For some time, the idea has been circulating around the Olentangy Youth Athletic Association, but it didn't become official until recently.

The OYAA has selected Brian Bronowski as its new director of soccer. A task force was formed in 2000 to look at the state of the select soccer program and to see what might be done to make it better.

It was decided that, despite a high number of volunteers, the program could improve on things such as expertise in the areas of coaching and training.

"This last year was the first year that every team had a dedicated trainer and coach that truly was licensed and had experience," OYAA Select Soccer Commissioner Ken Neuhart said. "We are at a point where we want to enhance that ability to do more development."

Development, according to OYAA Board President John Folk, is something that leads to successful teams.

"If you develop the program and develop skills and training, they'll automatically become more competitive and they'll automatically win more," he said. "Our primary goal has been development of the program."

Enter Bronowski, who will be responsible for both select soccer and rec soccer in OYAA.

"We want to provide the best environment in terms of the best training we can find," Neuhart said. "The parents are willing to pay for it. Brian is going to add another dimension in terms of him bringing a network of access to certain soccer organizations (such as the Columbus Crew, Ohio State University and Ohio Wesleyan). We're excited about having access to those institutions via Brian."

Bronowski has been interested in the position since he heard about it over a year ago.

"I was contacted this past February and told that there was an interest," he said. "From there it kind of grew and when I was told that I was their choice, I was ecstatic. I think it's a great area for soccer. I think it's a great organization, and above all else, it's just going to grow."

The job is listed as full-time, but will be considerably more, especially during the spring and fall youth seasons.

Bronowski, from Colorado Springs, Colo., played soccer at the University of New Mexico and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

"From there, I had a very brief professional career," he said. "I got injured really early. It was one of those things where they said for me not to play anymore, so I didn't."

In 1988, Bronowski began coaching the game, first at the high school level in Virginia, then as women's team assistant at William and Mary.

From there, he was an assistant in the A League, the level just below Major League Soccer.

He's currently the Capital Soccer Club interim director and is on staff with the Crew, but will officially begin his new OYAA post around June 1.

Bronowski turns his sights toward youth soccer because of why he's in the game to begin with.

"My interest in youth (soccer) is it gives me an opportunity to give back," he said. "My first coach played college at LeHigh and he came back and coached our team. I thought he was the coolest guy ever.

"We didn't have a good team, but I just remember always having fun. My first experience was such a positive experience that the game just grabbed me and I didn't want to play anything else."

Some of the things important to Bronowski are the kids having fun with and learning the sport.

"It needs to be fun, but the coach needs to know his team," he said. "I'm hoping I can help our coaches. I'm here not to tell people how to do things, but just to give them assistance and maybe a little bit of guidance if I can. I think there are always different ways to do things."

And Bronowski hopes to become very visible in the soccer community.

"I think I can get very hands-on," he said. "Through the course of each season, I'll offer coaching opportunities for all the kids, maybe on a Sunday afternoon.

"In addition to that, working with the coaches. I feel I never stop learning and I'm constantly turning to people that I respect as coaches for advice and feedback."

Neuhart and Folk, along with the board, liked how Bronowski operates.

"We spent about six hours with Brian over the course of two evenings," Neuhart said. "Those six hours ran the gambit of just about everything you could conceivably discuss about youth soccer that you can discuss, but it really got down to philosophy."

"He's somebody who really wanted to go in the same direction as we did as far as the instruction and development of the kids," Folk said. "Figuring that when the kids learn to love the sport and learn the basics, they'll start winning and be more competitive. But the biggest thing is the development of the whole program."

Bronowski will have no specific benchmarks by which he will be judged.

"We, as an organization, have no precepts of him having to deliver so many tournament champions, so many state cups," Neuhart said. "We don't have those things.

"We want our kids to enjoy the game and to develop. And whether they go on to play later in life, we just want that experience to be positive."

Read more Central Ohio sports and community news at SNPonline.com.

	Brian Bronowski (center) will work with Ken Neuhart (left) and John Folk (right) as the new director of soccer for the Olentangy Youth Athletic Association.
Reprinted courtesy of Olentangy Valley News/SNP 2002