Steve Dawson

Springfield, Ohio — What little "spare" time Wittenberg University Men's Soccer Head Coach Steve Dawson had this summer vanished recently when three youth club teams he coaches qualified for the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) Region II Championships June 24-29 in Fox Cities, Wisc.

Dawson serves as director of coaching for Dublin, Ohio-based Team Ohio FC, one of the most successful youth soccer clubs in the 13-state Region II. After Team Ohio FC U17 and U18 boys' teams won Ohio State Cup championships in late May, the club now boasts more boys' state champions than any other central Ohio club since 2000, with 27 over the last 11 years.

Those two teams and Team Ohio FC's U16 boys, which received a berth as an alternate, next compete for the right to advance to the USYSA National Championships. Age group champions from Region II will compete against other regional champions for national titles at a tournament July 26-30 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Winning is fun and certainly important to Dawson, a native of London, England, and the chair of Wittenberg's Department of Health, Fitness and Sport. But it is far from the only thing. Developing the character and athletic ability of young people — from those involved with Team Ohio FC's program to college students at Wittenberg — is paramount.

"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."

Dawson has a career record at Wittenberg of 273-206-34, and his teams have made five appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament since 1991. He has been named North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year three times.

Written By: Ryan Maurer

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