5-18-09: In Memory of Charlotte Moran
May 18, 2009 - It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that the NSCAA Women's Committee shares the passing of our friend and women's soccer champion, Charlotte Moran. Charlotte passed away peacefully early this morning at her home after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Charlotte was one of the most active organizers for girls' and women's soccer in America. She had over 30 years of experience in soccer management, from her start as a team mom in 1977, through roles at regional and national levels. She has served at various times as a club secretary, league secretary, league vice president, state vice president and state president. Read more about Charlotte Moran. 

Charlotte was an ODP state administrator for 20 years, Chairperson for the National Girls’ ODP from 1991-1995, and acted as the Chair of the US Soccer Women’s Committee from 1990-1991. She was the long-time Executive Director for the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association and the Administrator for the Region 1 Olympic Development Program.  Charlotte was the Director of Team Operations for the Philadelphia Charge of WUSA from 2001-2003, and in support of bringing an MLS and WPS expansion teams to Philly.

In 2009, Charlotte was awarded the Soccer Champions Coaches' Clinic Glenn Myernick Service to Soccer Award. In the winter of 2008, Charlotte was honored by the NSCAA Women's Committee with the 2007 Award of Excellence, an award established in 1999 to recognize those who have brought honor and distinction to women's soccer. She was presented the NSCAA's Youth Long-Term Service Award, its highest honor in youth soccer, at the 2009 Convention in St. Louis.

Charlotte's contributions to this world and to soccer were enormous and with her passing, there is a huge void in our game, world and lives that will be difficult to fill. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlotte's family at this difficult time.

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be posted on this page when they become available.

1-21-08: Charotte Moran Receives 2007 Award of Excellence

The NSCAA Women's Committee is proud to announce that Charlotte Moran, Executive Director of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA), has been selected by the NSCAA Women’s Committee as the ninth recipient of its Award of Excellence.

Moran has been one of the most active organizers for girls' and women's soccer in America. She has over 30 years of experience in soccer management, from her start as a team mom in 1977, through roles at regional and national levels. She has served at various times as a club secretary, league secretary, league vice president, state vice president and state president.

Moran has been a state administrator for ODP for 20 years, was Chairperson for the National Girls’ ODP from 1991-1995, and acted as the Chair of the US Soccer Women’s Committee from 1990-1991. She currently works as the Executive Director for the EPYSA and is the the Administrator for the Region 1 Olympic Development Program.

The award is sponsored by the Washington Area Girls Soccer League (WAGS) and was established in 1999 to recognize those who have brought honor and distinction to women's soccer. WAGS has supplied sponsorship funds from this award to be used in the promotion of thewomen's game through various inner-city programs. Funds also will be donated to charities that promote female soccer participation.

National Academy Staff members Theresa Echtermeyer and Nora Maguire-White traveled to Holland to study the KNVB's female soccer program. A list of what the studied follows.

- KNVB Standard of Coaching Education and expected standard/style of play is respected nationwide.
- Devotion of KNVB, coaches, and Dutch Nationals to give back to the game.
- KNVB unbelieveably organized structurally and vested in the greater good of the sport.
- Educated coaches feel obligated to give back to the game in a variety of ways. Education is a priviledge.
- Dedicated to girls training and developing successfully with the boys.
- Dedicated to training women coaches and feel strongly that quality women coaches are best suited to coach women.
- Coaches train teams and develop players in an attacking, aggressive style of play nationwide.

1-20-08: Joe Cummings Speaks at NSCAA Women's Soccer Breakfast

Joe Cummings is one of the most respected executives in soccer in the United States, having served as Venue Director of Operations for the 1996 Olympics, the Director of Operations for the 1999 Women's World Cup in Foxboro, and as Venue Manager in 2003, for the Boston and Philadelphia venues for the Women's World Cup. He is President and General Manager of the Boston Breakers, positions he also held from 2000 to 2003. He was honored as Executive of the Year in 2002 and 2003. He is also a consultant for the new women'smleague, serving in the capacity of Chief Operating Officer. He has also been Assistant General Manager and Technical Director for the New England Revolution, from 1996-1999 and 2004-2005. He is a past-president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. 

Cummings coached at Algonquin Regional High School in Northboro, Massachusetts from 1976-82 where he was honored as New England High School Coach of the Year and a finalist for National High School Coach of the Year and also coached at College of the Holy Cross from 1982-84. He has directed and/or coached for four youth clubs, New England Soccer School, Soccer Scene, Sutton Fuller Hamlets and the Northboro Youth Soccer Association, which he founded in 1978 and served as their first president. He has been inducted into the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Hall of Fame, the New England Soccer Hall of Fame and the Algonquin Regional High School Hall of Fame. 

1/18/08: Women's Professional Soccer Unveils Name, Plans at NSCAA Convention

By Paul Kennedy, Soccer America - After more than three years of work on the startup, a new women's pro league moved one step closer to reality with Thursday's announcement that it will be called "Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). Photo: Christine Brennan, leading USA Today columnist, leads a panel discussion about the "Women's Professional Soccer League at the 2008 NSCAA Convention in Baltimore.
"Today's a day for celebration," said Tanya Antonucci, the WPS commissioner who has overseen the project since being talked into it at a gathering of Stanford soccer alumni (she played for the Cardinals in the mid-1980s) shortly after she left Yahoo!, where she served as general manager of its World Cup partnership with FIFA.

Without teams (until last year), coaches or general managers (in most cases) and players (still to assembled after the Olympics), it's been hard for Antonucci to sell the new league, which will begin play in April 2009, but that job got easier Thursday with the unveiling of its new logo, showcasing a silhouette of Mia Hamm, and its website, www.womensprosoccer.com. WPS is also visible this weekend at the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore, where it will hold a Town Hall meeting on Saturday moderated by USA Today columnist Christine Brennan (Baltimore Convention Center, Room 338).

TEAMS. The league previously announced plans for franchises in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Still to be determined is the home for an eighth team. WPS's preference is that team be based on the West Coast, with San Diego, San Jose, Vancouver and the San Francisco Bay Area among the possibilities. Coaches have been hired in Boston (Tony DiCicco) and Washington (Jim Gabarra). Executives on board include Boston Breakers General Manager Joe Cummings, who is serving as senior consulting chief operating officer, and Chicago President and CEO Peter Wilt, who is WPS Marketing Committee Chairman. Both are former MLS executives. WPS's Los Angeles team is owned by AEG, owner of MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy. Each team in an MLS markets is expected to have strategic partnership with the MLS club in that market, whether that's a stadium deal to share revenues or an arms-length agreement.

BUDGETS. Projected team budgets range from $1.9 million to $2.8 million, depending on the market and revenue opportunities. The league hopes to conclude an agreement with the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Players' Association so national team stars (preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games) can begin work on promoting the league soon.

PLAYERS. No draft or allocation of players is expected to take place until the Beijing Olympics end in August. Antonucci acknowledged that managing expectations for the new women's league hasn't been easy -- particularly in light of the spectacular collapse of the WUSA in 2003, on the eve of the Women's World Cup. With no dominant foreign league able to sway international women's stars -- the strongest league is Sweden's Damallsvenskan -- WPS will be attractive to many foreign players. Before re-signing with Swedish club Umea for 2008, Brazilian superstar Marta was rumored to be interested in signing with Los Angeles. A maximum of 25 percent of the players on a WPS team can be foreigners, according to U.S. Soccer Division I women's soccer guidelines. No decision has yet been made on minimum and maximum salaries.

1-15-08: Algarve Cup Symposium 

Register now for the 2007 Algarve Cup Symposium, which takes place March 9-15, 2007, in Algarve Region, Portugal, in conjunction with the Algarve Cup and presented by the NSCAA and the NSCAA Women's Committee.
Former U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach April Heinrichs and U.S. National Team Sports Psychology Consultant Dr. Colleen Hacker will be the featured instructors. The cost is $695 for NSCAA members, $795 for non-members. A minimum $250 deposit (non-refundable and non-transferable) and a completed application must be submitted by January 26, 2007.

1-15-08: Anson Dorrance Receives Award of Excellence

The NSCAA Women’s Committee is proud to announce that Anson Dorrance, head coach of the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team, has been selected by the NSCAA Women’s Committee as the eighth recipient of its Award of Excellence.
Whether at the collegiate, national or international level, Dorrance’s impact on women’s soccer is undeniable. In the 25 years the NCAA has sponsored a Division I women’s soccer championship, North Carolina has won 18 titles. Along the way he has compiled an 629-28-18 record and has coached 13 different players to National Player of the Year honors a total of 20 times. In 1986, Dorrance led the U.S. Women’s National Team to the first Women’s World Cup title.
Dorrance has been active in growing the sport at the local and national levels. As a member of the NSCAA Academy’s Senior National Staff and a charter member of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Committee, Dorrance also has served as the chairman of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee and was the women’s chairman of the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America.

Past NSCAA Women's Committee Award of Excellence Recipients

1999 - April Heinrichs, U.S. Women’s National Team
2000 - Michelle Akers, U.S. Women’s National Team, FIFA Female Player of the Century
2001 - Lauren Gregg, WUSA Vice President of Player Personnel and Technical Director
2002 - Michelle Morgan, Amherst College
2003 - Adele Dolansky, Washington Area Girls Soccer League
2004 - Colleen Hacker, Pacific Lutheran University
2005 - Lynn Berling-Manuel, CEO and Publisher of Soccer America
2006 - Anson Dorrance, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill 

12-15-07: Review: 2007 Convention - Indianapolis

The Walt Chyzowych 4-A-Side Tournament
The women's bracket of the 4-A-Side was a success! With six teams competing for the ultimate title, the tournament ran side-by-side with the men. Keep your eyes open - Early registration for next year's tournament will be posted on this website. If you'd like more information, please contact Tara Koleski at koleski@umbc.edu. Pre-registration begins immediately and will be closed when the women's bracket is full. 

Women's Luncheon Featured Speaker - Christine Brennan
Christine Brennan is an award-winning USA today Sports Columnist, best-selling author and commentator for ABC News, ESPN, NPR and FOX Sports Radio. A leading expert on the Olympics and women's sports issues, she is also a nationally-known speaker. Please visit http://www.christinebrennan.com/ for more information.

NSCAA Women's Committee Featured Clinician - Brandi Chastain
Two-time World Champion & Olympic Gold Medalist for the US Women's National Team presented, "Developing Combination Play." The session took place on Thursday, January 11th, from 12:30-1:45pm in CC Exhibit Hall B.

NSCAA Featured Clinician - Emma Hayes
Arsenal Ladies First Team Assistant Coach and Academy Director Emma Hayes presented "Arsenal Ladies: Breaking Lines, the Mannequin Method" Assisted by Werner Dasbach (Columbia University), the session took place on Thursday, Jan. 11th, in the Indianapolis Convention Center Exhibit Hall CC from 9:30-10:45am. Emma will presented "Arsenal Football Club: The Technical and Tactical Subtleties of Attacking Football," from 4-5:15pm in the Wabash Ballroom. 

4-1-07: NCAA Women's Coaches Academy

Coaching for Success and Significance
The NCAA Women Coaches Academy provides skills training for coaches at all levels to assist them in being more efficient, productive, resourceful and successful. The academy is designed for women coaches who are ready and willing to increase their individual effectiveness by learning advanced skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success. The participants learn skills that are not sport specific, yet ones that are relevant and necessary for coaching responsibilities, beyond the X's and O's. 

2007 Dates and Sites

May 29 - June 2, 2007 - Inverness Hotel and Conference Center, Denver, Colo.

June 9- June 13, 2007 - University Place Conference Center, IUPUI, Indianapolis, Ind.

- Registration for both Academies begins at NOON EST , Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007.

- There are only 25 positions available at each Academy.
- Tuition, room and board are provided for all coaches at NCAA Universities
- Coaches are responsible for all their travel expenses to and from the site
- Registration is first come, first serve, and tracked according to the time/date the application is receive 

- Some considerations will be made to balance the programs for division, sport, head and assistant coaches as well as ethnic minority participation.

For more information please click here or cut and paste this address into your web browser http://www.coachesacademy.org/ncaa.php.