OYSA Coach of the Year: Congratuatlations to Michelle Cannici

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Every year, the Oregon Youth Soccer Association (OYSA) names Coaches of the Year for girls and boys for both recreational and competitive teams.  Coaches are nominated for the award by their club and the winners are chosen by OYSA.  Beaverton’s Michelle Cannici was selected by OYSA as the 2021 Oregon Girls’ Recreational Coach of the Year.  She coaches 5th and 8th grade girls in Westside Soccer Club.

The 2021 award winners from all states were sent on to US Youth Soccer (USYS) who then named four Regional coaches of the year for 2022. Oregon is in the western region, which is composed of 11 western states plus Alaska and Hawaii, and it is from this group of nominees that Michelle was chosen as the USYS Western Regional award winner for girls’ recreational teams.

Michelle is a former youth, high school and college soccer player; she played at Milwaukie HS and then at Western Oregon University.  She has been coaching youth soccer in Beaverton for the past six years, often coaching two or three teams each season.  So many players wanted to play for her this past season that she needed to coach two 8th grade teams, in addition to her younger daughter’s 5th grade team, to accommodate them all.

Comments about Michelle from parents include: “She is always encouraging the players to try their best and push themselves to be their best,” “she cultivates respect, self-esteem, confidence and teamwork” and “she teaches the skills of soccer in a way that shows her love the game.”  Congratulations to Michelle!

Recreational soccer for grades K-12 is run in the Beaverton area by the Tualatin Hills Junior Soccer League.  Interested families should go to www.tualatinhillsjuniorsoccerleague.com to find which of the five member clubs serves their area.

Karl Meyer is an 18 year Beaverton resident, a retired engineer and the President of Westside Soccer Club (www.westsidesoccerclub.com).