ALITHSA Volunteer Recognition Program

Jim McKinnon - U16 Boys Travel and HS Girls Rec Coach

ALITHSA would like to recognize Coach Jim McKinnon for his "above and beyond" volunteer work.

One of the emails we receive nominating Jim came from an opposing Coach in the Blackmore Girls League: "For another coach in the Blackburn league (outside of ALITHSA) to send this unsolicited speaks volumes about Jim, his commitment and ability to teach any of our children not only the game of soccer, but sportsmanship as well. We need more coaches like Jim at all age levels."

"The Blackmore League has grown considerably over the past, and largely due to the commitment of our coaches. ALITHSA has struggled to field a team for a few years, but you seem to have something really special starting to develop there. ... Our league needs more success stories like yours. Keep up the great work and please share my thoughts with your girls. They need to know that others are watching, and walking away very impressed with what we are seeing from ALITHSA!"

We took a few minutes of Jim's time to get to know him better.

ALITHSA:

How long have you been involved in soccer and in what forms?

Jim:

I began in soccer coaching my oldest son James. He became my leading scorer and later became good enough to play defense for me. That was about 25 years ago. The ALITHSA league was newly formed and the coaches were far and few between. So no one was going to turn away help. My first team was a U-14 co-ed team. I believe Tim Zoellner was on that team. He has become a great coach himself. I have always been a coach, I have coached travel at U-16, U-19, the freshman team at Jacobs (1 year), Varsity coach at Marian Central (1 year), currently the head coach for U-16 girls rec, U-14 boys, U-16 boys, and the 8th grade coach for Riley Consolidated Schools in Marengo, IL. I hold an ACEP license, E license, and a D license.

ALITHSA:

What are the three top things for you as a coach?

Jim:

Player development on and off the field. Sportsmanship. Giving them a love for the sport.

ALITHSA:

What in your view are the top three things for the players?

Jim:

Never forget three words: Dream, Believe, and Achieve. As a coach let your kids dream, then give them the skills to believe in themselves, and make sure they aren't afraid to achieve.

ALITHSA:

What can we teach our kids about playing soccer and who is your favorite soccer player (or other sport) - role model?

Jim:

Teach the kids to love what they do whether it is soccer or shuffle board, give them the inner light to achieve. My favorite players are my three children; My daughter who at the age of 15 had to play on the woman's team because we had no girls teams at the time. My oldest boy who was not a natural at soccer but made himself one of the best defensive players in the Fox Valley conference Playing his entire career as a varsity starter. My youngest son who played in his first varsity game as sophomore and never looked back, played in college all four years.

ALITHSA:

Please tell us about your most special soccer memory or event.

Jim:

I remember when I was coaching a freshman team at Jacobs and we had one child on the team who was mentally and physically challenged. The kids on the team never said anything negative but they were unsure of how to act. I told them they were lucky and for the grace of God they could be in his shoes. The young man came to every practice, worked as hard as he could, and did what he could. We were playing another school and the game was close we were up 1-0 and I put the young man in the game. The kids as a team rooted for him and yelled for him to have success. He was clipped from behind and knocked down by the opposing team. I found I not only had a team but I had all I could do to keep the players from retaliating in mass. I was proud of all them, they stuck together and knew they were lucky to the young man as a teammate.

ALITHSA:

How in your mind can we make soccer in ALITHSA as creative and fun as possible?

Jim:

Make sure your kids learn the basic skills at the younger ages, make sure as they reach the older ages they understand what it will take to make the high school teams. A lot of people helped me raise the money we needed to pay for the high school soccer program for three years before district 300 would allow us to have a program in the high school. Make sure we are giving the kids the information they need to compete at that level.

ALITHSA:

Anything special you would like to share with all of us in ALITHSA about being a volunteer?

Jim:

I have taken far more from being a volunteer than I have put into ALITHSA. I play on Friday nights and am constantly playing against kids I used to coach. By the way they don't have any pity for me. There isn't a soccer field in the area than I can't walk on and hear the echoes of my sons and their friends having fun, playing the game, and win or lose they left their game on the field. Even when the team was another team from town. Watching successes for the kids no matter how big or small and knowing your were part of it is special. Put the successes in the bank, they are fun to remember and never be afraid to ask for help.

ALITHSA:

Thank you Jim!

If you know of any ALITHSA coach, asst. coach, team mom, referee or coordinator that goes above and beyond, please let us know about it. We want to regularly recognize those that stand out from the crowd.

Please send your nominations and the reason for the nomination to mvp@alithsa.org.

Home Page Recreational Program Travel Program Registration Parent Participation Rec Schedules NRSL Schedules Travel Schedules FAQ Medical Waiver Form Maps to Parks Incident Report Form Volunteer Recognition Referee Information The Laws of the Game ALITHSA Constitution Board Meeting Minutes Contact Us		ALITHSA Volunteer Recognition Program Jim McKinnon - U16 Boys Travel and HS Girls Rec Coach ALITHSA would like to recognize Coach Jim McKinnon for his "above and beyond" volunteer work. One of the emails we receive nominating Jim came from an opposing Coach in the Blackmore Girls League: "For another coach in the Blackburn league (outside of ALITHSA) to send this unsolicited speaks volumes about Jim, his commitment and ability to teach any of our children not only the game of soccer, but sportsmanship as well. We need more coaches like Jim at all age levels." "The Blackmore League has grown considerably over the past, and largely due to the commitment of our coaches. ALITHSA has struggled to field a team for a few years, but you seem to have something really special starting to develop there. ... Our league needs more success stories like yours. Keep up the great work and please share my thoughts with your girls. They need to know that others are watching, and walking away very impressed with what we are seeing from ALITHSA!" We took a few minutes of Jim's time to get to know him better. ALITHSA: How long have you been involved in soccer and in what forms? Jim: I began in soccer coaching my oldest son James. He became my leading scorer and later became good enough to play defense for me. That was about 25 years ago. The ALITHSA league was newly formed and the coaches were far and few between. So no one was going to turn away help. My first team was a U-14 co-ed team. I believe Tim Zoellner was on that team. He has become a great coach himself. I have always been a coach, I have coached travel at U-16, U-19, the freshman team at Jacobs (1 year), Varsity coach at Marian Central (1 year), currently the head coach for U-16 girls rec, U-14 boys, U-16 boys, and the 8th grade coach for Riley Consolidated Schools in Marengo, IL. I hold an ACEP license, E license, and a D license. ALITHSA: What are the three top things for you as a coach? Jim: Player development on and off the field. Sportsmanship. Giving them a love for the sport. ALITHSA: What in your view are the top three things for the players? Jim: Never forget three words: Dream, Believe, and Achieve. As a coach let your kids dream, then give them the skills to believe in themselves, and make sure they aren't afraid to achieve. ALITHSA: What can we teach our kids about playing soccer and who is your favorite soccer player (or other sport) - role model? Jim: Teach the kids to love what they do whether it is soccer or shuffle board, give them the inner light to achieve. My favorite players are my three children; My daughter who at the age of 15 had to play on the woman's team because we had no girls teams at the time. My oldest boy who was not a natural at soccer but made himself one of the best defensive players in the Fox Valley conference Playing his entire career as a varsity starter. My youngest son who played in his first varsity game as sophomore and never looked back, played in college all four years. ALITHSA: Please tell us about your most special soccer memory or event. Jim: I remember when I was coaching a freshman team at Jacobs and we had one child on the team who was mentally and physically challenged. The kids on the team never said anything negative but they were unsure of how to act. I told them they were lucky and for the grace of God they could be in his shoes. The young man came to every practice, worked as hard as he could, and did what he could. We were playing another school and the game was close we were up 1-0 and I put the young man in the game. The kids as a team rooted for him and yelled for him to have success. He was clipped from behind and knocked down by the opposing team. I found I not only had a team but I had all I could do to keep the players from retaliating in mass. I was proud of all them, they stuck together and knew they were lucky to the young man as a teammate. ALITHSA: How in your mind can we make soccer in ALITHSA as creative and fun as possible? Jim: Make sure your kids learn the basic skills at the younger ages, make sure as they reach the older ages they understand what it will take to make the high school teams. A lot of people helped me raise the money we needed to pay for the high school soccer program for three years before district 300 would allow us to have a program in the high school. Make sure we are giving the kids the information they need to compete at that level. ALITHSA: Anything special you would like to share with all of us in ALITHSA about being a volunteer? Jim: I have taken far more from being a volunteer than I have put into ALITHSA. I play on Friday nights and am constantly playing against kids I used to coach. By the way they don't have any pity for me. There isn't a soccer field in the area than I can't walk on and hear the echoes of my sons and their friends having fun, playing the game, and win or lose they left their game on the field. Even when the team was another team from town. Watching successes for the kids no matter how big or small and knowing your were part of it is special. Put the successes in the bank, they are fun to remember and never be afraid to ask for help. ALITHSA: Thank you Jim! If you know of any ALITHSA coach, asst. coach, team mom, referee or coordinator that goes above and beyond, please let us know about it. We want to regularly recognize those that stand out from the crowd. Please send your nominations and the reason for the nomination to mvp@alithsa.org.