We are pleased to announce Matthew Eck has accepted the position of Director of Sports for the YMCA. After an extensive national search, Matthew was chosen for this role because of his wide-ranging experience with youth sports; specifically, soccer. Matthew has a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from Southern Oregon University and a Master of Business Administration in Sports Management from Universidad Catolica San Antonio De Murcia, Murcia Spain. Matthew has also played for The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and Spain’s Primera Aficionados Division.
In the last eight years, Matthew has served in various positions. He has experience as a head soccer coach for Eagle Point High School in Oregon, sports coordinator and coach for a middle school in Inglewood, California, sports director and PE Teacher in Los Angeles, California and an athletic coordinator for Varee Chiangmai International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The last two years, he was an operation and project coordinator for generation Adidas international and the operations’ manager for The Third Half Soccer in Madrid, Spain.
Matthew says, “I am very excited to join this Y team, and to promote sports as a path for personal growth through fostering friendships, learning values and building a deep sense of belonging. I will strive to make a difference in this program and provide a strong foundation for our youth to be prosperous, while serving as an ally to the staff and to our community.” We cannot wait to have Matthew meet the coaches, kids and families. We have been impressed with his creative and innovative ideas for the soccer season and YMCA youth sports.