DPS Coaches attend NSCAA Convention in St. Louis February 6, 2009 When it comes to soccer events in the United States, few can parallel the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Convention. No other event matches the fun, excitement and learning opportunities this annual gathering offers to soccer coaches at all levels of the game. Whether it’s learning the basics of coaching goalkeepers or a high-level discussion of systems of play, every coach who attends will find something new to add to their soccer repertoire. And the coaching instruction is just the beginning – the four-day program is filled with a myriad of opportunities to mix and mingle with some of the most prominent names on the soccer landscape. Steve McClaren, the former coach of the England National Team, was a Featured Clinician at the 2008 Convention. It was the first time he'd experienced the event; here's how he described it to ESPN's SoccerNet: "It was a phenomenal event. The interest in it, the structure, the way the Americans put this event together and have built it up over the years was something that really got me enthused again about coaching and coaching in this country. Looking at that convention, I think that it is something that we should have over here (in England). There were so many sessions and lectures and exhibitions that you could go to at this event, that it was a real education for young coaches to go through which is something that I believe in greatly. I think we have to have something like that in our country and coach education has got to be at the forefront if we are ever going to develop our game or our English players."