Christine Gloth, NJ Youth Soccer (Photo by Cos Lymperopoulos)

New Jersey Youth Soccer continues its celebration of the 2024 NJYS Awards Dinner Presented by RWJBarnabas Health, officially recognizing Juan Morales of the Roxbury Soccer Club as the NJYS Recreation Coach of the Year. Each year, this award highlights the accomplishments and dedication that a recreation level coach has displayed to their players and community.

“The beautiful game of soccer has the power to unite the entire world and bring everyone joy for a brief moment,” said Morales. “It is an honor to coach these young players.”

Juan Morales has proven to be a worthy recipient of the NJYS Recreation Coach of the Year Award. Members of the Roxbury Soccer Club rave about his contributions to the players and families of the teams he coaches. He is known for teaching sportsmanship, player development (on and off the field) and being involved in his community. Coach Morales consistently promotes values of fair play, respect and integrity, all while striving to create a training environment that encourages the enthusiasm, creativity and self-confidence that allows each player to realize their full potential. He possesses a well-defined coaching philosophy centered on holistic player development, and his approach emphasizes skill acquisition, tactical understanding, teamwork and character development. 

Many feel that the most incredible quality of Coach Morales is his inclusiveness and welcoming attitude toward all of the diverse families that make up his teams. One such example of this is when he went out of his way to pick up a father from work and drove him to his son’s game, just so he could watch him play.

In addition to a plaque to commemorate this achievement, Coach Morales was treated to a congratulatory video tribute from Juan Carlos Amoros, head coach of NJ/NY Gotham FC, that was played on the video screens for the awards dinner audience to enjoy. He also received a custom ball from SIGND displaying a QR code that provided access to his personalized video.

NJ Youth Soccer held its 2024 NJYS Annual Awards Dinner Presented by RWJBarnabas Health earlier this month, where many players, coaches and guests of the soccer community were on hand at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. With more than 1,000 attendees, the event saw a capacity crowd for the annual celebration.

To find out more information about New Jersey Youth Soccer or to contact us directly, please email [email protected]. Also make sure to follow us on social media: @NJYouthSoccer