From Professional Player to Passionate Coach: Lu Wentz's Journey of Soccer, Life Lessons, and Community Building
SALEM, Ore. – For Lu Wentz, coaching is about passion, good memories, and life lessons.
At 16, Lu started her professional soccer career with S.C Internacional in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In 2009, she transferred to Brasilia Capital FC where she scored First Division Championships and Regional Championships, competing until 2013.
While playing professionally, Lu watched close friends of hers end their soccer career with no job lined up. She wanted something different. She decided to make a change and move out of professional soccer in Brazil and into collegiate soccer in America where she could learn English and create new opportunities.
Lu moved to Mississippi in 2014 to attend William Carey University, a top 3 NAIA ranked university. While playing, she began coaching at the recreational level and ultimately fell in love with coaching.
For her senior year, Lu made the transition to Thomas University in Georgia, aspiring to secure a Graduate Assistant coaching position after graduation. As she began coaching at the collegiate level, she observed a recurring trend.
“I was involved with college soccer for two seasons and realized that every player coming in did not have many good things to say about their youth club experience,” said Lu. “That’s when I thought ‘I would like to change that’ and made the switch to coach club soccer.”
In 2018, Lu moved to Oregon where she secured many accolades including the 2020 Oregon Girls Academy Coach of the Year, the 2021 West Region Competitive Coach of the Year, and secured her USSF B License.
Moving to Capital FC in 2023 as the Club’s Assistant Girls Academy Director and head coach of the 2009 and 2011 Girls Academy teams, Lu’s has a core value that athletes are “people before players.”
When asked about the Club's future direction, Lu see’s CFC continuing to provide something special for its members.
“If you look around and think of Oregon soccer and other clubs facilities, we are very fortunate. CFC is much more than just soccer and I believe the community is shaping to see that. Our job as coaches is to provide the best possible experience where players and families feel valuable and cared for. I want people to know and be aware that the culture of this club is far beyond worth knowing and being a part of.
I coach because for me, soccer was my escape from everything else, and still is. I want to transfer that love for the game to as many players as I can. This sport has given me my long lasting friendships and life lessons. Society is constantly changing, but I don’t want to be the person who just yells directions and lays out cones, I want to be someone that positively impacts people and wants them to be themselves.”
