United Soccer Coaches announces High School Coach of Significance Award winners

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 2, 2019) – United Soccer Coaches, along with the association’s High School Coaches Advocacy Group, has announced the recipients of the Third Annual High School Coach of Significance Award.

The High School Coach of Significance Award recognizes members who are coaching for character and using the soccer field to teach life lessons at the high school level. It is an opportunity for each state, in conjunction with United Soccer Coaches, to recognize coaches who are making an impact within their schools and communities well beyond their records of wins and losses.

“On behalf of the High School Advocacy Group of United Soccer Coaches, please join me in congratulating this year’s High School Coach of Significance selections,” said Rusty Oglesby, High School Advocacy Group Chair. “These outstanding coaches represent the ultimate spirit of coaching while making an impact on player’s lives in all aspects of their core development both on and off the field. We are excited for these recipients and encourage all coaches to continue to strive for excellence and significance that goes beyond the white lines of the pitch! Congratulations to each of you!”

Recipients of the 2019 High School Coach of Significance Award are listed alphabetically by state:

• Alaska – Kaula Rowe (Bartlett HS/Anchorage, Alaska)
• Alabama – Shawn Brower (Briarwood Christian/Birmingham, Ala.)
• Arkansas – Kerry Castillo (Cabot HS/Cabot, Ark.)
• Arizona – Gabriel Rocha (Catalina HS/Tucson, Ariz.)
• California – Steve Chappell (Northgate HS/Walnut Creek, Calif.)
• Colorado – Evan Segal (Glenwood Springs HS/Glenwood Springs, Colo.)
• Connecticut – Dan Woog (Staples HS/Westport Conn.)
• Delaware – Joseph Manlove (Alexis I. DuPont HS/Wilmington, Del.)
• Florida – Jacob Sweeney (McKeel Academy/Lakeland, Fla.)
• Georgia – Adel Mohsen (Brookwood HS/Snellville, Ga.)
• Hawaii – Maurice Miranda (Honoka’a HS/Honokaa, Hawaii)
• Iowa – Robbie Miller (Abraham Lincoln HS/Council Bluffs, Iowa)
• Indiana – Steve Williams (Mt. Vernon/Fortville, Ind.)
• Kansas – Frank Alonso (Manhattan HS/Manhattan, Kan.)
• Kentucky – Chris Grimm (Lafayette HS/Lexington. Ky.)
• Louisiana – Kiran Booluck (Episcopal/Baton Rouge, La.)
• Maryland – Robert Behegan (North County HS/Glen Burnie, Md.)
• Massachusetts – Mike Elster (Sutton HS/Sutton, Mass.)
• Michigan – Ken Delaney (Coldwater HS/Coldwater, Mich.)
• Missouri – Chris Miller (Southern Boone HS/Ashland, Mo.)
• Minnesota – Paul Menge (The Blake School/Minneapolis, Minn.)
• Mississippi – John Dicks (Petal HS/Petal, Miss.)
• North Carolina – Doug Kidd (Swansboro HS/Swansboro, N.C.)
• North Dakota – Kascaundra Poitra (Turtle Mountain Community School/Belcourt, N.D.)
• Nebraska – April Kelcher (Papillion- La Vista HS/Papillion, Neb.)
• New Hampshire – James Tufts (Exeter HS/Exeter, N.H.)
• New Jersey – Dr. Steven Racine (Kinnelon HS/Kinnelon, N.J.)
• New Mexico – Alvin Valdez (Santa Fe HS/Santa Fe, N.M.)
• New York – Oscar Vergara (Bishop Ludden HS/Syracuse, N.Y.)
• Ohio – Scott MacMillan (Niles McKinley HS/Niles, Ohio)
• Oklahoma – Kit Stephenson (Southmoore HS/Moore Okla.)
• Oregon – Maria VanAcker (Canby Union HS/Canby, Ore.)
• Pennsylvania – Scott Hancock (Gettysburg Area HS/Gettysburg, Pa.)
• South Carolina – Raimond Hartmann (Mauldin HS/Mauldin, S.C.)
• Tennessee – Ken McDonald (Franklin Road Academy/Nashville, Tenn.)
• Texas – Amber Clevenger (The John Cooper School/The Woodlands, Texas)
• Utah – Lee Mitchell (Alta HS/Sandy, Utah)
• Virginia – Jay Wood (Saint Christopher’s School/Richmond, Va.)
• Vermont – Lucas Bates (Leland & Grey/Townshend, Vt.)
• Wisconsin – Matt Callahan (Oshkosh West HS/Oshkosh, Wis.)
• Wyoming – Jeff Norman (Cheyenne Central HS/Cheyenne, Wyo.)

The third annual class has grown with 10 additional recipients, representing a total of 41 states. As the award continues to grow, the goal is to annually recognize a recipient from all 50 states.

Each of the High School Coach of Significance Award nominees are reviewed by the selection committee comprised of national, regional, and state representation.