Built on the Westside, for the Westside

Born in Liberia, Tamba grew up on Indianapolis' Westside, in the same neighborhoods our players call home, and came up through Ben Davis Spirit. When that club folded he nearly lost his path in competitive soccer, until a travel club in a neighboring community gave him the exposure that led to four years playing at the University of Notre Dame. He went on to run Pacers.com and FeverBasketball.com for the Indiana Pacers, led design at Angie's List and most recently served as a UX Design Lead at Salesforce. Today he serves as Director of Coaching and runs Next Academy day to day, bringing a startup mindset to a lean, tech-forward nonprofit so more of every dollar reaches kids.

Like Tamba, Lauren grew up right here on the Westside of Indianapolis, and the two played together for Ben Davis Spirit. She went on to one of the great careers in American soccer: a FIFA Women's World Cup champion, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, the NWSL's first MVP and a two-time league champion with FC Kansas City, and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Today she helps lead the game from the front office as part of the North Carolina Courage ownership group, where she also serves as an advisor and ambassador.

With her husband Jrue she is a dedicated philanthropist. Together they launched the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund to invest in Black-owned businesses and underserved communities, and the NWSL's Lauren Holiday Impact Award now honors players for service to their communities. Ask anyone who knows her and you'll hear the same thing: she is generous, humble and genuinely good, and she has championed Next Academy from day one.

Sia is Ben Davis through and through. She ran track and played basketball for the Giants, a standout on multiple state championship teams who learned early what it takes to compete and win. Woven into the fabric of the Westside community, she knows what it means to be BD and what our kids need to succeed on and off the field. As Secretary and a key local board representative, she serves as a strategic advisor and gives hands-on support across the organization, from board governance and family communication to game days and community events.

Bree has built her professional career in accounting, quickly advancing into Controller roles for small to mid-sized companies. Her 15 years of experience include financial management, business operations and organizational leadership.

Her passion for sports began during her high school years in Illinois, where she played basketball and ran track and cross country. That passion has continued into adulthood, as she has volunteered her time coaching recreational softball, cheerleading, basketball and soccer.

Along with serving on the board of Next 11 Academy, where she oversees club activities, events and treasury responsibilities, Bree enjoys coaching the U12 girls soccer team and supporting every team in the club. She is passionate about creating opportunities for youth and the community, helping young athletes grow on and off the field and making a positive impact on local families.

Justin captained Notre Dame as a senior and played 89 matches for the Fighting Irish (64 starts, seven goals and seven assists), earning second-team All-BIG EAST honors and two BIG EAST Academic All-Star selections while helping the Irish to four straight NCAA tournaments. Off the field he helped start Notre Dame's chapter of the NAACP.

Drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2010, he built a 12-year MLS career: an MLS All-Star, a 2017 MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield champion with Toronto FC, and the 2021 MLS Humanitarian of the Year. He earned caps for the U.S. Men's National Team and won the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Justin co-founded and leads Black Players for Change, is a Notre Dame Mendoza alum and a Harvard Weatherhead Fellow, and connects Next Academy to the professional game and a national movement for equity in sport.

McKinley is an experienced youth soccer coach and leader with a long history of developing competitive players across Central Indiana. He previously served as Assistant Director of Coaching for Girls at Zionsville Youth Soccer Association and coached at FC Pride, including teams competing in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). His coaching accomplishments include leading Zionsville's 1995 girls team to the 2012 Indiana State Cup championship. A member of Next 11 Academy's Soccer Board since its founding in 2023, McKinley has been a trusted voice and advisor, bringing decades of coaching experience, player development knowledge and valuable perspective to the program's growth.