A native of Orlando, FL,  Brittany Downs brings a tremendous amount of coaching and playing experience with her to Carolina Rapids, beginning her collegiate playing career at the NCAA Division I, SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island, N.Y. and then at Mars Hill University, located outside of Asheville, NC. While at Mars Hill, she collected many awards as a central defender including three-time First Team All-South Atlantic Conference and leading her team to South Atlantic Conference championship as a captain.  Downs continued her playing career as a central defender with the WPSL team of Central Florida, the Florida Surge for multiple years and she earned her way up to a starting position on the former W-League Atlantic Division team, Tampa Bay Hellenic where she played for one year.  She transformed her playing abilities into a coaching role where she served as the associate head women's soccer coach at Lees-McRae College, she was the assistant women’s soccer and ISSA certified strength and conditioning coach for the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamon, as well as the assistant coach for the under-16 girls Puerto Rican Football Federation National Team.  Downs currently holds coaching licenses at almost every level, including B-National license from the United State Soccer Federation and continues to hold her ISSA certification in Strength and Conditioning.