Lynn Berling-Manuel becomes first woman CEO of NSCAA
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Via NSCAA) – The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) today announced Lynn Berling-Manuel as its new chief executive officer. She assumes the role July 1.
Berling-Manuel will be the first female to lead the NSCAA in its storied 75-year history, and one of the few women in the world to lead a major soccer organization. She succeeds Joe Cummings, who is leaving the position after six years.
“The NSCAA is the coach education expert in American soccer,” Berling-Manuel said. “It continues to help transform our game to the level we all want and expect it to be. I’m excited to be a part of that mission and to help lead this association of soccer coaches to even greater success.”
Berling-Manuel joins the NSCAA after nearly eight years as chief marketing officer of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in Torrance, Calif. With nearly 500,000 players and 70,000 coaches, AYSO is the biggest youth soccer club in the world. During her tenure, Berling-Manuel guided all brand management, partnership development, fundraising, and communications efforts. Her most recent accomplishment was developing a five-year, multi-million dollar partnership with FOX Sports, making AYSO its exclusive youth soccer partner.
Prior to joining AYSO, Berling-Manuel was with Soccer America Communications LLC, first as editor-in-chief and associate publisher (1984-1991), and then as CEO and publisher (1991-2007). She directed the strategic development and execution of the multi-platform soccer media company, which includes Soccer America Magazine, as well as monthly, weekly, and daily digital publications, conferences, and events. Berling-Manuel was also responsible for transforming the then 30-year-old Soccer America from a national weekly magazine to an internet-dominant communications product and the leading soccer media outlet it is today.
“It’s an exciting time for us to have Lynn Berling-Manuel guide us into this new era of the Association,” NSCAA President, Mike Jacobs, said. “Her experiences in the industry as an executive with Soccer America and AYSO, coupled with her long-standing leadership role within the NSCAA, make her a natural fit as our CEO.”
Berling-Manuel is not a new face within the NSCAA, as she has been a long-time member of the Association and an appointed at-large member of the NSCAA Board of Directors since 2006. She is also a member of the U.S. Soccer Diversity Committee. Berling-Manuel’s other volunteer experience includes serving as president of the West Berkeley Foundation Board of Directors (2002-07) and being a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame Board of Directors (2005-10).
Berling-Manuel attended UC Berkeley, where she studied economics. She also earned a professional publishing program certification from Stanford University. Her hometown is Albany, Calif., and she is married to Martin Manuel.
In October 2014, outgoing CEO Joe Cummings announced he would be leaving his position in August 2015. Cummings’ tenure at the NSCAA has been marked by major accomplishments including a new financial stability for the association, soaring membership growth, and innovations in the renowned NSCAA coaching education offerings. He and Berling-Manuel will work alongside each other throughout the summer.
