Wittenberg University Men's Soccer Head Coach Steve Dawson Wins State Title With Youth Club Team

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Wittenberg University Men's Soccer Head Coach Steve Dawson loves to impart wisdom. Whether he is teaching in a classroom as a Health, Fitness and Sport faculty member or shouting encouragement from the sideline during a soccer game, Dawson educates the young people under his direction.

It comes as no surprise then that he is involved in a burgeoning youth soccer organization based in Dublin, Ohio, called Ohio FC. Considering his more than 200 collegiate victories at the helm of the Wittenberg men's soccer program over the last 20-plus years, it should also come as no surprise that the Ohio FC Under-17 (U-17) team he coaches recently captured first place in the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) Ohio State Championship. It was the first state title for the club, which sponsors teams in several age groups for both boys and girls.

"The goal is to develop young soccer players," said Dawson, who has been involved in Ohio FC since 1997. "It's not just about winning games."

There are many positives associated with Dawson's involvement in youth soccer. A native of London, England, Dawson has long been an advocate for soccer in America, and he instills his passion in hundreds of young athletes every year - attracting players to Ohio FC from across the state, including Springfield. He has introduced many of his former Wittenberg players to the joys of coaching - among them are Stefan Christman '03, Josh Curtis '03, Dave Baust '90 and Kris Hazard '91, who currently serves as Wittenberg's men's soccer assistant coach. He also sells the university and the soccer program he has led since 1981, building contacts and spreading the word about Wittenberg's many positive attributes.

Next up for the Ohio FC U-17 team is the USYSA Region II Tournament June 25-30 in Rockford, Ill., where 208 teams in seven age groups from a 13-state region spanning from North Dakota to Kentucky will compete for the right to advance to the USYSA. More than 270 preliminary games will be played as USYSA state champions and select runners-up in the under-13 through under-19 age groups compete for a regional crown. Age group champions from Region II will compete against other regional champions for the USYSA National Championship at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., July 20-25.

UPDATE: Dawson and the Ohio FC Under-17 team represented Ohio's South District extremely well as the Region II Championships, turning in a second-place finish. After finishing in a 2-2 tie with Ohio's North District representative, Ohio FC won three straight 1-0 games against teams from Nebraska, Indiana and Kansas before losing in the finals to a team from Missouri by a 3-0 score.

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