Four individuals were recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for their service to the Association and achievements in the sport. Brian Crossman, Joe Machnik, John Ouellette and Larry Waters were presented the Letter of Commendation at the NSCAA's annual Awards Banquet on Friday evening, Jan. 14, at the Hilton Baltimore in conjunction with the 2011 NSCAA Convention.

About the Recipients

Brian Crossman, Covenant College
The chair of the NSCAA’s Ethics Committee, Crossman has been responsible for tracking and reporting all red cards issued at the collegiate level each year, sharing the information with the NCAA and the NSCAA. He also oversees the NSCAA/s Team Ethics Awards, which recognize those teams that compete in a sporting manner, as reflected by the number of cautions and send-offs they receive each year.

Joe Machnik, Major League Soccer
Machnik is retiring from a stellar career that has touched soccer at virtually every level. A former collegiate All-America, he led five different teams to NCAA or NAIA national championship games and coached the New York Arrows of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also has officiated NCAA finals and two MISL All-Star Games and has served the past 13 years as Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner for Major League Soccer. He is a member of five different Halls of Fame.

John Ouellette, AYSO
Ouellette retired on January 1 after 30 years as a coach/educator with AYSO. He led the creation of the AYSO National Coaching Program, which was groundbreaking in developing age-appropriate soccer training. A former Air Force training instructor, he also coached at the high school and college levels.

Larry Waters, La Cueva High School
Waters has served the high school soccer community as the chair of the boys’ national rankings program. He led the effort to move the program’s administrative processes online. A successful coach and athletics director for more than 30 years, he recently led his team to its second consecutive state championship.
 

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