Stross Named Sun Conference Coach of Character Award Recipient
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Southeastern Head Women’s Soccer Coach Dominic Stross has been selected as the 2011 Sun Conference Coach of Character Award Winner. As a winner at the conference level, Stross will now represent The Sun Conference in a pool of other conference award winners who will be considered for the NAIA Coach of Character award.
Stross joined the Southeastern women’s soccer program in 2004 as an assistant coach. The following season he assumed the head coaching duties and has led the Fire to a 92-32-4 record over the past six seasons.
“Dominic represents each of the core values of the NAIA Champions of Character,” Southeastern Athletic Director Duane Aagaard said of Stross. “The depth of relationships, family and ministry that takes place within our women’s soccer team is a direct reflection of Dominic’s leadership. Attitude, work ethic, commitment and responsibility are the four cornerstones of the pyramid that describes the women’s soccer program. Stross believes these cornerstones transcend soccer due to his desire to produce champions for life as opposed to champions for a season. He often reminds his team that ‘it’s only a game; there’s more to soccer than soccer.’”
Stross leads his team not only on the soccer pitch but also in the real world, organizing a number of community service outreach opportunities for his players. Under Stross’ guidance, Southeastern’s women’s soccer team has given of their time in a variety of ways, including volunteering at Give Kids the World, Oasis Community Church and the Bartow Fire House. They have also put together a food-drive campaign to help stock the local food pantries and soup kitchens and led a Free Youth Clinic for soccer clubs in local low-income neighborhoods.
Lindsay Harris, who played for Coach Stross for three years and served as an assistant coach on his staff for another three years, had this to say about him: “Coach Stross was by far the best coach I ever played for. Not only did he teach us about understanding the game and the strategy and techniques of soccer, he taught us about life and family and relationships. He also taught us a lot about servant leadership. He invested a great deal of time in the soccer program, to the point of having to sacrifice his own personal time, yet he always did so with a positive attitude. He is a very humble man who would never seek out personal recognition, but he certainly deserves this award.”
The criteria for the NAIA Coach of Character Award is stated as follows: the nominee must be a head coach of a NAIA institution, he/she must have been employed by the institution a minimum of five years, the nominee must be clearly outstanding in embracing the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative (respect, integrity, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership), outstanding in methods of teaching character through sport, and outstanding in community leadership through volunteering, service or other means.