Summer & Pre-Season 2024 | Page 4

THE HOME OF ALL COACHES

The year 1941 is remembered by most Americans as the year the United States entered World War II . However , for those professionals who dedicate their lives to the sport of soccer , 1941 stands as a milestone for the sport in this country . Eleven months before that eventful Sunday morning of December 7th , a handful of insightful men created an organization that would grow to have great impact on the world of U . S . soccer .
The fledgling group , the National Soccer Coaches Association of America , would become the largest soccer coaching group anywhere in the world .
From humble beginnings as an informal gettogether of a handful of collegiate coaches who lingered after a meeting of the Eastern Intercollegiate Coaches Association , the then-NSCAA , now United Soccer Coaches , has grown into the largest organization of its kind in the United States . Starting with 80 members that year , the organization has grown to 15,000 strong . The association touches the game of soccer at every level and works with both genders , making United Soccer Coaches unique on the American sporting landscape .
They were and still are :
» Promote the game of soccer ;
» Generate greater publicity for the sport ;
» Improve teaching of the game through soccer clinics as well as research and evaluation of coaching of the sport .
From these initial goals , United Soccer Coaches has developed programs that establish it as a leader in the global soccer community . Its coaching education program is considered among the finest in the world . A key component of it is the annual United Soccer Coaches Convention , billed as “ The World ’ s Largest Annual Gathering of Soccer Coaches .”
In addition , the extensive United Soccer Coaches awards program recognizes the achievements of outstanding players and coaches at all levels of the game , presenting more than 12,000 individual awards through its All-America , Scholar All-America , Team Academic Awards , Coach of the Year , Player of the Year and special organizational contribution awards such as the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame and Honor Award .
The initial goals of the organization , set in 1941 , still define its purpose in its eighth decade .
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