Success on the pitch comes not only from the players’ effort during the 90 minutes, but from the relentless work behind the scenes. That’s why Rise FC’s monumental 1-0 home-opener victory was celebrated just as fiercely by the coaching staff as by the players. These are the brilliant minds shaping the team’s future.
 

Head Coach Anja Heiner-Møller: Rise FC’s Visionary

Last Wednesday’s historic feeling is something that Heiner-Møller still can’t get over. 

“I’m still looking at the pictures, just to relive it,” admitted the Danish coach. “It was a big day, and it felt like a big day. But I was just happy that we got the three points, and especially happy to please all the fans and the crowd that came out.” 

No stranger to high-stakes matches, Heiner-Møller’s return to Vancouver marks a full-circle moment. She first arrived in 2018 to coach Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite and North Shore Girls Soccer Club before returning to Denmark to lead top youth teams like FC Nordsjælland and Brøndby IF’s U-18 sides. Most recently, she guided Denmark’s U-19 national team, an experience that now informs Rise FC’s identity.

“The work around the national team in Denmark was around style of play,” explained Heiner-Møller. “We built that right before I came here, so to be able to build that style of play with a national team, needing to get everyone on the same page and perform quickly, that has been really helpful here as well.” 

Three months since the start of preseason, Rise FC’s progress reflects her philosophy: implementing a cohesive system while nurturing individual growth. That opening win offered just a glimpse of what’s to come.
 

Assistant Coach Katie Collar: From Academy to Pro Life. 

Women’s soccer fans in Vancouver will be well aware of what Katie Collar has been able to achieve in the last few years. Having led Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite to some massive results in the Concacaf W Champions Cup last fall, including facing the likes of the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave at BC Place, Collar has seen how Vancouver shows out for women’s soccer. 

Even still, the Rise’s new assistant coach was stunned by how everything came together for that incredible match last week. “The environment at the home-opener, and just leading up to the game and around the game was amazing,” recalled Collar. “From the fans, from the club, from the opposition, I think everybody is here for the right reasons.” 

For Collar, the home-opener wasn’t just a milestone for the club—it capped her own whirlwind transition from academy to pro coaching. Now, she not only gets to help create and cultivate this professional environment, but also learn from it as well. 

“It’s been great,” she admitted. “I’ve been learning a lot from Anja [Heiner-Møller] and from the team. Having that opportunity to see things from a different perspective and try to ask questions and understand things from a different perspective, has been really valuable for me.” 

Having won multiple titles with the now-Vancouver Rise FC academy in the last few years, including the League1 BC title for three straight seasons, as well as two straight League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championships, and the 2023 FIFA/Blue Stars Youth Cup, Collar is no stranger to silverware. But with Rise FC, she now gets the chance to build a winning team on the biggest stage in the country. 
 

Goalkeeping Coach Erin McNulty: Passing the Torch

Oftentimes, being a goalkeeper coach - much like being a goalkeeper itself - can be a thankless job. But for Erin McNulty, the reward is in seeing the next generation of goalkeepers make their mark on the game. “It’s a privilege to be a part of the club and to work with players who are so excited to be here,” remarked McNulty. “I’m just excited to be a part of their journey.” 

McNulty knows a thing or two about that journey herself. Having previously been a player, McNulty has travelled across the US and into Europe to chase her dream of playing professionally. She’s won collegiate titles and trained in national team camps, and has even earned herself her UEFA A License after coaching in Norway after retiring. Her valuable CV and accolades is certainly an asset to her new position with Rise FC, but more valuable than that is her own experience as a player that is settling into a new environment.

“I think definitely playing at a high level has helped me,” she explained. “I'm able to put myself in the player's shoes. If there are certain situations on the goalkeeping side, I could say ‘oh this works for me, maybe we could try this’. But also knowing that each individual is on their own pathway and own journey and just trying to support them how I can, is what is most exciting. 

With a talented crop of ‘keepers in Rise FC’s ranks, McNulty will no doubt have her hands full in terms of supporting and growing Canada’s next top goalkeepers in the years to come.