MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (July 20, 2005) – US Club Soccer, in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), will conduct the NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma course Oct. 14-16, 2005 in Omaha, Neb.  The course is designed to address the issues confronting the Director of an American club.

“Coaches from across the country have been expressing their desire for a Director of Coaching course which provides them with practical tools to use in the daily situations they encounter,” said US Club Soccer Executive Director Bill Sage.  “By partnering with the country’s leader in soccer education, we have developed a course to address these issues in both the soccer and business spectrums.”

The curriculum for the 21-hour course, created jointly by US Club Soccer and the NSCAA, examines the technical, conceptual, leadership and administrative skills of future and current Directors of Coaching for youth soccer clubs for the purpose of developing the youth soccer player.  Highlighted topics include organizational structure, methods of coaching, leadership theory, evaluation and development of coaches and players and fiscal, legal and moral responsibility.  Candidates will obtain an understanding of each of the individual units of a club as well as the interrelationship of those parts to achieve the specific goals and objectives of a youth soccer club.

“The role of the Director of Coaching for a youth club in the United States requires a skill set far beyond those that lead to success on the field,” said NSCAA President Schellas Hyndman, the men’s soccer coach at Southern Methodist University.  “Our goal with this new course is to help coaches become comfortable with the many and varied demands they must meet as administrators.”

The NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma course will be instructed by Richard Butler, the Director of Coaching for the Williamsburg Soccer Club; Danny Beamer, the NSCAA Region VI Technical Director; and a soon to be named member of US Club Soccer.  Other staff members include Dr. Matt Robinson, Director of the Sports Management Department at the University of Delaware; and Dr. Darren Treasure, a sports psychologist and the former Director of Sports Psychology at the University of Arizona.

The cost of the non-residential course is $275 and includes a collegiate game between Bradley and Creighton University Saturday evening at Creighton’s Morrison Stadium, which opened in 2004 and is regarded as one of the nation’s best college soccer venues.  Applications for the NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma course will be available online at www.nscaa.com later in the summer.

About NSCAA
Based in Mission, Kan., the NSCAA is the largest coaches' organization in the United States. Since its founding in 1941, it has grown to include more than 17,000 members who coach both genders at all levels of the sport. In addition to a national rankings program for colleges and high schools, the NSCAA offers an extensive recognition program that presents nearly 10,000 individual awards every year. It fulfills its mission of coaching education through a nationwide program of clinics and week-long courses, teaching more than 3,000 soccer coaches each year.  For more information, visit http://www.nscaa.com.

About US Club Soccer
US Club Soccer is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop competitive club soccer in the United States. It has been a member of the United States Soccer Federation since July 2001, and has grown to over 1,200 member clubs and league teams in 47 states. In addition to sanctioning tournaments, leagues, and other competitions and conducting a range of programs for its members, it annually conducts the US Club Soccer National Cup, for member teams for boys and girls’ U12 to U17.  The 2005 National Cup IV kicked off Memorial Day weekend and runs through early August.  US Club Soccer also launched its own player identification and development program in the summer of 2004, termed id2. In 2006, US Club Soccer, in conjunction with Disney’s Wide World of Sports, will launch the inaugural Champions League Cup to determine the nation’s top boy and girl’s clubs.  US Club Soccer’s growing list of National Corporate Partners include: Nike, 24 Hour Fitness, American Airlines, Budget Rent A Car, Cendant Hotel Group, Etriptix, Major League Soccer, Slammers® Ultimate Milk and TEKK Athletic; as well as a supplier group of six additional corporations. For more information, visit www.usclubsoccer.org.