Lauren Richards, a native of Columbus, Ohio, came to the Orlando area in 2020. Having graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Hispanic Linguistics, Lauren joins us with vast experiences stemming from her time with Major League Soccer Academies as well as her own playing and coaching career from the youth to collegiate levels. 

Lauren’s time at SAI is spent recruiting new clubs and academies while developing a personalized plan for them to cultivate their relationship with SAI Academy.  She is the main point of contact for our partnerships and handles the logistics of bringing the school to life in the dedicated space provided by the clubs.  She works to ensure all students are involved and supported as well as keeping our valued academy coaches informed of their players’ progress.  She enjoys figuring out the best way to streamline our development to make academy and student onboarding simple and efficient. 

Despite hanging up her cleats after her playing career ended, Lauren is still heavily involved in the soccer world, even outside of her duties at SAI Academy.  Her son is active in the youth club soccer scene, where she and her husband spend almost every weekend traveling to games.  Outside of the soccer world, Lauren is an avid escape room aficionado, having completed over 100 rooms all over the country.