National winner to be named at US Youth Soccer Awards Gala
Twitter: @USYouthSoccer, live announcement of national winner
FRISCO, Texas (Dec. 19, 2016) — US Youth Soccer is pleased to announce the regional winners of the 2016 US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer Coach of the Year award. The award honors an extraordinary TOPSoccer Coach who show leadership and support while assisting, guiding, directing and teaching the game of soccer and its skills while creating a fun learning experience.
US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities.
The national TOPSoccer Coach of the Year will be announced at the US Youth Soccer Awards Gala on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7:30 p.m., as part of the US Youth Soccer Workshop in Los Angeles, held in conjunction with the NSCAA Convention.
Brief bios of the regional winners are below based on the submitted nomination forms:
Region I – Beth Keeling – Chepachet, R.I.
Beth Keeling has a unique way of connecting and reaching out to children with special needs. Keeling actively contacts public schools in her area to enlist students who are willing to volunteer their time to work with special needs children. As a TOPSoccer coach, it is Keeling’s responsibility to teach players how to socialize with one another and learn the game of soccer along the way. Going above and beyond to cater to each child and parent is an area in which Keeling excels.
Region II – Randy Corey – Mason, Ohio
Randy Corey’s coaching style was described as “a combination of love for the kids while providing solid direction of teaching them the fundamentals of the game,” by a peer. Making new TOPSoccer players, families, volunteers and other coaches feel welcome is on the forefront of Corey’s focus. One of Corey’s greatest achievements is the largest annual TOPSoccer Fall Tournament in the nation. Something of this magnitude takes many months of preparation to be successful, which can be attested to Corey’s hard work.
Region III – Katie Steinert – Birmingham, Ala.
With a background in soccer, as well as special education, Katie Steinert has been an integral part of the TOPSoccer program. Steinert demonstrates leadership in the community by promoting TOPSoccer wherever she goes, telling students all about the program. Social media, word of mouth and handing out flyers are just a few ways that Steinert informs others about TOPSoccer. She takes the time to make each individual player feel special and wanted within the program.
Region IV – Linda Kautz – Snohomish, Wash.
For the past 16 years, Linda Kautz has been involved with Snohomish TOPSoccer. When the program was first started, there were only a few players. Now, there are more than 80. As an active board member and director of the club’s TOPSoceer program, Kautz treats everyone with the same patience, kindness and respect, which makes for a great experience for all of the players. The SYSC TOPSoccer program is the longest-running and largest TOPSoccer program in the state of Washington.
The US Youth Soccer Workshop will take place in Los Angeles from Jan. 11-15, 2017. The annual Workshop will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in conjunction with the NSCAA Convention. The week is designed to further the education of coaches, administrators, referees and enthusiasts involved in the game. For more information please visit USYouthSoccer.org/Workshop/NSCAA.