Every organization has its cornerstones and every cornerstone has a symbol, motto or mission statement reminding its viewers of why its history is so significant.

Metaphorically, the founding fathers of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America were the cornerstones of what has become the largest – and best – sports organization in the world. And somewhere in their collective wisdom, they figured out – more than 60 years ago – how to ensure that the NSCAA’s cornerstones would always be living models of everything that is good about soccer coaches. From the beginning, they created an award that implicitly established “honor” as the most reassured ingredient in the highest tribute paid to members of this organization.

With no intent to demean other awards, it still remains that honor, once defined, stands alone. To receive the NSCAA Honor Award is to receive the highest of all tributes. But what exactly is the Honor Award and how does one “win” it?

\The Honor Award was established in the first year of the NSCAA’s existence and one doesn’t “win” it. It cannot be claimed through competition or campaigning. The nominees are not even known to the general public, and a shroud of secrecy surrounds the Honor Award Committee’s activity.

The charter members of the organization were supremely wise and uncannily farsighted when they established the formula for this award. Candidates are identified through a meticulous process entrusted to a committee of 24 people – many of whom are former Honor Award recipients. There is no collusion. The list of nominees is known only to committee members, who are forbidden to correspond with each other. Worksheets are mailed to committee members several months before each convention and submitted to a chair, who screens all names.

The criteria are indelibly clear and names appear on a ballot only if two or more committee members – independent of each other – determine that such a person is worthy of nomination.

The individual must have tenure and at least 20 years of meritorious service to soccer. He or she should be known by his or her products and/or writings and must have been connected with or helpful to the NSCAA. The individual should have had close connection to soccer in one or more of the following areas: intercollegiate, interscholastic, sports writing, administration, youth or professional.

Amazingly, this year’s recipient embodies all of these criteria and more. He is the very essence and spirit of what the Honor Award is all about. He was an exceptional athlete and sterling soccer player from early youth through his undergraduate days. Like so many previous Honor Award winners, he has excelled at every level of his life and has garnered his share of tributes, accolades, wins and losses.

Professionally, he has done – and continues to do – just about everything there is to do to qualify for a Bigger-Than-Life Award. Those who have tried to keep pace with him suggest that he may qualify for extraterrestrial benefits – or at least own an E.T. card to phone home.

He was born in Ludlow, Mass., on Feb. 25, 1946, and grew up in Wilbraham, a few doors down from his grandfather’s farm. It was there, between chores, that his athletic instincts were honed in the impromptu ice hockey and baseball games readily available with cousins and neighborhood buddies.

Little wonder he became a sterling three-letter winner in gymnastics, soccer and baseball in high school. Indeed, his baseball acumen was such that he continued to play in tri-county leagues until moving to Connecticut in 1970.

After high school, he entered the bastion of collegiate soccer, Springfield College, where he performed as a gymnast and baseball player and played soccer for legendary Honor Award recipient Irv Schmid, who named him captain his senior year. In the spring of 1967, he graduated with a bachelor of science degree and was presented the Frisbie-Weisbrod Award as the outstanding graduate among physical education majors.

His next stop was at nearby University of Massachusetts, where he earned a master’s degree in physical education while serving as an assistant coach in baseball and soccer. After graduation, he remained as a full-time instructor in physical education and served as coach of the freshman soccer team, which finished the season undefeated. By 1985, he had completed his Ph.D. in sport and leisure studies at the University of Connecticut, home of another Honor Award legend, Joe Morrone.

While in college, he spent his summers at the Stony Brook Acres Sports Camp, serving as a counselor for 10- to 12-year-old boys. Serving as a counselor for 10- to 12-year-old girls was an uncommonly beautiful young woman by the name of Kathleen Kennedy. Every morning the trumpet blast summoned campers and counselors to the flagpole for the Pledge of Allegiance. Three years later, on Aug. 24, 1968, there was another blast of the trumpet and the girls’ counselor, Kathleen (Kathi) Kennedy, and the boys’ counselor, Raymond Cieplik, pledged their allegiance to each other.

Ray and Kathi began their own camp program and over the next several years welcomed three happy campers: Christopher, Timothy and Scott, into their family. Chris, an FBI agent, is married to Julie, a veterinarian in Albany, N.Y. Scott is an officer in the Coast Guard stationed in Duluth, Minn. Both attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where they played soccer for their dad.

Tim played at nearby Eastern Connecticut University and Mitchell College, but completed his education at California University of Pennsylvania, where he also served as assistant coach for men’s and women’s soccer.

On Aug. 24, 1970, young Raymond Cieplik began a career at the United States Coast Guard Academy. He started as an instructor in physical education and coach of men’s soccer at an institution where the athletic director was a Hall of Famer from the National Football League. Thirty years later, Cieplik would enjoy the honor of sitting behind the same desk as that legend of American football, Otto Graham.

Dr. Raymond Cieplik is in his 33rd year on the faculty of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. During his sojourn, he has served as an instructor in physical education, assistant gymnastics coach, assistant baseball coach, soccer coach, full professor, associate director of athletics and, in 1999, was appointed director of athletics.

During 31 of his 33 years tenure, he served as soccer coach and, from 1976 through the year 2000, he enjoyed 25 consecutive winning seasons. His career record at the Academy is 248 wins, 165 losses and 37 ties. His teams won two ECAC titles, in 1995 and ’98, and three Constitution Athletic Conference titles, as well as a post-season appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.

Through the years, numerous Cieplik-coached players have been named to all-conference teams as well as the NSCAA/adidas All-Region and All-America teams. His oldest son, Chris, was named to the 1991 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team.

Three times he was named Coach of the Year, once in the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League and twice in the CAC. In 1987 he was named recipient of the NSCAA/NISOA Merit Award, and in 1995 he was given the Association’s prestigious Letter of Commendation.

He was inducted into the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 2000 was inducted into the Springfield College Hall of Fame.

Ray has been a member of the NSCAA for 32 years, serving in just about every capacity known to the organization. He has hosted NSCAA clinics at the Academy and was the Region I representative from 1984 until his election to the Board of Directors.

He chaired the All-America and Ethics committees, was Vice President of Marketing from 1994-96 and was named NSCAA President in 1997.

He continues as chairman of the NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America Committee and has done a superb job as master of ceremonies at the annual Awards Banquet and All-America Luncheon.

In his community, he was an active member of the Ledyard, Conn., Soccer Club Board of Directors, where he also was privileged to coach his three sons. He has served as director and coordinator for several events hosted by the Coast Guard Academy, including the Connecticut State Special Olympics, YMCA regional championships, youth regional and state tournaments and ECAC and NCAA championship competition in wrestling, soccer, basketball, softball and swimming.

He is past president of the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League and currently is the treasurer and finance committee chair for NEWMAC, the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference. There’s more: It is important to know that the Coast Guard Academy also hosts the Connecticut State Nutmeg Games (something that, I am sure, needs more explanation).

Coincidentally, Kathi – an outstanding athlete, coach and administrator in her own right – also coached sons Tim and Scott in soccer from age six through high school. In addition, Kathi was an accomplished all-around gymnast who won numerous Massachusetts, New England and Atlantic Coast Region titles, and served for more than 20 years as a U.S. Gymnastics Federation official.

But this is all stuff anyone can get on the Internet. What we can’t get is what lies behind the degrees and achievements.

Chuck Mills, the previous athletics director at the Academy, said “Ray is one of those rare people that the Lord has given intelligence, patience and foresight. He’s just a level-headed guy who always seems to keep things in perspective. In a word, he’s super!”

His kids and teams wondered, at times, if he was infallible. They never wondered about his ethics.

In a critical game, with the conference lead on the line, Ray was faced with the most challenging decision of his career. The Norwich Bulletin entitled its story of what happened “Coast Guard’s Cieplik Makes the Right Move.”

Quoting from the story: “Coast Guard coach Ray Cieplik had waited six years for a win over Babson, and he wanted to beat them fairly if he beat them at all. That’s why, in the Bears’ biggest game of the season, Cieplik stepped forward and had his team’s winning goal disallowed.

“A substitution had given the Bears a momentary 12-on-11 advantage, and Cieplik decided that just wasn’t right. With six minutes remaining in the first half, Coast Guard substituted three players. Only two came off, and Coast Guard scored on the ensuing play.

“Cieplik called over the referee and explained what had happened and, in the face of the official’s indecision, Ray asked that the goal be disallowed.

“‘It was the right thing to do,’ he said. ‘We try to teach ethics and integrity here, so we have to live by them too. The players knew it, and I knew it, so we decided to take it off the board. Besides,’ he added, ‘I have to live with myself.’” (Incidentally, Coast Guard scored early in the second half, and its 1-0 victory gave the Academy first place in the Constitution Athletic Conference.)

On the personal, private side, Kathi and the boys swear he is as flawless and impeccable as he is in public life. He does all the usual things, like golf, carpentry, helping around the house and supporting his family in their endeavors.

He possesses all the usual virtues a man of his stature is expected to have. He is dedicated, honest, loyal, faithful, generous and self-controlled. Apparently he doesn’t have a temper, but both family and friends say they know when he is upset. They say he doesn’t get mad and yell at people. He simply lowers his tone and enunciates very slowly. He is a loving husband and phenomenal father. They even think he is funny!

What isn’t funny is the realization that the National Soccer Coaches Association of America has once again found a man of honor and a sterling member of its organization to add another authentic cornerstone to its growing list of Honor Award recipients: Dr. Raymond Cieplik.