989. He was inducted into the Georgia Southern Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. He received the University’s prestigious “Award for Excellence in Service” in 2015.
He received his Ph.D. and M.A. in International Studies from the University of South Carolina and was awarded his B.A. from Georgia Southern in 1989. He recently retired from a faculty position in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at Georgia Southern University, where he was named the 2006 Professor of the Year at his alma mater.
Van Tassell served as President of the Board of Directors for the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau and was the former President of the Boys and Girls Club of Bulloch County. He also serves as President of the Savannah-Hilton Head Youth Soccer Alliance. Van Tassell was named the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Statesboro-Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce. He and Netra live in Statesboro and have two sons, Whitt (25) and Payne (22).
Netra R. Van Tassell
Co-Owner & Executive Vice President
Netra R. Van Tassell was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She went to Georgia Southern College and graduated in 1990 as a part of the last graduating class from Georgia Southern College. As an undergrad, Van Tassell studied Education with a double major in Early Child Education and Special Education and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education. For her Master’s, Van Tassell attended the University of South Carolina with a concentration in Exceptional Children. Van Tassell was a kindergarten teacher from 1990-2001 and was a former professor in the College of Education and Department of Children and Family Development at Georgia Southern University from 2001-2010. She is the Executive Vice-President and owner of Tormenta FC, a professional soccer franchise in the USL. She is the Vice-President of BVT Enterprises, Inc. and serves as the Chief Operations Officer of all activities at The Clubhouse, a 64-acre family entertainment center located in Statesboro, GA. She manages over 75 employees and is the responsible for the daily operations since 2010 at The Clubhouse. Van Tassell manages in Events and Public Relations, Food and Beverage, Attractions, Human Resources, Facilities all report directly to her. She is married to Darin Van Tassell and has two children – Whitt (25) and Payne (22).
John Schlieman
Sr. Vice President, Corporate Partnerships
John Schlieman is a seasoned executive with elite accomplishments in the areas of revenue generation and integrated marketing. John has over 20 years of career experience spanning some of the world’s most influential companies, agencies and brands.
Bryce Judy
Senior Director, Soccer Operations
Bryce Judy was born and raised in Statesboro, Georgia. He attended the University of West Georgia and graduated 2018. At the University of West Georgia, Judy studied Sports Management and minored in Business Administration. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Soccer Operations, overseeing all Game Day Operations including: the set up and breakdown of the facility, pre-game and halftime activities, security, and team administration. Judy also ensures that the USL rules are met as well as acting as a Team Administrator for both League One and League Two.
Tom Valcke
Senior Director, Franchise Development
Having recently returned back to the Americas from a two-year coaching stint in Asia, Canadian Tom Valcke, a teacher through the COVID pandemic, and who has taught in 31 different countries, brings his distinguished pedigree from 30+ years in the baseball industry, including a decade with the Commissioner’s Office of Major League Baseball, to the soccer pitch as South Georgia Tormenta FC’s Senior Director of Franchise Development. His much-anticipated return follows an unprecedented year of success as head coach of Hong Kong’s Olympic men’s baseball team, culminated by a masterful year in Zhongshan, China, where he evaluated and trained the coaches, academies, and year-round programs of China’s men’s and women’s national teams, both baseball & softball, while serving as the Executive Director of Panda Sport & Culture for the China Olympic Federation.
While Valcke’s coaching experience includes everything from Team Canada to his six national championships with the Windsor Chiefs, he also scouted players such as Major League Baseball MVPs Larry Walker, Justin Morneau, Joey Votto, as well as Cy Young winner Éric Gagné, before they became superstars. Valcke also served as the GM of the Triple-A Calgary Cannons, Executive Director of Baseball Canada, President/CEO of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, broadcaster for the Montreal Expos, analyst for CBC Canada Radio/TV, Technical Director for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and three World Baseball Classics, an NCCP Master Course Conductor, and served as the Head Coach of the World Children’s Baseball Fair.
Valcke, a Mathematics/Computer Science graduate from the University of Waterloo, has been married for 36 years to his wife Paula, a school principal. And all three of their children, Alanna, Jaxon & Mia, played soccer, graduated with Honors from university, sharing a Ph.D. and two Master’s degrees between them. Mia, 23, will play in her fourth World Cup in August/2024, as a member of Team Canada’s Women’s Baseball team. She has won a Silver and two Bronze medals in her first three.
John Schlieman
Sr. Vice President, Corporate Partnerships
Alex Wagner
Director, Ticketing and Fan Engagement
The Statesboro High School graduate earned a B.S. in Sociology from Emory University in 2020 and a M.S. in Sports Management from The University of Georgia in 2022.
Outside of work, Wagner enjoys watching a variety of sports, especially Atlanta Braves baseball. An outdoorsman at heart, Wagner enjoys spending time in nature with his fiancé and two dogs.
Colby Beard
Coordinator, Ticket Sales & Service
Colby Beard joined the staff in 2022 as a sales intern. Following a productive year, Beard was promoted to the Coordinator of Ticket Sales and Services. Beard is a graduate of Effingham County High School and earned a Bachelors in Science in Sports Management from Georgia Southern University. Outside of work, Colby enjoys watching the beautiful game and is an avid beach/lake goer, where he enjoys to nap in a hammock.
Talique Cobb
Coordinator, Ticket Sales & Service
Talique Cobb was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. The 2023 Graduate of Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina, has past experience with sales from the NBA. On his off days, Talique enjoys to listening to music and podcasts.
Johnnie Sanchez
Coordinator, Academy Recruitment
Johnnie is a graduate of Georgia Southern University where he majored in Sport Management. The Bulloch County native grew up playing soccer and knew he wanted to pursue a career in sports. Johnnie has been an academy coach with the club since 2021, with the 05/06B Ibis Statesboro and 13B Ibis Statesboro teams. His aim is to continue to grow the love of the game in the surrounding areas, identify talent, and provide opportunities for young players to achieve their full potential in the sport.
Tom Valcke
Senior Director, Franchise Development
Having recently returned back to the Americas from a two-year coaching stint in Asia, Canadian Tom Valcke, a teacher through the COVID pandemic, and who has taught in 31 different countries, brings his distinguished pedigree from 30+ years in the baseball industry, including a decade with the Commissioner’s Office of Major League Baseball, to the soccer pitch as South Georgia Tormenta FC’s Senior Director of Franchise Development. His much-anticipated return follows an unprecedented year of success as head coach of Hong Kong’s Olympic men’s baseball team, culminated by a masterful year in Zhongshan, China, where he evaluated and trained the coaches, academies, and year-round programs of China’s men’s and women’s national teams, both baseball & softball, while serving as the Executive Director of Panda Sport & Culture for the China Olympic Federation.
While Valcke’s coaching experience includes everything from Team Canada to his six national championships with the Windsor Chiefs, he also scouted players such as Major League Baseball MVPs Larry Walker, Justin Morneau, Joey Votto, as well as Cy Young winner Éric Gagné, before they became superstars. Valcke also served as the GM of the Triple-A Calgary Cannons, Executive Director of Baseball Canada, President/CEO of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, broadcaster for the Montreal Expos, analyst for CBC Canada Radio/TV, Technical Director for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and three World Baseball Classics, an NCCP Master Course Conductor, and served as the Head Coach of the World Children’s Baseball Fair.
Valcke, a Mathematics/Computer Science graduate from the University of Waterloo, has been married for 36 years to his wife Paula, a school principal. And all three of their children, Alanna, Jaxon & Mia, played soccer, graduated with Honors from university, sharing a Ph.D. and two Master’s degrees between them. Mia, 23, will play in her fourth World Cup in August/2024, as a member of Team Canada’s Women’s Baseball team. She has won a Silver and two Bronze medals in her first three.
Caroline Boykin
Director, Marketing
Caroline Boykin is a public relations and marketing professional from Savannah, Georgia. Boykin earned her degree in public relations from Georgia Southern University, where she developed a deep appreciation for the Statesboro community and its residents.
Boykin received her Master of Arts degree in mass communications from the University of Florida and is excited to bring in her wealth of knowledge of the field to her role with South Georgia Tormenta FC. Boykin hopes to develop research informed, long-term marketing objectives and initiatives to further engage South Georgia Tormenta FC with the surrounding community.
Rich Flemings
Director, Production & Outreach
Rich Flemings joins Tormenta FC after living the past 27 years in and around eastern Nebraska. Since 2017, he has worked in various roles for soccer websites, ranging from writer to social media coordinator to researcher. Most recently, Rich has been working with Who Gives A Hoot Media, highlighting Union Omaha results and club news. He has also been involved with TheCup.US, writing articles related to the US Open Cup. Rich is also the co-host of a USL League One podcast titled “League ONe the Rocks,” which covers recent results and news from around the league.
In his downtime, Rich enjoys watching sports, reading, going to the movies, running, drum corps, board games, and writing short stories.
Noah Schroyer
Coordinator, Communications & Social Media
Noah Schroyer is a native resident of Douglasville, Georgia. He is a graduate of Oglethorpe University where he got a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and was a member of the Stormy Petrel baseball team.
Schroyer brings experience in social media management having managed the Instagram, Facebook and Twitter of his college baseball team during his senior year. He also brings a journalism background having been a news and sports writer for the Douglas County Sentinel and Times-Georgian.
Conner Martin
Coordinator, Creative & Brand
Conner Martin serves as the Coordinator of Creative and Brand for South Georgia Tormenta FC. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the design and development of all creative assets, ensuring they align with the club’s brand identity and marketing strategies.
Martin is currently an Honors College student at Georgia Southern University where he studies Marketing and Sport Management. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, he has played competitive soccer throughout his youth and continues to play numerous sports through the GSU intramural program. At Georgia Southern, Martin founded Flight Crew, the student supporters’ group for Tormenta FC. Throughout its first two years the organization has obtained over 130 members, raised over $5,000 in sponsorships, and held multiple large-scale events.
The newly promoted member of the Tormenta FC Front Office staff has worked for the club since June of 2021 when he started as a Business Operations Intern. Throughout his time with the organization, he has been tasked with varying responsibilities such as graphic creation, merchandising, social media management, press releases, and more.
Bryce Judy
Senior Director, Soccer Operations
Bryce Judy was born and raised in Statesboro, Georgia. He attended the University of West Georgia and graduated 2018. At the University of West Georgia, Judy studied Sports Management and minored in Business Administration. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Soccer Operations, overseeing all Game Day Operations including: the set up and breakdown of the facility, pre-game and halftime activities, security, and team administration. Judy also ensures that the USL rules are met as well as acting as a Team Administrator for both League One and League Two.
Colt Carver
Head Equipment Manager
Colt Carver serves as the Equipment Manager and Kit Man for Tormenta FC’s USL League One, League Two and W League teams.
Carver currently attends Georgia Southern University and is earning his undergraduate degree in Sports Management.
From 2019-21, Carver worked in equipment management at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. Since 2021, he has served as an Equipment Manager for the Georgia Southern Women’s Soccer Team.