Dan Woog Earns “High School Coach Of Significance” Award
Staples High School boys head coach Dan Woog has earned one of his profession’s highest honors.
United Soccer Coaches — the 30,000-member national organization, with members from the youth, high school, college and professional ranks — has presented him with its 3rd annual High School Coach of Significance Award.
The honor recognizes members “who are coaching for character, and using the soccer field to teach life lessons at the high school level.” Honorees “make an impact within their schools and communities well beyond their records of wins and losses.”
Each state honors one coach from its ranks. Nominations come from coaching colleagues in the state.
“These outstanding coaches represent the ultimate spirit of coaching while making an impact on player’s lives in all aspects of their core development both on and off the field,” says Rusty Oglesby, United Soccer Coaches high school advocacy chair.”
Woog — who is in his 17th year as Staples’ head coach, following many years as an assistant, and before that as a founder of the Westport Soccer Association youth program — says he is “surprised, awed and grateful” for the award.
“It has my name on it. But it really belongs to our entire Staples High School boys soccer staff. Every person I coach with does the same thing: teaches life lessons through soccer, and turns teenagers into young men. Kurt Dasbach has done it for 16 years, Tom Henske for 11. Jim St. Andre has joined us too. What they give to our kids is astonishing.
“Chris O’Dell is a legend for his impact on 9th graders. Now Russell Oost-Lievense and Reilly Lynch are doing it at the reserves level.
“Soccer has been very good to me,” Woog adds. “I have met amazing people and had fantastic experiences. I love what I do, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to do it with some of the most creative, talented, intelligent and fun players — and people — anywhere. I think they have had more of an impact on me than I’ve had on them. They share in this award too, for sure.”
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