Lending assistance to members in the Gulf Coast area affected by Katrina and Rita

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), in conjunction with its philanthropic arm, the NSCAA Foundation, has established the NSCAA Hurricane Relief Fund to assist its members affected by the hurricanes that have struck the Gulf Coast in recent weeks.

The NSCAA Foundation has pledged $25,000 in funds toward relief grants for members in the areas struck by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. The Foundation also is challenging the 19,000 members of the NSCAA to donate to the fund to further extend the reach of these efforts.

“The impact of these two natural disasters is staggering,” said NSCAA President Schellas Hyndman, the men’s soccer coach at Southern Methodist University. “The road to recovery will be long and difficult. The NSCAA takes great pride in the fact that, while we are the largest coaches’ organization in the world, we have retained a strong sense of family within our community. It is only right that we reach out to assist our family members who have felt the brunt of these storms.”

“I can’t think of a more fitting cause for the NSCAA Foundation to be involved with,” said NSCAA Foundation President Jay Engeln. “The Foundation exists through the generosity of the members of our organization. It’s only proper that we reflect that generosity back to them in their time of need.”

Based on a search of its 19,000-member database, the NSCAA has approximately 100 current members residing in the areas where Katrina and Rita caused widespread, severe damage. Each of those members will be contacted directly via mail and email, giving them the opportunity to request a grant.

In addition to the grant effort, the NSCAA will waive membership dues for those affected by the hurricanes for the next two years, providing them membership through August 2007. The association also will offer victims complimentary registration to its 2006 convention in Philadelphia, scheduled for Jan. 18-22, and the 2007 NSCAA Convention in Indianapolis. As the recovery in the area continues, the association also will stage coaching education courses to help restore its soccer coaching network.

“Ideally, we’d like to help every member who’s been affected by these events,” said Hyndman. “Our ability to do that will depend on the generosity of our members. Many already have given to such worthy organizations as the American Red Cross and other relief agencies, and we applaud them for that. Now we’re asking that they dig just a little deeper and provide direct assistance to their brothers and sisters in the soccer coaching community. If each of our members were to donate just two dollars, we would easily surpass our goal of doubling our initial $25,000 commitment.”

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