SOCCER: Passionate coach receives prestigious honor

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on February 9, 2017 9:57 AM

• Print
• Email

[email protected]

Yacouba Ide Niandou holds two strong beliefs -- embracing youth and enjoying soccer.

He is a firm believer that no child deserves to be sidelined, no matter the disability, handicap or any other limitations.

Niandou knows the soccer field belongs to all oncomers, which is why he brought the The Outreach Program for Soccer -- a youth soccer organization for athletes with disabilities -- to Goldsboro in 2016.

The North Carolina Youth Soccer Association recognized Niandou's passion, and recently named him the N.C. TOPSoccer Coach of the Year.

"It's just a feeling of compassion," said Niandou, a native of Niger. "If you grow up having a whole lot of everything you need, it doesn't mean that the ones who don't have it should not have the same opportunity. They may not be just like you, but if they can enjoy it, you should just try do what you can."

TOPSoccer is a nationwide program. In North Carolina specifically, there were only five individual programs until Niandou helped create the sixth one in Goldsboro last year.

Niandou -- who also serves as a Wayne County United Soccer Club coach -- knows players with family members who have special needs.

He would notice the special-needs children along the sidelines at practices and games. After speaking to one of them, he realized they needed an outlet of their own.

"They can't just be on the bench all the time," Niandou said. "They feel like they want to be in there, and it's something we're missing around here. It gives these kids something to do also and include them in social meetings and sports."

During the first season, one of the initial challenges was finding participants. Niandou and others sent flyers to the schools and advertised heavily on social media.

He said the program received a fairly high number of participants last year, and it wasn't long until the kids fell in love.

"Definitely being a part of the life of those kids on a weekly basis," said Niandou, indicating his favorite part of TOPSoccer. "It's funny that when we first started, some of the kids weren't even able to come out of the car, and at the end it was difficult to put them back in the car to go home."

The first season took place in the spring because of the appropriate weather. Niandou said the program may look to hold more events inside gyms like the YMCA so they aren't bothered by inclement conditons.

However, most of the time and energy is spent gathering funds for the program. All parts -- uniforms, refreshments or even soccer balls -- are provided free of charge since most participating families are unable to afford the costs.

"It's one thing to want to put them in that environment where they feel like they're doing the same things like their cousins or their brothers," Niandou continues, "and not be able to provide them with that shirt that would really give them that look."

Niandou said they've alreadly held a meeting this year to discuss more advertising strategies. This includes placing information on the City of Goldsboro's website and giving flyers to physical therapy locations where kids may be patients.

More participants would mean more funds. And more funds would allow for expansion of the program.

That's the hope for Niandou -- reach as many kids as possible and provide a resource that Goldsboro needs.

"The goal is to do something that's going to last more than two months like we do right now," Niandou said. "At least make sure that every season, we have a TOPSoccer meeting and the kids can come out.

"Whether it's during the summer, (fall), winter or spring, (the goal is) that we can get them at every time to come out and just have fun."