BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jesús Rico-Sanz, PhD
President and Executive Director
Dr. Jesús Rico-Sanz earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology, and a Master of Science in Exercise Science, both from the University of California Davis, USA. His Ph.D.is in Physiology from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He also holds a certificate of teaching online from the University of California, San Diego. He received a National A coaching license from the USA Soccer Federation.
He started in the Academy of Real Madrid CF at a young age, but his dream to play one day for the professional team was stopped when he was in the U-21 team. Two physically limiting injuries leading to surgeries prevented a professional career with the first team. While completing his academic degrees, he played in leagues in the USA and Denmark.
Dr. Rico-Sanz has coached and directed programs in youth, college, and professional soccer. He has held positions as Director of Player Development, Performance Director, Director of Coaching, and Executive Director.
He dedicated over 30 years to study human physiological systems, exercise and sport physiology, energy metabolism, fatigue factors, nutrition, body composition, genetic interactions with diet and exercise on human performance and health.
He has published over 30 scientific articles in the top scientific journals in the fields of physiology and sport science. He has done comprehensive research in soccer players. Most importantly, he was the first scientist to study and publish the concentrations of all the muscle energy metabolites in soccer players using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.
Most recently, Dr. Rico-Sanz developed the soccer-specific test and trainer (soccer-sett) and the soccer-grade performance average (soccer-gpa) to objectively evaluate the physical and technical performance of players, respectively. He created the Mindfootness method to master technical skills by reprograming the neurophysiology of the central nervous system to activate the muscles involved.
SKIP FLESHMAN
VP of Financial Operations
Skip Fleshman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Davis. Skip was a Sloan Fellow and earned an M.S. in Management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Skip was an officer in the US Air Force where he first served as a fighter pilot flying the F-16. He flew 37 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm and also served as the wing expert in electronic combat systems and programs. He then founded and served as COO of BGI which develops software for flight simulators and training solutions for the aviation industry.
He is an advisor to Stanford’s StartX, Rock Health and Boston Children’s Hospital and was formerly a board member of the Hiller Aviation Museum and Force North Soccer Club.
Skip has been at Asset Management Ventures since 2002 and is actively investing in companies that focus on digital health, mobile and data analytics. including: Aavia, Autonomize, Basys, Carta Healthcare, Endless Health, Evidation, Freenome, Lark, Mightier, Outcomes4Me, Pluto, Reify Health, SubjectWell, WellDoc.
He is on the Board of Directors as a Partner for Outcomes4Me which mission is to democratize cancer patient care.
Skip is also a chairman of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Development Council.
Skip enjoys outdoor activities, fine wine, flying and attending the Soccer World Cup (eight in a row now). The soccer gene is highly active in his family, as his daughter Lauryn, a junior in high school, has accepted a position in the women's soccer team of the University of California, Berkeley, starting the 2026 season, where she will continue pursuing her academic and soccer goals.
DAVID LINENBERGER
Director of College Advising
David played for NCAA Tournament teams at San Diego State University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine. He also has a Master degree in Exercise Science from San Francisco State University. He earned a US Soccer Federation "A" Coaching License, UEFA A license through the Scottish Football Association, Rio de Janeiro Football Association Coaching License and a KNVB (Netherlands) Advanced Coaching Certificate. He has an extensive wealth of experience at the National, Regional, State and club levels both in teaching and coaching.
Linenberger worked for the United States Soccer Federation, as National Staff Coach, for Region II, where he was responsible for overseeing Coaching Education and Player Development for the fourteen state youth associations in the mid-west region. David managed the scouting program to identify boys for the National Youth Team from players in the region, and coached in the U14, U17 boy’s & U20 men’s National Team training camps. He was an Instructor at the National Coaching Schools for the “A”, “B”, “C” License courses.
State Director: For States, he was Director of Coaching and Player Development for the New Mexico Youth Soccer Association. and Assistant Technical Director for the Virginia Youth Soccer Association where he was responsible for the state's Olympic Development Program
Professional coaching: David was head coach of the Sacramento Senators of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) and assistant coach of the APSL's San Francisco Bay Blackhawks.
College coaching: Linenberger's college coaching includes assistant coach at Fresno State, the US International University, and San Francisco State, head men's coach at Sacramento State University and University of South Carolina at Spartanburg. He transitioned Sacramento State from Division II, where his 1988 team was ranked second in the nation, to Division I, and transitioned the USC at Spartanburg team from a nationally-ranked NAIA to a nationally-ranked NCAA Division II.
Youth coaching: He was head Regional coach for the '76 and '80 age groups for the Region IV Boys Olympic Development Program - West Region that had 10 players selected to the U17 National Team. He was head coach of the West team that won the bronze medal at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival in St. Louis in July 1994. He was Director of Coaching and Player Development for the Cyclone Soccer Club in Fresno. At the Nomads SC, he was the Boys Under 17/16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Team coach.
Faculty and Teaching: David taught Human Anatomy and Physiology, and Health and Wellness at Shattuck-St. Mary's school in Faribault, MN. He is currently the head coach and faculty at Palomar College.
JEROME WATSON
Director of Competitive Teams
Jerome Watson played college soccer at the University of California, Davis, while pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Engineering. While playing for UC Davis he was named All-Conference four times and Conference MVP once.
In 1988, Watson joined the San Diego Nomads of the Western Soccer League (WSL), highest professional league prior to the MLS. That year he led the Nomads in scoring with six goals which also put him in second place on the WSL goals list. The following season, he topped the league's points list with 10 goals and 7 assists.
Before the 1990 season, the WSL and the American Soccer League merged to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). At the end of the 1990 season, the Nomads withdrew from the APSL and Watson moved to the Colorado Foxes of the APSL. He remained with the Foxes through the end of the 1996 season. The APSL, which had been renamed the A-League, merged with the USISL between the 1996 and 1997 seasons. With the merger, Watson moved to the California Jaguars for a single season with the team. In 1998, he made his last move as a professional player when he joined the San Diego Flash. Watson remained with the Flash through the 2001 season, spending some time as an assistant coach with them.
After retiring from playing professionally, Jerome earned the US Soccer Federation B license.
He was assistant coach for San Diego United of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and also coached their Under 23 team. He also spent several years as assistant coach and head coach for the San Diego Flash of the NPSL.
At the youth level he has held several positions in clubs in California from head coach to Assistant Director of Coaching.
Currently, he coaches at the San Diego Nomads of the MLS next level.
KAROLINA PENNINGTON
Secretary
Karolina earned an Associate of Science in Natural Health from the Florida College of Natural Health in Orlando, Florida.
She received her Associate of Science in Nursing from Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.
Furthermore, Karolina obtained a Massage Therapy Certificate from Mira Costa College., San Diego, California.
Karolina spent over a decade working in hospitals in diverse positions of nursing including:
- Multi-systems progressive care at the Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida
- Surgery and surgical progressive care at the Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida
- Cardiac Rehabilitation, Baptist Hospital, Miami, Florida
- Cardiac Care Center, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, California
Karolina also worked as a Massage Therapist at the Grande Lakes Ritz Carlton Spa, in Orlando, Florida; at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Hills, California; and at Cape Rey in Carlsbad, California.
She worked in the hospitality industry as Lounge Director, at the La Cima Club Corporation, Las Colinas, Texas.
Currently, Karolina is the general manager of several Häagen Dazs franchises at the Vineland Premium Outlets Mall and the Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida, where she is in charge of the daily supervision at different sites, hiring, and training of employees.
Her excellent work ethics and extraordinary customer service has earned Karolina constant praise from customers. Karolina's exemplary performance, and attention to the training and rules of the Häagen Dazs corporation was recognized with an award from Häagen Dazs.