On November 13, 2023, Mustang Soccer held our Annual General Meeting. The nominating slate for the new board members was presented and voted on by the membership, and many were presented with special recognition awards.
New Board Members are Chris Frangos and Gregory DePaco. Chris will take on the role of Competitive Director and Gregory will take on the role of Equipment Director.
Returning Board Members are Ricardo Martinez and Tripp McNutt. Ricardo will take on the new position of President and Tripp will stay in his current position as Recreational Director – Girls.
The Linda Ziemba Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Kelvin Downes, in recognition for generously volunteering his time and energy on behalf of all the youth of the Mustang Soccer League.
The Rick Samson Memorial Volunteer Award was presented to Alan Summers, in recognition for generously volunteering his time and energy on behalf of the competitive youth athletes of the Mustang Soccer League.
The Bob Oxenburgh “Honor the Game” Award was presented to our Youth Referee Mentor Program, which included, Greg Burgess, Jit Mistry, and Jon Talbot, in recognition for best exemplifying the spirit of “honoring the game” through his actions and sportsmanship, demonstrating to the children that the game and its values are more important than a victory.
The Kinnear Competitive Coach of the Year Award was presented to Fredrick W. Wilson III, in recognition for always putting the betterment of his players first, in all trainings and games. He displays integrity, perseverance, and a commitment to the philosophy of our competitive program.
Referee of the Year Award was presented to Adult Referees, David Brophy and Sarah Mitchell, and Youth Referees, Max Burgess and Jasmine (Jay) Rudick, who all officiated a minimum of 20 games this Fall season as both centers and AR, have positive attitudes, demonstrated professionalism, are good listeners, and live our Mustang Soccer Referee Motto, “Learn and practice something every game!”
Student-Athlete Awards were presented to four student-athletes, who are seniors in high school, in recognition of their altruistic and valuable contributions to Mustang Soccer, outstanding performance as a soccer athlete, and exemplary academic achievements. This year’s recipients are Emily Kalin and Joshua Balagot.
Youth Coaches were given special recognition for their willingness to assist with our Recreational program, allowing more youth the ability to play on a team. Thank you to Joshua Balagot, Ella Beardslee, Connor Clark, James Downes, Alden Hofstde, Taylor Juroff, Emily Kalin, Neal Malik, Nicole McClure, Bella Silva, and Nick Timbers.
Special Recognition was given to Bill O’Donnell for his long-term commitment as a team admin for the 06B ECNL Team.
Special Guest, Marin King Goldt, widow of Dick King, was in attendance. She expressed her and her family’s sincere gratitude to the club for the continuation of our annual end of season Rec and Rec Plus Dick King Tournament, named after her late husband. Please see this year’s winners.
By Melissa Durkee, Marketing & Communications Director, Mustang Soccer