Owego’s Kari Ryder-Morton earns State Coach of the Year

New York State West Youth Soccer Association had announced the selection of Kari Ryder-Morton of Hiawatha Soccer Association as the 2017 State Girls’ Competitive Coach of the Year.  

Coach Kari, of Owego, has coached the highly successful Hiawatha Hawks and Hiawatha Spirit girls travel soccer teams for the past three years and has for many years also served as volunteer coach of teams in the Tioga County Youth Soccer Association recreational league. 

The choice of the 2017 Coach of the Year, for which Coach Kari was selected from among all of the dedicated girls soccer coaches throughout the State, is based upon consideration of selection criteria including promotion of sportsmanship, effective and positive player development, commitment to personal coaching development and positive leadership and influence in the soccer community.

The Hiawatha Soccer Association and the players on her teams nominated Coach Kari for this award. In support of the nomination, Hiawatha Soccer Association Vice President, Lauran Murphy, stated that Coach Kari’s passion and enthusiasm for coaching and her appreciation for her time with the girls are constant. 

“The players, parents, and I look up to her as a true leader, coach, mentor, and friend for all,” Murphy added. 

Alex Aubel, an 11-year-old player on the Hiawatha Hawks, added that Coach Kari loves to win.

She said, “Most importantly she cares about us. We are her family.” 

Coach Kari has been a model of strength, courage and dedication to her team, all the while valiantly battling colon cancer with which she was diagnosed in February 2016. Despite any personal challenges presented by regular treatments in New York City and Johnson City over the past year and a half, Coach Kari has led her teams at nearly every match and training without missing a beat.  Although she has been fully open with her players regarding her circumstances, Coach Kari’s commitment has been consistently focused on the girls she coaches and their development as players and young women.

Hiawatha Soccer Association Registrar, Allison Higgins, stated, “I admire Kari for her courage and dedication and I value her contributions as a coach in our club and in our community. We are truly blessed to have someone like Kari in our lives.”

This prestigious youth soccer coaching award will be formally presented at the NYSWYSA Annual General Meeting and Awards Banquet in Rochester on Saturday Nov. 4, which will also feature a town hall meeting with United States Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati. As a scheduled medical procedure will unfortunately prevent Coach Kari from attending the Nov. 4 ceremony in Rochester, arrangements are being made for the Coach of the Year Award to be presented to her in an informal local setting with her players in attendance sometime in the near future.

Hiawatha Soccer Association is a not-for-profit travel soccer club, based in Owego, N.Y. The primary goal is to support the development of youth through offering competitive soccer opportunities in a nurturing environment. Hiawatha, led by an all-volunteer staff of officers and coaches, fields competitive soccer teams for boys and girls ages six to 19.

To learn more, visit hiawathasoccer.org.