KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 22, 2024) – United Soccer Coaches announced on Friday its 2024 Youth Awards for its Coach of the Year. The award is selected from online nominations received from members who were a part of the association’s Member Club program in 2024 and/or youth coaches who are individual members of the organization.
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The 2024 Youth Coach of the Year is Dr. Maria Bartini from Apex Futbol Club in Bend, Ore. Dr. Maria Bartini has recently provided United Soccer Coaches with countless hours of work by serving on our Foundations of Coaching Diploma committee. |
As a developmental psychologist and youth coach, her work on designing the curriculum for the Foundations of Coaching module, State, Regional and Advanced Regional Diplomas has allowed United Soccer Coaches to re-invent all four courses based on the science behind the development of children-as-people and athletes.
She also wrote and filmed the new Foundations of Coaching Module, a pre-requisite for the other three diplomas previously mentioned. Her Foundations module sets the groundwork for the other courses that follow.
Although she may never be recognized for her teams’ accomplishments, mostly because she works with younger players, Dr. Bartini is a shining example of a youth coach doing transformational work with children. Maria’s selection recognizes a youth coach who makes a significant impact on the lives and experiences of young people.