Bryan Yorke receives national soccer coaching honor | Sports Briefs

Bryan Yorke, a coach for the Federal Way United Soccer Club, has won Positive Coaching Alliance’s coveted Double-Goal Coach Award Presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance for his positive impact on youth athletes.

The award, named for coaches whose first goal is winning and teaching life lessons through sports, carries a $250 prize.

"Bryan wins on the scoreboard, and more importantly, he wins by creating a positive, character-building sports experience for youth athletes," said Jim Thompson, PCA's founder and executive director and author of several books on coaching and sports parenting. "Ultimately, the youth athletes Bryan coaches are the real winners, and as those athletes become tomorrow’s leaders our society as a whole wins."

Yorke's team, Federal Way United Reign, captured the 2008 US Club Soccer National Cup, but the coach sees beyond the scoreboard.

"I want the kids I coach to be more than just good soccer players," he said. "I want them to be good people, good students, good family members…people who have goals and things they are striving to achieve and who are giving back to society and their community."

Liberty Mutual and PCA have also partnered to help youth sports coaches and parents, through the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program. Founded in 2007, the program serves as a means to highlight the positive impact that everyday, responsible actions can have on our youth.

The Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program provides resources for parents and coaches at ResponsibleSports.com to help children reap the full benefits of playing a team sport. The online community incorporates blogs, videos, and best practices on youth sports topics that provide practical, real-world advice. Parents and coaches also can complete guides on positive sports mentoring that offer best practices for handling challenging sports scenarios.

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