We are delighted to announce the appointment of Tom Lowndes as the new Director of Coaching at Guildford Athletic Club.

After nearly 12 years of dedicated service, our current Technical Director, Mike Newton, will be moving on. Since joining GAC in 2013, Mike has made significant contributions as Technical Lead for the SGU Metro Program, Head Coach for the 2004 Boys BCSPL SU team, and Academy Coach for both the Vancouver Whitecaps and European Football School. His accolades include leading the U16 SGU Metro Boys to the 2014 Provincial Championship and the U17 BCSPL Boys to the 2015 Cup Final, as well as promoting numerous players into the BC Soccer Premier League, BC Provincial Teams, and Whitecaps Residency. Mike was also an assistant coach for the UFV Men’s Program.

We are grateful for Mike’s dedication to GAC and extend our heartfelt thanks to him, wishing him all the best in his future endeavors.

We will be planning a day for Mike to visit GAC in the coming months. Stay tuned for more details!

Tom Lowndes brings a wealth of experience to GAC. He is currently the Head Coach of the Men’s Soccer program at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). Tom joined the UFV Cascades in 2013 as an assistant coach and was promoted to head coach in April 2015. Under his leadership, the Cascades have made three final four appearances and six Canada West playoff appearances.

In addition to his role at UFV, Tom has coached three BCSPL teams (2001 girls, 2003 boys, 2006 boys) from their intake phases to graduation. He has successfully placed over 40 players into university athletic programs, the most of any coach in the BCSPL league, and led his teams to Premier Cup provincial titles in 2018 and 2019.

Tom also served as the program director for the Abbotsford Middle School Soccer Academy from 2017 to 2021, where he designed and implemented a year-round curriculum for students. Originally from Undy, Wales, Tom was an academy player for Bristol Rovers FC in England and played varsity soccer at Baker University in Kansas and Simon Fraser University. He earned two all-conference honors at Baker University and helped the Wildcats reach the 2011 NAIA National Semi-Final. After his playing career, Tom transitioned to coaching, serving as an assistant coach for the Baker men’s and women’s teams and helping the women’s team reach the NAIA Sweet 16 in 2012.

Tom holds a Canada Soccer B National Diploma and a CSA Youth License. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree with teaching certification from Baker University.

We are excited to welcome Tom to the GAC family and look forward to the positive impact he will have on our club.

We’re also pleased to announce that Ryan Donald will be stepping into the role of Director of Player Development. A former UFV captain and League All-Star, Ryan has coached across several top clubs and brings valuable experience working with players from grassroots to high-performance levels. His dedication to player development and mentorship makes him a great fit for this role.

Sincerely,

Shaun Gill, President of Guildford Athletic Club