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New Haven Youth Soccer Celebrates National Coaching Excellence and Championship Success

admin-duda@playmetrics.com (Justin Brehm) — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 18:38:29 GMT

New Haven, CT — New Haven Youth Soccer (NHYS) proudly announces two major achievements that highlight the strength, leadership, and commitment of its coaching staff: Director of Coaching and Head Coach Todd Hill has been named 2025 United Soccer Coaches Youth Coach of the Year , and NHYS coaches Nick Murphy and Nick Rayas have led their team to a National Championship title.

United Soccer Coaches has named Todd Hill of New Haven Youth Soccer as its 2025 Youth Coach of the Year, selecting him from thousands of nominations nationwide. Entering his 35th year of coaching, Hill has dedicated his life to the sport of soccer and to the youth of New Haven.

Hill’s extensive background includes running his own soccer academy, coaching high school boys’ and girls’ teams, leading premier academy and pre-academy programs, and coaching competitive collegiate club teams. A product of New Haven Youth Soccer himself, Hill takes special pride in giving back to the program that helped shape his own journey.

Hill is widely respected for his commitment to continuous learning and for building the right balance between player development and performance. His coaching philosophy emphasizes growth both on and off the field—helping players develop as athletes, teammates, and individuals within a diverse and supportive environment.

“When a player measures themselves against what they are truly capable of, they are ready to grow—in soccer and in life,” said Hill.

NHYS Executive Director Mike Galbicsek praised Hill’s impact on the community:

“This is a huge deal, and Todd is the perfect choice for this award. He is one of the most dedicated, hardworking, and giving members of the soccer community. The kids of New Haven are beyond lucky to have him as a mentor, and the city of New Haven is lucky to have Todd as a leader in their city.”- Mike Galbicsek, NHYS Executive Director

In addition to coaching, Hill mentors, develops, and oversees all coaches within the NHYS program, ensuring a consistent, values-driven approach across the club.

Todd Hill Named 2025 United Soccer Coaches Youth Coach of the Year

New Haven Youth Soccer’s Dedicated Duo Leads team to National Championship

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 18:38:29 GMT

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This year Coach Nick Murphy and Coach Nick Rayas formed a team of 10 girls and competed in 5v5 tournaments thought the spring in summer and were able to qualify to compete for a national title. They went down to Florida to compete with the best of the best across the nation, and they lead the team to victory.

Between both coaches they have well over 20 years of experience coaching players and developing some of the best players the state of Connecticut has seen. Their dedication, the ability to teach the game of soccer, setting goals, bringing trustworthiness and integrity to the club, enthusiasm and positivity, empowerment and belief in potential, but most importantly showing the players how they should be representing the town of New Haven is unmatched. Bringing in various championships throughout the last 5 years to New Haven. Defending 2x u12 Girls Clinton Invitational Champions, defending 2x u13 Girls Barrington Rhode Island Invitational Champions, 2x defending u12 Fall and Spring League Girls Champions, and now 5v5 2025 Girls National Championship.

“The Nicks” as the coaches are commonly known in NHYS have been coaching boys and Girls teams in our program for close to five years. They bring their love for the sport, the love for our community and the love for our kids to all of the teams they coach. I wish we could clone them; in the meantime, they will devote eight days a week to NHYS. We are lucky to have both leading several of our teams and I cannot wait to see what is next for them”- Mike Galbicsek NHYS Executive Director

Both Coach Murphy and Coach Rayas have now added National Champion to their coach resumes, along with all their other outstanding accomplishments. Their 5v5 Girls team are now ranked #1 in the nation from Connecticut.

Todd Hill Named 2025 United Soccer Coaches Youth National Coach of the Year

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT

We are excited to share a major achievement from our soccer community! United Soccer Coaches recently announced that Todd Hill of New Haven Youth Soccer has been named the 2025 Youth National Coach of the Year.

Selected from nationwide nominations submitted by Member Club programs and youth coaches across the country, Coach Todd was recognized for his extraordinary 34-year dedication to the sport. Throughout his career—spanning academy leadership, high school programs, and collegiate club teams—he has focused on balancing player development with a supportive, growth-minded environment.

As a product of New Haven Youth Soccer himself, Coach Todd’s approach emphasizes values that extend far beyond the pitch, mentoring young athletes in commitment, problem-solving, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Congratulations to Coach Todd on receiving this distinguished national honor!

To read the full announcement, head over to the original article on United Soccer Coaches .

Todd Hill Honored as 2025 United Soccer Coaches Youth National Coach of the Year

MIST Tournament

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:24:24 GMT

U9 Boys Comp Team MIST Recap – Coach Nick, Coach Leslie, Coach Ava & Coach Bryan

⚽️�� What a weekend at MIST! ��⚽️

One of the best parts of the tournament was watching the boys truly enjoy the experience. They brought great energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork from start to finish, embracing every challenge along the way, including a rainy Day 2! ��️��

On the field, they played with skill, heart, and confidence. Their passing stood out all weekend, earning compliments from opposing coaches and showing just how much they're growing as a team.

Most importantly, they're learning to trust each other, play together, and believe in what they can accomplish. MIST was a fantastic step forward for this group, and we're excited to see what comes next!

�� Great job, boys! Keep learning, growing, and having fun.

What a weekend at the MIST Tournament for our U11 Girls! ��⚽

The girls were split into two teams and both showed incredible determination, teamwork, and heart throughout the tournament.

�� White Team ✅ Won 2 out of 4 games �� 5 players earned MVP awards ⚽ Showed excellent foot skills, clean passing, and played united as a team from start to finish.

❤️ Red Team �� Battled hard in every match, finishing with 3 losses and 1 tie. ��️ The defensive line stood strong all weekend. �� The goalie made some incredible saves to keep the team in the game. ⚡ The offense created several scoring opportunities with great runs down the sidelines.

��️ Day two brought rainy weather, but these girls didn't let the conditions slow them down. They embraced the challenge, played hard, and showed resilience on every play.

So proud of the effort, sportsmanship, and growth shown by every player this weekend. Congratulations to our MVP recipients and to both teams for representing our club with pride!

What a weekend for our U9 Boys at the MIST Tournament!

Through two days of competition, these young athletes battled hard and never gave up, ultimately bringing home the Division Championship ! ��

⚽ Goals by Kutti, Wren, and Ronan

�� Great assists from Dominic, Miles, and Emil

�� Amazing saves from our goalkeepers

�� Outstanding teamwork from every player on the field

The rain rolled in on day two, but nothing could stop the momentum these boys had built. They played through the challenging conditions with determination, grit, and a positive attitude.

We couldn't be prouder of this group and all they achieved over the weekend. Congratulations, boys, on an incredible tournament and a well-deserved championship! ��⚽.

U11 Girls Comp Team MIST Recap – Coach Nick, Assistant Coach Tomas

U12 Boys Travel Rec MIST Recap | Coach Craig & Coach Todd

U13 Boys Comp MIST Recap | Coach Todd & Coach Jose

��⚽ From Assessment to Champions! ⚽��

The MIST Tournament was our first real test of the fall season, and the boys exceeded every expectation.

Over two days, they battled through tough competition, rain, wind, and challenging conditions to finish undefeated with 3 wins and 1 tie , earning the U13 Division Championship !

What stood out most was their teamwork, resilience, and defensive discipline. The boys defended as a unit, controlled possession, adapted to every challenge, and never stopped competing. Even when games got tough, they stayed composed and found ways to get results.

While we learned plenty about what we need to improve, we also discovered a group that works hard, trusts each other, and is ready to compete.

A huge congratulations to our U13 Boys on an incredible weekend. This is just the beginning! ��⚽��

Building Memories Beyond The Field

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:38:29 GMT

At our club, soccer is about more than practices and games. It's about creating unforgettable experiences and building a strong community. Recently, we had the opportunity to take our players to a professional soccer match, giving them the chance to watch the game they love from the stands, cheer together, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Events like these remind our players that soccer is more than just a sport. It's a family. We'd also like to recognize and thank our incredible coaches, whose dedication, leadership, and passion make opportunities like this possible. Their commitment continues to inspire our players both on and off the field.