THE TEAM
KALISSA CLAUSSEN
SPRINGFIELD HAPPYFEET DIRECTOR
Phone: (417) 501-6019
Email: kalissa@springfieldhappyfeet.com
SPRINGFIELD HAPPYFEET DIRECTOR
Phone: (417) 501-6019
Email: kalissa@springfieldhappyfeet.com
Originally from Houston, Texas, Kalissa now calls Springfield home. She has played soccer for most of her life and transitioned to a coaching position with HappyFeet in 2019. Since graduating from Kickapoo High School, Kalissa has been working with and around children and has a passion for non-profit organizations and volunteer work. She is lovingly known as Coach Kali on the soccer field where she is a “fan favorite.” Even though Kalissa now holds the position of Springfield Director, she is still very engaged with the HappyFeet kids and families. Outside of the soccer world, she enjoys spoiling her four pets and working on all kinds of art projects.
Phone: (479) 372-4860 X13
E-mail: matt@nwahappyfeet.com
Owner & Operator, Matt Holdaway has played soccer and worked with children his entire life. Matt played soccer at William Jewell College in Kansas City, helping his team become NAIA Heart of America Region V Champions and reach the Final Four of the 2006 NAIA National Tournament.
The majority of his youth soccer experience was marked by coaching styles focused on one and two-touch passing, emphasizing winning at all cost. It was not until college that Matt was first exposed to playing a style of soccer that emphasized the skill and footwork of the individual player. This past experience adds to Matt's passion for coaching the HappyFeet Legends way.
Matt has a passion for people. He loves working with kids of all ages, helping them to develop into confident, highly-relational young men and women. This has been a theme throughout his life. From church-work and mission trips, to working in orphanages and soccer camps, he has always found life in giving to younger generations.
Matt continued that journey of service to younger generations by joining the HappyFeet Legends organization in Kansas City. It was there that Matt’s passion for developing children and his love for the game of soccer were united. As he studied and experimented with coaching the HappyFeet Legends way, he became more and more confident that focusing on the primary skill of individual foot work was critical to developing children into both brilliant players and people. Matt then had the opportunity to experience running HappyFeet operations during his time as the HappyFeet Program Director for the home office in Kansas City. This responsibility helped prepare him for the transition to operating multiple HappyFeet Legends franchises.
Over the past 10 years, Matt has helped grow a team that operates HappyFeet Legends programming in NW Arkansas, Springfield MO, and Nashville TN. Through the addition of key support positions and systemizing many administrative tasks, we are able to allow our local Directors and their team of coaches to focus solely on what is most important - positively impacting the lives of children in our programs through soccer, the HappyFeet Way!
