Letter from the president.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of the National Soccer Coaches Association, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the 59th Annual NSCAA Convention. Once again many of the brightest minds in the game of soccer have gathered to learn and fellowship with one another as we seek to further the game of soccer in the United States and around the world.

When the theme of "Play with Freedom" was selected for this year's gathering, it was chosen for two very distinct reasons. First, we are in the city of Philadelphia, a locale that has hosted many of our past conventions and is, to many, including myself, the center of freedom in this country. (My family emigrated to the U.S. from China when I was a boy.) Second, the concept of allowing our players to be creative and have the freedom to make decisions in the run of play is a hallmark of the NSCAA and its coaching philosophy.

Empowering our players with the freedom to make decisions is just one of the many reasons that the game of soccer is so special. It is my hope that during our convention you will encounter many opportunities to learn training methods designed to produce success through those freedoms.

Thank you to the city of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau for their many contributions to all that you will experience this weekend. I also want to express my appreciation to the Board of Directors and the National Office Staff for their hard work over the past twelve months of my presidency.

Once again, the convention is on the way to setting records for the number of attendees and exhibitors, and that growth has resulted in a first-ever session on Wednesday to kick off the weekend of activities. My sincere thanks to Convention Manager Rob Robinson and his committee for their outstanding effort making the preparations necessary for the convention to operate in the highly efficient manner we have become accustomed to over the years.

I encourage you to attend as many of the sessions and special events like the Awards Banquet, so that you can experience the convention to its fullest and immerse yourself in the beautiful game in ways you may never have considered before now.

We are also here to celebrate the accomplishments of the NSCAA over the past twelve months. For the first time in its history, the NSCAA conducted its Premier Diploma course in Brazil as a group of 40 coaches traveled south of the equator for a week of instruction and immersion in the soccer culture of the current holder of the World Cup.

This has also been an important year for the NSCAA's commitment to the college game with the hiring of Pat Britz in the position of Division I Intercollegiate Programs Director and the establishment of the Fox Soccer Channel College Game of the Week presented by the NSCAA.

Finally, just as countless other organizations have responded to the devastation on the Gulf Coast from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the NSCAA has committed significant financial resources to aid its members who live in the affected areas. Our relief plan includes complimentary convention registration and cash awards to help with reconstruction.

As this is a World Cup Year, the eyes of the soccer world are focused on host Germany and the 32 teams who will compete in the World Cup Finals. For the U.S., this competition will represent another step in its rapid development as a world soccer power, and many of the coaches responsible for the development of players making the ascension possible will be in attendance this week.

It is a testament to the quality of the coaches in this country that player development has progressed so quickly, and a portion of that success is due to coaches preparing themselves through coaching education. The NSCAA is a leader in coaching education in this country and respected around the world for its efforts to prepare coaches at every level of the game for the challenges of training the next generation of great players.

While I have emphasized the educational opportunities of the convention, I want to stress the need for camaraderie and enjoyment of your fellow soccer family members. Through my association with the NSCAA, I have developed many friendships that bring me back year after year to not only rekindle those relationships but to establish new ones.

Enjoy the largest annual gathering of soccer coaches anywhere in the world!

Sincerely,

Schellas Hyndman

President, NSCAA