Wallkill Valley youth coach honored

HAMBURG — David Van Ginneken of Hardyston was honored with the New Jersey Youth Soccer Coach of the Year award.

The Recreation coach of the year has been an award given since 2004 to recreation coaches in New Jersey, who have provided outstanding service in the recreation programs. New Jersey Youth Soccer, founded in 1972, is the State association of U.S. Youth Soccer.

New Jersey is the third largest state in number of registered players with 156,000 players and more than 40,000 coaches.

Van Ginneken has been a coach with Wallkill Valley Recreation Soccer for more than 3 years and in 2012 became president of Wallkill Valley Recreation Soccer.

Van Ginneken hosts a league of over more than 300 players, including those from Hardyston, Hamburg, and Franklin. Van Ginneken hopes to reach more youth by expanding programs within the league to include a TOPSoccer program for young athletes with physical and mental disabilities.