MILTON, Mass. – As a selected member of the 30 Under 30 Program, Curry College women's soccer Head Coach Brigi Palatino was honored at United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago, which is the largest gathering of soccer coaches.

The convention unites soccer coaches around the love of the game. The five-day event attracts over 12,000 attendees for live field demonstrations, lecture sessions, networking socials, coaching diploma training classes, and an exhibit hall of more than 300 companies displaying their equipment, technology, and services. 

 The United Soccer Coaches unveiled the "Commitment to Culture", an initiative developed by coaches for coaches to build a unique and positive soccer playing culture in America. Coach Brigi signed the pledge to commit to upholding the seven cornerstones which include:

SOCCER UNITES US: We embrace and celebrate our differences because the game makes us one.

CHARACTER FIRST: We honor, teach and develop the core values of honesty, loyalty, responsibility, selflessness, compassion, and discipline.

THE RULE OF FUN: Fun is the lens that can make every soccer player a success. Fun takes many forms and always concludes with "I want to do it again".

THE GAME IS THE TEACHER: We are all responsible to ensure that soccer teaches the skills of a well-lived life. Teamwork, leadership, hard work, communication, creativity are just the beginning of its lessons.

WELL-BEING COUNTS: A safe, healthy, welcoming experience in body, mind, and spirit is the right of every soccer stakeholder.

WE ARE FAMILY-STRONG: Family in all its forms—team, club, community, relatives—is the greatest asset that soccer has. Take time to connect and appreciate.

SOCCER IS THE PLAYER'S GAME: Soccer is a personal journey for every player. It is for the player to see, decide, create and win or lose. It is their game.

During her time at the convention, she attended lecture sessions on ways to create an LGBTQ inclusive atmosphere, the psychology behind the champion athlete mindset, and also so fun new team bonding activities.

She also attended field sessions on collective and positional possession, developing wide attacking play, and the development of a goal-scoring predator.

As part of the 30 Under 30 class, she introduced the following presenters:

Eddie Loewen, the director of Coaching at the Dunedin Stirling Soccer Club in Florida and Arne Friedrich, former German national team player, as they presented on "How to Recognize and Develop Leaders on Your Team",

Mike Dickey, technical director of Kentucky Fire, Kelly Lindsay, manager of the Afghanistan Women's National Team, and her assistant coach, Haley Carter. They presented on the "Mental Game and Performance: How Does Culture Influence Coaching" by Mike Dickey, Kelly Lindsay and Haley Carter.

 30 Under 30 Program

The 2018-2019 Class of the United Soccer Coaches' 30 under 30 Program features 15 men and 15 women who were selected from a pool of nearly 400 applicants – the most applicants of the history of the program. This program was launched in 2013 and is a year-long education and mentorship opportunity designed to support up-and-coming members of the coaching profession who are 30 years of age or younger.

Each member of the class receives an educational scholarship which provides registration to the Convention and an advanced course of the coach's choosing.  In addition, members of the 30 under 30 program were matched with a mentor dedicated to fostering their growth in the game and expanding their coaching network.  Dr. Mike Navarre (Wisconsin '96) finished his 20^th season as the head Augsburg women's soccer coach and has been selected to mentor Coach Brigi. 

Dr. Mike Navarre (203-130-42 record with the Auggies) has had consistent successful seasons, seven berths in the MIAC postseason playoffs in the last 12 years, multiple all-conference and all-region selections, and a reputation of talented, hard-working student-athletes are the products of the growth and success of Augsburg women's soccer under Navarre. Prior to his success at Augsburg, he also served as a graduate assistant for one of the most successful programs in the history of intercollegiate athletics, the University of North Carolina women's soccer team under coach Anson Dorrance.

Navarre has served as one of the staff coaches for the Minnesota Olympic Development Program (ODP). Navarre holds a United States Soccer Federation "B" coaching license, has an Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and has an NSCAA Level II Goalkeeper's License. Navarre also serves as a performance enhancement consultant to elite athletes.

Click HERE for more photos of Palatino's experience. 

For the latest on Curry Athletics, follow the Colonels via social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.