TCSL LEADERSHIP
With years of experience serving the game, we stand by ready to help you.
MATT TIANO
CEO
Matt has been involved in the youth soccer landscape for over 20 years, which includes a playing career in his hometown of Northfield, Minn. as well as a referee career that has resulted in assignments for collegiate and professional leagues across the country.
Over the span of several years, Matt has developed relationships with many stakeholders in the Minnesota soccer community, which led to TCSL’s formation in 2017. Driven by fresh ideas and a constant drive to improve, Matt has an innate ability to execute the smallest of details while also pursuing our big-picture goal: creating exceptional soccer experiences for all.
Matt oversees all TCSL operations, which includes:
- Developing league programming for the benefit of member clubs.
- Setting short and long-range strategic plans.
- Managing relationship with US Club Soccer, TCSL’s sanctioning partner.
- Ensuring customer success for all member clubs, players, referees, and stakeholders.
DAWN ELLERD
CLUB DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Dawn joined the TCSL team in August of 2021 after spending several years with the St. Paul Blackhawks as Club Administrator and prior to that, as a board member. She brings over a decade of experience as a club volunteer uniform coordinator, team manager and soccer parent before her expanded duties at Blackhawks.
With a BS in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and early career in pediatric physical therapy, Dawn stepped out of the professional world to raise her 3 children along with her husband Jeff in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood in Saint Paul. Those years also brought the opportunity to explore other interests – certification as a yoga instructor, founding a charter school PTO and establishing an annual community fundraiser.
Dawn’s duties at TCSL include:
- Acting as the go-to resource for club administrators, including player, staff and team registration assistance.
- Support team managers with questions related to rosters, event registrations, etc.
- Provide support for TCSL leagues and events, including scheduling, developing procedures/documentation, etc.
- Administer Coach Education courses and Player Development Program (PDP) events.
- Act as Special Projects Coordinator for assigned projects.
SAMANTHA DALSIN
EVENTS COORDINATOR
We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Samantha (Samm) Dalsin as the TCSL Event Coordinator, where her primary responsibility will be managing the flawless execution of TCSL events. A familiar face to TCSL, Samm was one of our Event Management Interns last summer and also has significant experience as a referee assignor as well.
A recent graduate of Concordia- Moorhead with a degree in business marketing and communication studies, Samm was a member of the women’s soccer team and had club stops at Minnesota Thunder Academy and EPSC prior to her collegiate playing career. She’s no stranger to the soccer scene in the Twin Cities, and we couldn’t be happier to have her on board.
Samm’s duties at TCSL include:
- Manage all logistics surrounding TCSL events;
- Manage TCSL staff and interns in preparation at, and in preparation of, events;
- Ensure events are flawlessly executed;
- Manage all vendors (e.g. awards, food trucks, facilities, etc.)
