hwsoccerelite.com - visit for tryout information, contact Coach Chmela for any tryouts that have past which you may be interested in.

Director of Coaching

Tom Chmela is the Director of Coaching at Hawthorn Woods Elite Soccer Club.  He is a well-known advocate, coach and trainer of soccer in Illinois.  His experience includes more than 30 years of combined coaching experience at Evanston High School and Gordon Technical High School and Eastern Illinois University.  He served as head coach of the U16 Boys Illinois Olympic Development Program (ODP), coached his daughters in the Lake Zurich Soccer Association and the Ela Soccer Club, and started the Ela Elite Soccer Club in 2003, where he led his team to a variety of Illinois State Championships, Regional Qualifiers and Nation Championship competition through 2010.  He also served as a clinician for the Chicago Sting Players’ and coaches’ clinics.  Tom was named “Coach of the Year” in 2007 by the Illinois Youth Soccer Association, and again in 1992 by the Illinois Soccer Coaches Association,” and in that same year was named a “Coach of the Year” finalist by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.  Currently, he’s a physical education teacher at Evanston High School and co-owner of Kits Sport Center, an indoor soccer training facility  in Lake Zurich, where he served as IHSSCA Clinic Director.

Tom holds a USSF National B license, NS  Brazialian National license in coaching.  His teams have consistently played at the top level of competition in the State of Illinois.  Tom has trained and developed many players who have received Collage Scholarships.  He has had 6 players go on to play on National Teams/Professional Teams.  National, Regional and State Championship Team and this team is now playing with Hawthorn Woods Elite Soccer Club (U19 and U23 Women).   More than fifty soccer players coached by Tom have been awarded college scholarships.

Tryouts for 2011-2012 season underway. Register at www.hwsoccerelite.com. If a tryout has passed and you are interested in making an inquiry, please call Coach Tom. Telephone number is listed on the website. www.hwsoccerelite.com