SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Loyal returned to small group practices this week after nearly two months of only training together virtually. Aside from exercising, players on the first-year professional soccer club have been using the sessions to foster team chemistry.
Virtual team practices from home had been the new normal for the Loyal. Twice a week, the team gets together on Zoom where they go through exercises with head athletic trainer Brittany Peterson.
“If they’re not living with each other then they don’t see each other,” Peterson said, “and so it’s really fun to get everyone together on the screen and to stay engaged and keep that culture of the team that we had really going for us at the beginning of the season and to try to keep that alive.”

VISTA — The San Diego Loyal might be new to the region but the public can expect to see a familiar face on the sidelines: longtime North County physical therapist Annemarie Alf.

Alf, who owns Olympus Movement Performance in Vista, this month was named the performance director for the USL professional men’s soccer team, a Division II league, that will play its inaugural season next year.
“We are really excited to be able to bring this level of soccer to San Diego,” said Alf, who resides in Carlsbad. “We hope that the energy of Torero Stadium (at the University of San Diego) will be loud and fun. We are looking to make a playoff run in 2020.”

Alf, who graduated from the University of St. Augustine with a doctorate in physical therapy, has a lengthy career. She’s worked with athletes of all ages for nearly two decades, including players from the San Diego Sockers and most recently, the Chinese gymnastics team that will soon head to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. She said her background has allowed her to prepare for her new position with the San Diego Loyal.

“We are thrilled to have Olympus Movement Performance, and specifically Annemarie, lead our club on the performance side,” said National Soccer Hall of Famer Landon Donovan, who will serve as the team’s manager and executive vice president of operations. “Annemarie is dedicated and passionate and, having seen her work with professional athletes, I know she is the right person for this job. We are incredibly lucky to have her as such a critical part of our staff.”

Alf — who is a national champion waterski jumper, Crossfit athlete and Ironman finisher — said she has several goals for the 25 athletes during their season, including keeping them healthy so they are able to perform at their “highest level.”
​
“We will focus and prepare athletes on all levels of performance from nutrition, rehab to recovery, and of course, implementation strength and speed programs,” Alf said. “We’ll also help manage and oversee the athletes’ workload data to help mitigate injury risk. We will work closely with their daily, weekly, and monthly data to help us create optimal training plans both on and off the field.”
But, the role of performance director will come with its challenges, Alf said.