Founded in 2011, the MIT Women’s Club Soccer Team is now in its 13th year as an official club sport!
We are a team of undergraduate and graduate students with backgrounds in competitive soccer at the high school level or beyond. In 2018, MIT WCS won the New England North Division conference and competed in the Regional Tournament.
We practice year-round, compete in our league in the fall, and play friendlies in the spring. Our team prides itself on being a fun and inclusive space to play competitive soccer! Meet our captains and coach below.
Meet the Captains
Ava Waitz
Grad student in Materials Science and Engineering
Hometown: Newton, MA
I have been on WCS since I was a 1st yr undergrad. I love being on the team because I get to meet and play with a bunch of other cool, kickass women!
Maria Alder
6-3, Class of 2025
Hometown: Boulder, CO
I love WCS because it gives me the opportunity to take a break from classes while staying active and doing something that I love. I’ve been able to meet some incredible people through soccer and I always look forward to practices and games with them. Overall, WCS is a fun environment with some awesome people!
Brittany McHenry
Course 2, Class of 2025
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
I joined the club team early in freshman fall because I was planning on getting fit for the spring season to hopefully join the varsity team. However, the more I went to practice and became closer with the team, I soon realized that I didn’t want the stress of performing at the highest level and having to sacrifice my personal time for a sport that I had really only considered a hobby up to that point in time. The club team was the perfect mix of the competitive spirit, flexibility, and good old fashioned fun. I never ended up trying out for varsity, and 3 years later I’m happy and proud to be a part of such a wonderful group of hard-working, fun-loving ladies. I look forward to my last season being the best and most rewarding one yet!
Olivia Muñoz
6-3, Class of 2026
Hometown: Dallas, TX
I love WCS because I get to continue playing soccer competitively without such a huge time commitment. It’s a great way to exercise and meet new people on campus! The team is so welcoming, and it’s a nice break from classwork 🙂
Meet the Coach
Derek Rousseau
Derek Rousseau joined the WCS in 2021 as head coach. Derek has spent over 12 years working in athletics and wellness, teaching physical education, coaching soccer, basketball, track, and tennis, most recently at the State University of New York at Oswego. He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Sacred Heart University and a Master of Education from Providence College. A native New Englander, Derek says that if he could live anywhere in the world, he’d choose Boston. Derek’s favorite part about teaching at MIT is being able to provide a great learning experience for the students that are energetic and eager to learn.
