The NSCAA will celebrate its 75th birthday at its annual convention in
Baltimore, Md,, January. 13-17.
The world¹s largest soccer coaches association began in 1941 with a
small group of coaches. That first convention was held in New York City.
For the first 30 years, the NSCAA held its annual convention in various
hotels before moving it in 1992 to St. Louis. It has been ³on the road²
ever since.
Today, the NSCAA has grown to over 30,000 coaches from all levels of the
game, and over 7,000 are expected to attend this year¹s convention in
Baltimore, which has has been the host city for five previous conventions.
The convention will return to Baltimore in 2020 and 2024. Next year it
will be held in Los Angeles, Calif.
In the early days of the association, New York City was a convenient
host. Most of the membership surrounded the Big Apple.
Those members coached college and high school teams from Pennsylvania
to Ohio through New York State and New England.
In time, the membership grew nationally and became more diverse. Today
that membership of over 30,000 has been enriched by the attraction of
various minority coaching groups.
The explosion in soccer for women over the last two decades at all
levels in the U.S. has brought women into the coaching ranks in
unprecedented numbers.
As Mike Jacobs ends his year as NSCAA president at this convention,
Amanda Vandervort becomes the NSCAA¹s 68th president. The NSCAA, the
largest soccer coaches association in the world, continues to grow and serve
a broader membership.
Vndervort will assume responsibilities as NSCAA president at Sunday¹s
association business meeting.
The NSCAA convention is America¹s ³biggest soccer party,² but it is more
than good times and celebrations.
It is also a time for member organizations and associations to do
business and plan for the future. Once again, U.S. Youth Soccer has joined
with the NSCAA convention to hold its annual national workshop.
Soccer Association for Youth (SAY) will hold its AGM at the convention
this year, and US Club has scheduled meetings that will chart the direction
that organiztion takes for the next 12 months.
Major League Soccer and the National Women¹s Soccer League will again
hold their winter drafts during the convention. The MLS SuperDraft is open
to convention attendees.
High school coaching groups and college coaching committees will meet
and honor their respective achievers.
From Thursday night until Saturday afternoon a host of soccer vendors
will pitch products and services. Many have been at the convention before
and will be familiar vendors. Others will be new.
Friday night the NSCAA will honor achievement at its annual Awards
Banquet. Tony DiCicco will be inducted into the NSCAA Hall of Fame, and
Gary Avedikian will receive the NSCAA¹s highest award, the Honor Award.
At the same time, US Youth Soccer will hold its annual Awards Gala,
where award winners from USYS¹ four regions will be recognized and national
winners will be announced.
USYS will also induct its 2015 Hall of Fame class, and Bobby Howe will
receive the Tom Fleck Award for Excellence in Coaching.
The Philadelphia Convention Center and surrounding hotels will be filled
with soccer coaches this week.
So if you are in a crowded room and see someone you haven¹t seen in
awhile, don¹t yell out ³Hey Coach.² Guaranteed that you¹ll turn a lot of
heads!