ASU Soccer Team Receives National Academic Award

Hornets also get NSCAA Team Ethics Gold Award for sportsmanship

Baltimore, MD – Alabama State head soccer coach Jodie Smith, received two major honors at the recently-held National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Hornets earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award, presented to teams with a yearly cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

“I was very proud to receive that award on behalf of our team,” Smith said. “Our players really understand why they are at ASU – to get a great education. They work very hard in the classroom, and it’s exciting to see them recognized for their efforts.”

The Hornets were also one of only five teams nationally to receive the NSCAA Team Ethics Gold Award, presented to teams that exhibit the best sportsmanship on the field.

“Our players represent ASU with great class,” Smith said. “They compete hard, play fair and represent ASU in the best possible manner.”

Ron Dickerson, ASU’s interim athletic director, agreed.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our soccer team,” Dickerson said. “They are continuing to improve on the field, and the things they are doing off-the-field make you proud that they are a part of the ASU family.”

Smith, set to enter his second year of rebuilding the ASU program, is excited about the February 6 national signing day.

“We’ve had a great recruiting season,” he said. “We’ll have a really good class. And, when combined with the players we have coming back, I know we are really headed in the right direction.”