USL-W
32 GF / 9 GA (as of 07/18/2022)
Biography taken from official Indy Eleven press release (with minor edits):
INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, December 14, 2021) – Indy Eleven announced the first coaching hires for the new USL W League franchise the organization purchased in September, tabbing Carmel native Paul Dolinsky as head coach of the club’s women’s senior team and Grace Bahr as the staff’s first assistant coach.
“The Indy Eleven family is thrilled to welcome Paul Dolinsky and Grace Bahr on board, and we look forward to them leading our preparations ahead of the inaugural USL W League season next summer,” said Indy Eleven President & Chief Executive Officer Greg Stremlaw. “Paul and Grace emerged from a superb group of candidates, and I am confident they will construct a team that will compete at a championship level and earn the support of our fans and our community.”
Dolinsky has been a youth and developmental league coach for nearly two decades, the USSF “A” licensed coach most recently serving as the head coach of the WPSL’s Lady Victory FC during its own inaugural 2021 season and with Indiana Fire Juniors’ entry in ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) play. While with Lady Victory FC last summer, Dolinsky earned the 2021 WPSL Midwestern Conference’s Coach of the Year honor after guiding the squad to a 10W-1L-0D record and a conference title. Prior to returning to Central Indiana in recent years, Dolinsky served as a coach for west coast youth soccer powerhouse San Diego Surf Soccer Club, where he twice led girls teams to US Youth Soccer national championships in their age groups.
“With the growth of the women’s game, the forming of the USL W-League, and an organization as professionally run as the Indy Eleven, I cannot wait to get started on the field this summer,” said Dolinsky. “I am looking forward to being a part of what Indy Eleven and the growth of women’s soccer has in store for all of us in Indianapolis.”
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Dolinsky was one of the most talented soccer prospects to come out of the Hoosier State, the two-time Parade All-American midfielder out of Carmel High School earning regular U.S. Youth National Team callups during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, including a stint as captain of the U.S. Under-18 MNT. At 16, Dolinsky departed Indiana for The Netherlands, where he spent five seasons in the youth development systems at Feyenoord Rotterdam and SC Heerenveen before turning professional with the latter. After five years in Holland, Dolinsky returned stateside and played four more seasons in various professional leagues before turning his focus towards the sidelines.
“Indianapolis has produced many talented young female soccer players over the last 25-30 years,” continued Dolinsky. “There is a lot to be excited about and having a home here in Indy for young ladies to stay sharp in their college off-seasons and hopefully be a catalyst in their careers post-college will be an exciting challenge. It will be great for even younger ladies in Indianapolis to witness the opportunities they could be able to experience in the future.”
Bahr has called the Midwest home throughout her playing and burgeoning coaching career, the Cleveland native spending two seasons at both the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2016-17) and Xavier University (2018-19) in Cincinnati before beginning her coaching career at the latter as a volunteer assistant in 2020. In 2021, Bahr hopped across the Ohio River after earning an invitation to the training camp of NWSL side Racing Louisville FC, where she participated as a training player for the squad’s inaugural 2021 season. Bahr also spent time in the U.S. Youth National Team system, earning call-ups from her Cleveland Internationals SC club from 2013-16 for the USA’s U-15, U-18 and U-19 WNT sides.
"I always find myself coming back somewhere in the Midwest,” said Bahr. “For me, it’s a sense of comfort, but also an opportunity to grow the sport in a region that has a unique chance to put itself on the map, especially in a booming city like Indianapolis. It’s a cool opportunity to raise the women’s game here to another level, and I’m looking forward to getting started with building something special.”
Bahr wrapped up her collegiate playing days with two standout campaigns for XU, earning an All-BIG EAST Second Team placement as a junior in 2018 before garnering a First Team nod in 2019 as well as All-BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Player and All-Tournament Team honors as a senior in 2019. Bahr also has plenty of experience with the pre-professional summer circuit, having played four seasons of WPSL soccer from 2017-20 for the Cleveland Ambassadors and Dayton Dutch Lions.
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