Dream Big - Billy McNicol


Dream Big

If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference, to embark
on something worth doing,
it is now. Not for any grand cause,
necessarily, but for something that
tugs at your heart, something that's
your aspiration.
Something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself
to make your days here count.

Have fun...dig deep...stretch.
DREAM BIG
Know though, that things worth
doing seldom come easy. There
will be good days and there will
be bad days. There will be times
when you want to turn around,
pack it up, and call it quits. Those
times tell you that you are pushing
yourself. That you are not afraid
to learn by trying and working.

Persist...Believe in the incredible
power of the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a
difference. Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lasting friends.

The start of something new brings
the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.
THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU.
AND YOU WILL PASS THIS WAY
ONLY ONCE.

Do it right. DREAM BIG!

Billy McNicol - MYSA Director of Coaching

Billy McNicol was raised in Dunoon, Scotland where, like
most of the young boys his first love was soccer. He would
spend countless hours playing the game in the streets.

While in high school, Billy signed an apprenticeship with
Glasgow Rangers F.C., the club he and his family followed.
By the age of 17 he was a full-time professional with the
Rangers and had represented Scotland as both an amateur
and a professional player. 1976 saw him arrive in America
and he starred in both the Outdoor and Indoor Professional
Leagues at that time. He retired from playing in 1983.
In 1984, he was hired as the first full-time head coach
for the Utah Youth Soccer Association and guided that
program's success until 1992. Along the way he was also
appointed to be Head Coach of Region IV Olympic
Development Program. That same year (1989) he led the
West Team to the first place goal medal finish at the
Olympic Sports Festival.

McNicol's teams' accomplishments are extraordinary: Woods
Cross High School Boys - 4 consecutive state titles, Rowland
Hall High School Girls - 9 consecutive titles, and his club
team was the talk of the tournament at Far West Regionals
when they were runner-up in 1994 and Winners in 1995.

If the gauge of a good coach is how many of his players
advance to the "next level" then McNicol is in a
class of his own. No fewer than 5 of his former players
represented U.S.A. at the last world cup and every major
league soccer team has at least one of his players on it's
roster. Since turning to full-time coaching Billy has been
responsible for hundreds of players moving on to play at
the collegiate and professional levels and has provided
the various U.S. National teams with some key players.

His ability to develop players is unquestioned but his success
with identifying coaches is also superior. While in charge of
Region IV ODP, it was McNicol who first brought onto his
staff Clive Charles (current Assistant Coach U.S. Men's
National Team and Head Coach U.S. Women's U-20 Team)
Bob Bradley (current U.S. Men's Olympic Assistant Coach)
and Jim Conway (U.S.S.F. Coaching Schools instructor).

Billy has attained the highest level of certification (License)
from the United States Soccer Federation and the National
Soccer Coaches Association. He is also a leader level
instructor for the American Sports Education Program. He
has been married to Stacy for 20 years and they have three
sons. BJ(17), Ian(14), and Aaron(12).

Go Back to the Montana
Youth Soccer Association Home Page 


 

 
Created by 
Mahima Wijayasundara (mahima@cs.umt.edu)