My name is Orin Gilchrist, and I am originally from England and a massive Manchester United fan. I was born in Aylesbury but lived most of my childhood in Oxford where I played in youth teams for Oxford Utd before moving to Winnetka, IL.
Once moving to the Chicagoland area, I found myself in need of a new club to play at. I started my soccer career at Wilmette Wings, before moving to FC United after a couple years. I attended and played at New Trier High School, and once graduating pursued a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I am very familiar with youth soccer and its many facets. I have coached and refereed at AYSO since 2014 and had an Internship at P2 Soccer working as a General Management Assistant.
Playing soccer has always been a huge part of my life and was at many points a language and means of communication in my life. Some of the best lessons I have learned have been through soccer, and I hope to return the favor in helping players grow and learn from the game. When moving here it was how I started to make friends, and I truly believe in the positive benefits of the sport outside of the pitch. My mission is to help curate an environment that exudes acceptance and drives players to work to the best of their abilities.
My experience with Chicago City Soccer Club started in Summer 2021, and after talking with Nick knew that this was a place that shared the same philosophies about the sport. Since then, I have had the wonderful opportunity of being the Operational Director for Mini City, as well as continuing my coaching career as Varsity coach of Amundsen High School.