ST. LOUIS - Of the many presentations here at the NSCAA Convention Thursday, one of the most touching was made by the Native American Soccer Coaching Committee, a subcommittee of the NSCAA’s Diversity Committee.

Presented to a fairly small gathering, the information nonetheless provided a powerful example of how soccer can be a difference maker in the lives of young people, even those with difficult situations.

The difficult situation here is what moderator Alec Rekow called a “severe history of cultural trauma” among Native Americans on tribal lands. Rekow cited high rates of teenage suicide, pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse on native lands, and NASCC Chair Arron Lujan, head coach at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, said this is a very difficult trend to break.

Still, both men, plus two other presenters mentioned success stories of getting kids involved positively in soccer programs, including a very ambitious program directed by Rekow’s Southwest Youth Services in the New Mexico Pueblos. With the help of benefactors such as Americorps VISTA and NSCAA, the group has been able to get hundreds of young people and adults involved in soccer playing and coaching.

Lujan said while it will take a generation to see a substantial upgrade in playing quality and developmental prospects in these areas, NASCC hopes to see the program as a model for youth on Native American lands all over the U.S.

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