Three coaches who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of soccer at the youth, high school and collegiate levels were recognized with the presentation of the National Soccer Coaches Association of American Long-Term Service Awards.
The recipients, announced at the annual NSCAA Awards Banquet on Jan. 17, 2003, were: David Hicks, Springfield, Ill., for the Youth Long-Term Service Award; Vic Garcia, Monument, Colo., the Robert W. Robinson Award for long-term service to high school soccer; and Aliceann Wilber, the Bill Jeffrey Award for long-term service to intercollegiate soccer.
Youth Long-Term Service Award
The 2002 NSCAA Long-Term Service Award for youth soccer was presented to David Hicks of Springfield, Ill.
David Hicks has left his imprint on youth soccer in the state of Illinois for more than 20 years. He was one of the founding fathers of the Illinois Youth Soccer Association, and is in his third decade of service on its board.
Closer to home, he has been a driving force in making youth soccer a major part of Springfield’s culture. As the director of the Springfield YMCA’s soccer league, he has helped tens of thousands of youngsters discover the joy of The Beautiful Game. Each year some 3,700 young people take part in the year-round activities of the YMCA’s soccer league, and it is a rare child in Springfield who has not been on one of the Y’s teams.
His commitment to the game extends beyond running the league. He has held a USSF State referee certification for the last 18 years and has been a NISOA referee for 13 years. He is one of only three coaches who completed both the NSCAA National Diploma and Advanced National Diploma in the first two years they were offered.
Robert W. Robinson Award
The 2002 Robert W. Robinson Award was presented to Vic Garcia of Monument, Colo.
If ever there was a blueprint for how to build a high school soccer program from the ground up, Vic Garcia holds the copyright. He started four different high school teams during his career, finally retiring from coaching after leading his Lewis-Palmer High team to the state finals in the fall of 1999. During 17 years as a boys coach, he compiled a career record of 207-74-17 and took the 1994 state title. But it is beyond the pitch that Garcia’s most lasting impact is felt. An NSCAA member since 1981, he has been an enthusiastic advocate for membership among his peers. But it hasn’t all been lip service: he’s has served the NSCAA as the Rocky Mountain regional chair for the High School All-America program for both boys and girls since 1987, and he’s served on the NSCAA Ethics Committee since 1997. He has earned Coach of the Year honors a total of 20 times from various organizations, including two NSCAA/adidas Regional Coach of the Year awards. In his final season at Lewis-Palmer, his players gave him a title that he said “was the most important” when they earned the 4A Academic State Championship.
The high school long-term service award is named for Robby Robinson, a high school coach the Philadelphia area who has touched virtually every aspect of the NSCAA. A member of the NSCAA Hall of Fame, he is a past president of the organization and received its Honor Award in 1999. He currently serves as the association’s Convention Manager.
Bill Jeffrey Award
For the first time since the award was launched in 1972, the Bill Jeffrey Award was presented to a female coach, Aliceann Wilber of William Smith College.
The only coach in the history of the William Smith women’s program, Wilber completed her 23rd season at the helm in 2002 with a record of 17-4-3 and a No. 4 ranking in the NSCAA/adidas national poll. One of only eight coaches to win at least three NSCAA/adidas National Coach of the Year awards, she is the only woman to achieve the feat. Her back-to-back awards in 1987 and 1988 at the time marked only the second time that feat had been achieved. Her team’s 1988 NCAA title was the first national championship for any William Smith team. This season her team made its 16th appearance in the NCAA tournament and its sixth trip to the national semifinals. A three-time NSCAA/adidas Regional Coach of the Year, she has had 15 players earn NSCAA/adidas All-America recognition, including three different seasons where her team has had two first-team All-America selections. A 1-0 win over SUNY-Cortland on Nov. 2, 2002, was her 300th career victory. She now stands with a career mark of 304-95-28 (.745 winning percentage).
The college long-term service award is named for Bill Jeffrey, the legendary Penn State coach who was a founding father of the NSCAA and was a force in the formative years of intercollegiate soccer.
