New Jersey Youth Soccer recently hosted its 32nd Annual NJYS Awards Dinner presented by RWJBarnabas Health, where many players, coaches and members of the soccer community were celebrated at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. One of the honorees that night was Alex Lalaoui, who was selected as the 2019 NJYS Recreation Coach of the Year.
“I am extremely honored to be receiving the NJYS Recreational Coach of the Year award,” said Lalaoui. “Earning this award would not have been possible without the motivation and the support of my family, community and New Jersey Youth Soccer, for whom I hold so much respect. This is not a sole effort, it is a united effort. This award means so much to me, and I am most grateful for being this year’s recipient.”
A former semiprofessional player in his native country of Morocco, Coach Alex Lalaoui is the Founder and Director of Coaching for The Soccer Learning Center in Jersey City. The USSF National A License holder has maintained a long-time commitment of developing youth and adult soccer programs, starting at the grassroots level. Believing that students learn best by doing, Lalaoui gets even the youngest players actively involved in learning every aspect of the game.
A Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Lalaoui is a member of numerous state and national soccer organizations. In addition to his work at The Soccer Learning Center, he is also involved with other initiatives such as the Shooting Stars Autism Academy Soccer Program and US Soccer Heroes, the state’s largest multi-jurisdictional competitive soccer league for members of law enforcement and first responders.
