Slidell Youth Soccer Club coach and 1995 Slidell High graduate Michael Stearns has been named the 2008 Liberty Mutual Responsible Coaching Award winner for the state of Louisiana.

Stearns, who coaches the Titans U15 D1 boys’ team and trains the Tigers’ U14 D1 girls’ squad, was one of just 44 coaches in the nation, who received the award out of 1,100 that were nominated countrywide by parents and peers.

The program is a partnership between Liberty Mutual, Positive Coaching Alliance, U.S. Youth Soccer, USA Football, USA Hockey and the Amateur Softball Association.

Michael Stearns

A group of representatives from those organizations judged the candidates based on several criteria that included, exhibiting a high level of coaching competence, achieving and maintaining excellence on the field, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to the well being and development of athletes off the field and honoring, along with respecting, the game they teach.

“It’s an honor,” Stearns, 32, said. “It just shows the appreciation for the hard work and dedication I’ve put in this game and the people that have put in for it too. I’ve always made a valiant effort to be the best coach I can be.”

Stearn said those efforts will produce better players.

He also said that saying he was happy when he found out he won would be an understatement.

“I was pretty much speechless to the fact of being nominated was just a good feeling of someone saying, ‘hey look, here’s what we think of this coach and this is what he’s done.’” Stearns said.

Titans’ assistant coach J.B. Mahoney, whose son Eric plays on the team, said Stearns doesn’t act like the players are children.

“The kids are now 14 and 15 (years old),” Mahoney said. “He treats them like young men. He doesn’t coddle them, but he treats them with respect.”

Stearns, who is in his first year of coaching Northshore’s junior varsity team and assisting with the varsity squad, added that he always attempts to help his participants in anyway he can.

“I try to be there for my players on-and-off the field. That’s big for me. I let all my players know that if there’s something you have an issue with, get with me,” Stearns said.

For winning, Stearns received a trophy and a $250 Visa card he will spend on equipment to help the training sessions become more effective and enjoyable.

SYSC vice president Sean Burkes talked about Stearns’ involvement with the program.

“He’s definitely helped out a whole bunch,” Burkes said. “He’s real good with the kids. He’s coached just about anywhere we needed one. He’s in it for the kids.”

Stearns began coaching with the SYSC because of his son.

Two years before Hurricane Katrina, his son Michael, 13, who was 10 at the time, didn’t have a team to play on due to financial issues of the U-10 training team not being able to reform.

Michael tried out to play up in age and made the U12 squad. There was already a coach, so Stearns decided to watch.

After Hurricane Katrina, the former coach of the Titans relocated to Texas.

The team wasn’t going to get back together without a coach, so Stearns stepped up and took over. He has been coaching them ever since.

Stearns said he is always looking to continue to improve and hopes to someday coach on the state staff, which is an Olympic Development Program team.

He would also like to be director of coaching preferably for SYSC.

“My heart and my passion is in this club,” Stearns said. “I played for this club growing up.”

Stearns began playing in 1984. In high school, he was part of two state championship teams in 1992 and 1993. SHS made it to the finals for a third-straight year, but lost.

After high school, Stearns competed in Holland for six months. He talked about playing in Holland.

“It was a whole different experience,” Stearns said.

Stearns compared playing soccer in Holland to playing golf at an upscale course like Oak Harbor.

Stearns is married to his wife Angela Stearns. The two also have a daughter, Cassidy, 12.