Giráldez will transition into the Head Coach role in the coming weeks, while Andrés González and Toni Gordo join Spirit Staff

 

Washington, D.C. (06/20/2024) – Five months after the Washington Spirit announced Jonatan Giráldez as its new Head Coach, Giráldez has arrived in Washington, D.C., the club announced today. The arrival comes shortly after Giráldez led FC Barcelona Femení to an historic continental Quadruple in his final season with the side, winning Liga F, the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de España Femenina.

Since his hiring by the Spirit, Giráldez’s plan has always been to integrate with the club following the 2023-24 FC Barcelona Femení season. During this time, Adrián González has served as the Spirit’s Interim Head Coach, leading the team to a 9-3-1 (28 points) record through 13 matches.

“I’m thrilled to join the Spirit and begin this next chapter with the club,” said Giráldez. “To be part of the vision Michele Kang has for the Spirit and women’s soccer globally is an exciting opportunity.”

Giráldez is set to assimilate into the Spirit staff, slowly taking over head coaching responsibilities to ensure the smoothest transition possible. Accordingly, Interim Head Coach Adrián González will remain in the acting position during this time. Once Giráldez fully assumes the Head Coach role, González will remain on the technical staff as an assistant coach.

Giráldez’s arrival has been much anticipated. He most recently led FC Barcelona Femení to its second consecutive UEFA Women’s Champions League victory, helping secure the team’s first-ever Quadruple in the same season, winning the Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa, and Champions League titles.

Giráldez began his tenure at FC Barcelona Femení in 2019 as an assistant before being promoted to be the club’s Head Coach in 2021 after just two and a half seasons. He went on to win Liga F in each of his three seasons. Additionally, Giráldez led Barcelona to 58 consecutive Liga F wins to start his head coaching tenure, including a perfect 30-0-0 record in his first season at the helm.

For his stellar coaching, Giráldez was named the IFFHS World’s Best Club Coach in 2023. He was also named a finalist for the UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year Award in 2023 and FIFA’s The Best Women’s Coach award in early 2024.

Giráldez is originally from Vigo in the Galicia community of northwest Spain. He and his partner Olaya welcomed their first child, a son, in 2023, just eight days before winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Giráldez is joined by Andrés González and Toni Gordo, who were integral parts of his championship-winning staff at Barcelona. They will serve as Fitness Coach and Club Analyst, respectively, effective immediately.

Andrés González will serve as a Fitness Coach for the Washington Spirit, joining Dawn Scott’s Performance, Medical, and Innovation team. He also comes from FC Barcelona Femení where he served as the Strength and Conditioning coach since July 2022. Additionally, González served as an assistant Strength and Conditioning coach at Real Sociedad in Spain. He also has coaching experience at the youth level in Spain. He is from Ourense, Spain.

Toni Gordo will join the team as a Club Analyst after serving in a similar role at FC Barcelona Femení since 2016. He served in various analyst and video roles at FC Barcelona during this term, including stints with the Barcelona Femení B team and, most recently, six years with the first team Barcelona Femení squad. Prior to his time with FC Barcelona, Gordo served as the Sports Coordinator at CD Palafolls and a coach for CE Mataró in Catalonia. Gordo is from Mataró, Catalonia, Spain.

 

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About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. In 2024, the Spirit drafted an epic class of rookies who are already breaking records and wowing fans. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Finalists of Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) 2023 AgVentures Challenge: Pitch It, Market It, Sell It state contest recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with elected officials on Capitol Hill and visit historical sites.

The students on the trip included Mattison Smith of Wood County, Joe Polster of Hamilton County, Whitley Anderson of Scurry County, Justin Hill of Moore County, Jhett Davis of Johnson County and Aubrey Ellis of Rush County.

The expense-paid trip was part of the prize package the students received for being finalists in the state contest.

“The trip gave them a chance to meet congressional leaders, bringing the contest full circle for the students,” McKenna Bush, TFB Youth Outreach coordinator, said. “It is important for young adults to understand constitutional government and the free enterprise system.”

During the trip, the finalists met with U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions, Jake Ellzey, Lance Gooden, Ronny Jackson, Nathaniel Moran and Jodey Arrington.

The students also met with U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.

They visited the American Farm Bureau Federation office and had an evening tour of the U.S. Capitol.

They also met with congressional interns from Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and current staffers who are alumni from the intern programs.

The trip doubled as an opportunity for networking and learning about American history.

“This trip is an opportunity to reward them for their hard work, broaden their network and participate in experiential learning. This group of young adults are bright, and the trip allowed them to gain deeper knowledge of not only the nation’s government, but experience the capital while making memories,” Bush said.

Each student brought home a different lesson from the trip.

“It’s definitely a blessing to grow a deeper understanding of the role congressional members play,” Smith, the contest winner, said. “This trip has me looking at my future a little differently because being in D.C. and seeing everything at work at the Capitol is really different than what you see and learn about in school.”

Smith also put emphasis on the importance of agriculture in D.C.

“It’s important that farmers, ranchers and people who are passionate about agriculture go to D.C. because you’re able to share a story that they might not really understand unless it’s coming from you,” Smith said.

Polster, the contest runner-up, has always been interested in politics and noted he gained new perspectives while at the nation’s capital.

“It was truly an awesome experience,” he said. “We visited with my congressman, met their staff and learned about the different positions that are within government and how legislation is created and passed.”

The trip helped students understand grassroots advocacy and how one voice can help make a difference.

“If lawmakers aren’t representing agriculture properly, we’re not going to be able to grow food and raise livestock. It’s important we have congressmen and senators who are willing to meet with us so we can show the importance of agriculture in their everyday life” Polster said.

They visited the International Spy Museum and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The group also toured Old Town Alexandria, Arlington National Cemetery and Mount Vernon, as well as attended the Congressional Baseball Game at the Washington Nationals Park.

Contest details
This was the first year for the contest and open to high school seniors who completed TFB’s Thrive experience last August.

Thrive is part of TFB’s Student Success Series, which includes virtual and in-person programs for students in eighth through twelfth grade. The Student Success Series aims to help students develop a better understanding of advocacy, learn more about Farm Bureau and grow personal and professional skills they can use in the classroom and future careers.

Ten finalists participated in the state AgVentures Challenge where they created an agricultural product, developed a marketing pitch and presented their ideas to a panel of judges.

The state contest took place at TFB’s Conference and Training Center in Waco Jan. 26.

For more information about the Student Success Series, visit texasfarmbureau.org/student-success-series.

WASHINGTON: The Indian embassy in the US organised a yoga session in Washington, DC ahead of the 10th edition of the International Day of Yoga.
Numerous people participated in the yoga session on Thursday, organised at The Wharf in Washington, DC.
Sripriya Ranganathan, deputy ambassador at the Indian embassy in the US, said that India has brought yoga to the centre stage.
“The role that India has played in bringing this centre stage, taking it to the UN and making this a day in which we come together to recognize the power of yoga and to recognize how yoga can add value to our lives and how yoga is very contemporary,” she said.
Since 2015, the International Day of Yoga has been celebrated across the world annually on June 21, following its adoption by the United Nations in 2014.
Ranganathan further said that it goes back 5000–6000 years, however, it remains so current.
“It’s an ancient tradition. It’s a wellness tradition that goes back 5000, 6000 years, but it remains so current,” she said.
The deputy ambassador further stressed that the value of yoga has now far more appreciation, adding that it has become a part of every family, community and institution.
“There is far more of an appreciation of the value of yoga. It’s become really a part of every family, every community, every institution to start thinking about how yoga can bring value to their lives and to help the members of that community and their families in dealing with the challenges that we face in the world today,” she told ANI.
Ranganathan added that now, even young people and students are also very involved in this and look at yoga as a wholesome and holistic tradition.
“I see wherever I go in the US that young people, students, particularly kids in college…are very involved in this. Initially, they come in terms of seeing this as a physical fitness tradition. But I think they move on very quickly to see what a wholesome and holistic tradition,” she said.
The deputy ambassador further said that this time, they have tied up and partnered with many organizations in the US and have made this almost a month-long celebration.
“We just tied up and partnered with so many organizations around the country. This is what we are doing in DC. What our consolation is, are doing all around the country. We have really been able to reach out so much more and make this almost a month-long celebration. It’s not just the day, but it’s the entire month in which we are bringing yoga centre stage in terms of our outreach to the community,” she said.
One of the participants at the yoga session, Michael, shared his excitement to celebrate the 10th International Day of Yoga and said that it is a great celebration of community and culture.
“I think yoga really signifies bringing your body and mind at peace with the world around you. And as we heard earlier today, I think that that is something that is most needed today. So again, happy to be here to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Yoga and hopefully, we can use this as a way to bring about more peace and harmony between us,” Michael said.
This year’s theme, “Yoga for Self and Society,” highlights the dual role of yoga in fostering individual and societal well-being.