Ray Woodard (soccer coach)
Encyclopedia
Ray Woodard was a longtime soccer coach at Indian Springs School
in Alabama
, and has been called the "father of soccer in Alabama".
He was the "first 'A' licensed coach" and Director of Coaching for Alabama.
Woodard Honored With National Award
.
In those early days his Indian Spring team won prep championship after championship, first playing in the Dixie Conference that included teams from Tennessee and Georgia.
Indian Springs was a tiny school of about 150 students. It was the first high school in Alabama to field a boys' soccer team. When his teams started losing state titles, more often than not those losses came at the hands of coaches who had played for him at Indian Springs.
Woodard was Alabama’s first “A” licensed coach and was the state’s first Director of Coaching, then strictly a volunteer position. He started the state licensing program and taught all of the courses until 1994. He was always a teacher of the game.
“I started coaching in 1981 and was totally lost,” said Dan Mikos, current President of Alabama Youth Soccer. “I had no soccer background and very minimal training from my club. Fortunately, in my second season I was given a practice area at Indian Springs School and met Ray Woodard.
“I soon learned he had started the first high school league, our state’s first referee organization, was our only “A” licensed coach, and our only ODP coach. Yet, each time I practiced my U-8 team he would come by and give us a new drill or coaching technique.”
Ray Woodard would never let this paralysis define him or who he was. In fact, Coach Woodard rarely let it hold him back in any way.
With extensive rehab, he was able to attend regional camp in a golf cart to watch his ODP team compete. Three of those ODP players were national team players.
Among the many recommendations for Woodard’s nomination as Coach of the Year, one of his former Indian Springs players, Dr. James Geyer said, “He (Woodard) has taken soccer from an almost unknown past-time in Alabama to a major sport. His interest was not only in developing his team, but also in developing the sport as a whole.”
https://www.indiansprings.org/ftpimages/335/download/ISS_magazine.pdf
pg 17
Indian Springs School
Indian Springs School is a private school that includes grades eight through twelve with both boarding and day students. It is at the base of Oak Mountain, in Indian Springs Village, Shelby County, Alabama, United States, near Pelham and just outside Birmingham.-History:Indian Springs School was...
in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, and has been called the "father of soccer in Alabama".
He was the "first 'A' licensed coach" and Director of Coaching for Alabama.
Woodard Honored With National Award
As Coach of The Indian Springs School Soccer Team
Woodard, an All-America player at Brockport State (CT), moved to Alabama to begin a soccer program at Indian Springs SchoolIndian Springs School
Indian Springs School is a private school that includes grades eight through twelve with both boarding and day students. It is at the base of Oak Mountain, in Indian Springs Village, Shelby County, Alabama, United States, near Pelham and just outside Birmingham.-History:Indian Springs School was...
.
In those early days his Indian Spring team won prep championship after championship, first playing in the Dixie Conference that included teams from Tennessee and Georgia.
Indian Springs was a tiny school of about 150 students. It was the first high school in Alabama to field a boys' soccer team. When his teams started losing state titles, more often than not those losses came at the hands of coaches who had played for him at Indian Springs.
The Father of Soccer in Alabama
Over a span of four decades Ray Woodard introduced soccer to thousands of young players in Alabama.Woodard was Alabama’s first “A” licensed coach and was the state’s first Director of Coaching, then strictly a volunteer position. He started the state licensing program and taught all of the courses until 1994. He was always a teacher of the game.
“I started coaching in 1981 and was totally lost,” said Dan Mikos, current President of Alabama Youth Soccer. “I had no soccer background and very minimal training from my club. Fortunately, in my second season I was given a practice area at Indian Springs School and met Ray Woodard.
“I soon learned he had started the first high school league, our state’s first referee organization, was our only “A” licensed coach, and our only ODP coach. Yet, each time I practiced my U-8 team he would come by and give us a new drill or coaching technique.”
Unrivaled Sportsmanship
Kenneth White, former Director of Coaching for the Alabama Youth Soccer said, “Ray Woodard has always been the epitome of sportsmanship. His coaching has always been positive in its approach. He is never negative and rarely raised his voice or degraded a player. He set a standard of Fair player and sportsmanship to his players that was beyond reproach.”Paralysis
In 1997, at a time he was coaching Alabama’s 82 girls ODP team, Woodard suffered an aneurysm in his brain, that left him partially paralyzed.Ray Woodard would never let this paralysis define him or who he was. In fact, Coach Woodard rarely let it hold him back in any way.
With extensive rehab, he was able to attend regional camp in a golf cart to watch his ODP team compete. Three of those ODP players were national team players.
2002 Youth National Coach of the Year for Boys
At the US Youth Soccer AGM in Atlanta in 2002 Ray Woodard was named the 2002 Youth National Coach of the Year for boys.Among the many recommendations for Woodard’s nomination as Coach of the Year, one of his former Indian Springs players, Dr. James Geyer said, “He (Woodard) has taken soccer from an almost unknown past-time in Alabama to a major sport. His interest was not only in developing his team, but also in developing the sport as a whole.”
External links
https://www.indiansprings.org/ftpimages/335/download/ISS_magazine.pdf
pg 17