Each summer, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America  features 6-8 college campuses where we offer the residential National, Advanced National and Premier Diploma courses of our Coaching Academy.  In the past several weeks, we have taken a closer look at each of our summer Residential course sites.

This week, we are focusing on our final residential Coaching Academy venue of the summer. The National and Advanced National Diploma courses will be held the week of July 16-22 at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Ill.  As the last residential option for the summer, this course traditionally sells out, so if you want a spot, make sure you register early.

Elmhurst College is a beautiful campus with excellent facilities.  The National Diploma candidates stay on campus for all classroom and field sessions while the Advanced National Diploma candidates have lectures on campus and go to a park, close to the campus, for field sessions.  Meals and lodging are located adjacent to the immaculate synthetic field, so staying on campus for the week is easy.  If you do venture out, downtown Elmhurst is a great place to get away for a bit and is a mere five minute walk from the residence hall.

Elmhurst is also an ideal location for those candidates travelling from out of state.  The Chicago O’Hare International Airport is just six miles from campus and there is a Metro commuter train stop just two blocks from campus.

The National and Advanced National Diploma courses will be staffed by NSCAA National Staff Coaches who are exceptional coaching educators.  The course Directors this summer at Elmhurst College are Jeff Vennell and Doug Williamson.   Jeff will be directing the National Diploma while Doug will serve as the Director for the Advanced National Diploma.   Joining Jeff as staff coaches for the National Diploma will be Paul Webster, Jay Golomb, Gary Cook and David DiTomasso.  Doug will be joined by Kim Sutton and Roy Dunshee for the Advanced National Diploma.  Each of these coaches earned their spots on our National Staff by virtue of their outstanding ability to help other coaches become more capable teachers of the game, and all have built their own coaching careers in addition to serving as NSCAA National Staff coaches.

A coach for more than 40 years, Jeff Vennell brings a wealth of experience to the NSCAA Coaching Academy.  In addition to conference championships and postseason honors as a college coach, Jeff has been heavily involved with the NSCAA.  He served on the NSCAA Executive Committee and was President of the Association for a two year term in 1992-93.   Jeff has served as a member of the National Coaching Staff since 1987 and currently serves on the NSCAA Education Committee and Board of Governors.  Among his NSCAA honors, Jeff is an Honor Award and Mike Berticelli Excellence in Coaching Education award winner. Read more on Vennell here.

The current Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Elmhurst College, Paul Webster also serves as the NSCAA State Director for Illinois.  Paul has compiled a 70-62-7 record at Elmhurst, including a 14-3 season in 2011.  Since being named the Head Coach at Elmhurst in 2004, Paul has also coached eight all-conference players and one all-region honoree.  Prior to coaching at Elmhurst, Paul spent nine seasons at Elon University.  While at Elon, his teams won four conference championships in addition to a 1999 NCAA Tournament appearance.  Paul also holds the NSCAA Premier Diploma.

Jay Golomb, an NSCAA State Director in Florida, was named the NSCAA Associate Staff Coach of the Year in 2007, an award given in recognition of excellence in teaching our Youth and Junior level courses.  Since that time, he has also become very involved with teaching National Diploma courses, in addition to serving as a member of the NSCAA Goalkeeping Staff.  Outside of the NSCAA, Jay currently works for the Jacksonville Youth Soccer Club as the Director of Goalkeeping and 5-10 year old Recreation Program Director. He is also the Florida Director for Greater Experience Soccer Academy.  Prior to moving to Florida to work for JYSC in 2010, Jay worked as a youth and collegiate coach in Maryland for 25 years. Read more on Golomb here.

Gary Cook, NSCAA Regional Director for Region 1, is also a very successful coach.  With more than 200 wins, Gary has been the head coach at Wilbraham-Monson Academy in Massachusetts for 30 years.  He was named the Massachusetts Prep/Parochial Coach of the Year in both 1998 and 2004.   A member of the NSCAA Associate National Staff, Gary has taken both the Advanced National and Premier Diploma courses. Read more on Cook here.

David DiTomasso , whose collegiate coaching record stands at 144-93-19, became the first Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Elmhurst College in 2004.  In their first year as a varsity sport, Dave led the team to a 12-7-1 record and a trip to the CCIW Tournament.  Before being named the Men’s Coach, David spent six seasons as the Women’s Head Soccer Coach and still holds the title as the winningest Women’s Soccer Coach in school history.  Prior to coaching, Dave played for the USISL South Carolina Shamrocks and Baltimore Bays and the ‘A’ League Worcester Wildfire, in addition to playing overseas in Germany for Schwarz Weiss Essen, a Third Division team. Read more on DiTomasso here.

Doug Williamson, the Assistant Director of Coaching Education for the NSCAA, has over 300 victories and a nearly 70 percent winning percentage in coaching stints at both the college and high school levels.  A member of the NSCAA Coaching Staff since 1984, Doug was a candidate in the first ever National Diploma course 1984 at Quincy College in Illinois.  When asked what he thought was the best thing about the NSCAA Coaching Academy, he responded: “The quest on the part of all involved in the Academy - staff and participants alike - to grow and develop in learning how to coach the game produces both collegiality and an incredible learning environment.” Read more on Williamson here.

One of the top women’s coaches in the nation, Kim Sutton owns an overall coaching record of 228-133-50 in 20 years of coaching.  The head coach at Chico State for 11 years, Kim and her teams have won four CCAA North Division crowns, played in four CCAA Championship Tournament finals, winning the title in 2007, and made four NSCAA Tournament appearances, including earning a final four berth in 2011.  Kim serves as the NSCAA State Director for California North and holds the NSCAA Premier Diploma. Read more on Sutton here.

Recently named the new Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Washington College, Roy Dunshee has a very diverse background in soccer, including a career as a player at South Carolina.  He has spent time as a successful high school coach, serves the NSCAA as the State Director for Maryland and Delaware, and has spent 16 years operating a soccer skills teaching company. Read more on Dunshee here.

For additional information about all NSCAA staff coaches, click here

As is always the case at our Coaching Academy, the NSCAA National Staff Coaches listed here are scheduled to teach at this venue.  This list is subject to change.  The course Director will assign, on site and at random, all course registrants to a squad to be led and evaluated by one of the Staff Coaches listed here.

We are excited to get our summer courses under way.  If the Elmhurst College dates or location don’t work for you, please visit us at http://www.nscaa.com/education/courses for a full list of coaching course opportunities. 

If there are no courses in your area or if you would like to see another course come to your area, contact your State Director or tell us what you want by taking this survey.

Are you ready to sign up?  Save a step and register online.  It is fast, your course fees are paid in full and you get a confirmation with additional course specific information right after you register in your email inbox.  The courses are filling up quickly, so don’t wait.  Register now!!

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