Honor Award - 2004 Dr. Thomas Fleck, Jr. Florida youth soccer association.

Dr. Thomas Fleck Jr., one of the most widely recognized members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, has been selected as the 63rd recipient of the Honor Award, marking yet another achievement in the life of the 67-year-old Philadelphia native.

President of the NSCAA for two years (1984-85), Fleck was instrumental in the establishment of the NSCAA Academies, the association's soccer coaching education division. He served as a member of its teaching staff for more than a quarter of a century. He also represented the U.S. Soccer Federation as the technical advisor for the 1980 World Youth Championship in Tunisia, as well as the 1994 World Cup hosted by the United States.

A 1958 graduate of West Chester University, Fleck was an All-America player for the late Mel Lorback, the 2003 Honor Award recipient. He also was the men's varsity coach at Lehigh University, where he earned his doctorate in education in 1970 while serving as Director of the famed Centennial Elementary Laboratory School, the breeding ground for many of his innovative approaches to developmental learning systems. An accomplished author, he has produced or co-produced more than 10 books, including the popular The Baffled Parent's Guide to Great Soccer Drills.

Inducted into the Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame in 1996, Fleck also received the Walt Chyzowych Memorial Fund Award last year. He was presented an NSCAA Letter of Commendation in 1986 and participated in the torch relay for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Fleck currently resides in Valrica, Fla., with his wife, Janet. One of his sons, Logan, is the women's coach at the University of South Florida. He also has a daughter, Mary Beth, and a grandson, Braden. Another son, Derek, passed away in 2003.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

COLLEGE DIVISION/MEN

Paul Payne, Bloomsburg Univ., Bloomsburg, PA

COLLEGE DIVISION/WOMEN

Diane Drake, George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA

HIGH SCHOOL/BOYS

Joe Borrosh, Pittsford, NY

HIGH SCHOOL/GIRLS

Marti Coan, Oshkosh, WI

YOUTH SOCCER/BOYS

Tony McCall, Broomfield, CO

YOUTH SOCCER/GIRLS

Kathy Zolad, Farmington, CT

MEN'S PRO

Tim Holt, United Soccer Leagues, Tampa, FL

WOMEN'S PRO

Lauren Gregg, Charlottesville, VA

AT-LARGE

Mike Curry, Overbrook, PA

Hylton Dayes, Cincinnati, OH

Carlos Menjivar, Chula Vista, CA

REGIONAL TECHNICAL DIRECTORS

REGION I (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

Gary Cook 413-596-6811;

[e-mail]

REGION II (PA)

Paul Payne 570-389-4381;

[e-mail]

REGION III (DE, NJ, NY)

Mick Smoothey 973-631-9802, ext. 207

[e-mail]

REGION IV (GA, NC, SC)

Peter Broadley 336-841-4607

[e-mail]

REGION V (AL, FL, LA, MS)

Dave Gregson 386-323-5014

[e-mail]

REGION VI (D.C., MD, VA, WV)

Danny Beamer 540-345-7820;

[e-mail]

REGION VII (IL, IN, IA, MI, WI)

Dave DiTomasso 630-617-3470;

[e-mail]

REGION VIII (KY, OH, TN)

Ken White 502-852-2487;

[e-mail]

REGION IX (CO, MN, NE, ND, SD, WY)

Lang Wedemeyer 605-688-4070;

[e-mail]

REGION X (AK, KS, MO, OK, TX)

Jimmy Graham 210-654-3038;

[e-mail]

REGION XI (AZ, CA, HI, NM, NV, UT)

Marco Santillan 408-559-1503;

[e-mail]

REGION XII (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA)

George Hageage 509-359-7949;

[e-mail]

REGION XIII (Long Island, NY)

Gary Book 516-489-3900;

[e-mail]

BASIC FORMAT OF THE PROGRAM:

* State Diploma: designed for newly-involved coaches of players 6-10 years of age.

* National Youth Diploma: The National Youth Diploma Course is designed for the youth coach working with players 5-12 years of age. The overall objective of the course is to help coaches create the optimal learning environment for players at this development age.

* High School Coaches Diploma: a course dealing with managerial issues and practice and game strategies specific to coaches of boys and girls high school teams.

* Parent Coach Diploma: for coaches of players 5-8 years of age. The course deals with coaching young players who are playing the game for the first time.

* Director of Coaching Diploma: a course designed to address the issues confronting the Director of an American club.

* Regional/Advanced Regional Diploma: for coaches involved with players 11-18 years of age (Advanced regional deals with "systems of play.")

* National/Advanced National Diploma: directed toward a national constituency and residential in nature. Generally offered seven times between January and August each year. We strongly recommend coaches have either an NSCAA Advanced Regional or USSF "D" License before taking the National Diploma course. Advanced National requires the NSCAA National Diploma or USSF "B" or UEFA "B" license.

* Premier Diploma: by application only with limited enrollment. NSCAA Advanced National and/or the USSF "A" or UEFA "A" license is required. Offered on a limited basis.

* NSCAA Goalkeeping Institute: currently offered at three levels (State, Regional and National) to help coaches create an optimal learning environment for players of this specialized position.

* Special Topic Course: generally weekend courses taught by the National Academy Staff at special clinics and at various events, including the NSCAA Convention.

* Symposiums: educational events which typically take place around soccer-related events (i.e., NCAA men's and women's soccer championships).

Past Honor Award Winners

1970  Robert Henry "Harry" Rodgers, Referee, PA

1971  Donald Minnegan, Towson (MD)

1972  James Reed, Princeton

1973  John Squires, Connecticut

1974  Alden "Whitey" Burnham, Dartmouth College

1975  Robert Baptista, Wheaton College (IL)

1976  M.W. "Chick" Jacobus, Kingswood School

1977  Robert Guelker, SIU-Edwardsville

1978  Mickey Cochrane, Bowling Green (OH)

1979  James "Ted" Chambers, Howard University (DC)

1980  Donald Baker, Ursinus College (PA)

1981  Charles Matlack, Earlham College (IN)

1982  Harry J. Keough, Saint Louis

1983  Robert J. DeGrazia, California-Berkeley

1984  Julian Menendez, San Jose State

1985  C. Clifford McCrath, Seattle Pacific

1986  Walter A. Bahr, Penn State

1987  John McKeon, East Stroudsburg (PA) and James
      "Jimmy" Mills, Haverford College (PA)

1988  Joseph Bean, Wheaton College (IL)

1989  William H. Shellenberger, Lynchburg College
      (VA)

1990  Raymond Bernabei, NISOA

1991  Russ Carr, Westmont College (CA)

1992  Robert E. Nye, College of Wooster (OH)

1993  A. Terry Jackson, Wesleyan University (CT)

1994  Timothy O. Schum, Binghamton (NY)

1995  Joe Morrone, Connecticut

1996  Clay Berling, Publisher, Soccer America
      magazine

1997  Jerry Yeagley, Indiana

1998  Robert Robinson, Lower Merion H.S. (PA)

1999  Miller Bugliari, The Pingry School (NJ)

2000  Peter Gooding, Amherst College (MA)

2001  Bill Holleman, Shiloh HS (GA)

2002  Dr. Raymond Cieplik, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

2003  Mel Lorback, West Chester University (PA)

NSCAA COACHING ACADEMY PROGRAM FORMAT

Course                        Instruction   Testing

State Diploma                   5 hours     none
Regional Diploma               13 hours     none
Advanced Regional Supplement    8 hours     none
Advanced Regional Diploma      21 hours     none
National Youth Diploma         21 hours     none
State Goalkeeping               6 hours     none
Regional Goalkeeping            8 hours     none
National Goalkeeping            8 hours     3 hours
National Diploma               50 hours     6 hours
Advanced National Diploma      50 hours     6 hours
Premier Diploma                50 hours     optional
Parent Coach Diploma           2.5 hours    none
High School Coaches Diploma    21 hours     none
Director of Coaching Diploma   21 hours     none

FOR APPLICATIONS & INFORMATION, WRITE/PHONE:

NSCAA Coaching Academy

6700 Squibb Road, Suite 215, Mission, KS 66022

800-458-0678, www.NSCAA.com