May is always a really special time of year here at Blue Sombrero as we celebrate Soccer Administrator's Day and unveil the Soccer Administrator of the Year. This is our 5th Annual Soccer Administrator's Day and, just like in years past, the nominations this year were heartfelt, and full of amazing stories of dedication and devotion to the sport we all love!

It is a special treat for the Blue Sombrero Team to be able to recognize Administrators both because they are our customers and also because they are often the ones that work tirelessly in the background and without getting the recognition they so deserve! So for all of you board members, uniform coordinators, age group coordinators, managers and volunteers this day is for you and for all you do to make sure that millions of kids across the US get to practice and play week in and week out.

Reading through all the nominations is a perfect reminder of our mission here at Blue Sombrero and why our staff works as hard as we do to contribute to this amazing effort to enrich children's lives through the beautiful game of soccer.

We had so many worthy nominees this year and as always, our staff has a tough time deciding on just one. So congratulations and a BIG thank you to ALL of you Administrators out there, this day is for you!!!

Before unveiling this year's First Runner Up and Winner, a special thanks to our great partners at Eurosport for their support in Soccer Administrators Day!

So without further ado...

2011 Soccer Admin of the Year First Runner Up

$50 Gift Card to soccer.com

Karen Stransky
Administrator, Southern Nevada Soccer Association, Henderson United, Southern Highlands United, Heat FC

Karen has been the administrator of our organizations for 10 years now and due to her diligence, hard work, organizational skills and her overall dedication to soccer in Southern Nevada, our organization is the largest and highest quality soccer organization in Nevada, arguably the West coast. Karen's efforts have allowed our organization to run seamlessly for a decade which has spurred our growth from 800 annual participants to over 6,000 annual participants… We believe Karen is second to none when it comes to administering our organization and all of its programs and we would put her up against anyone in the world of soccer even all sports organizations.

Winner of the 2011 Soccer Admin of Year

iPad2 and a $100 Gift Card to soccer.com

Jim Earle
President, North Allegheny Soccer Club

My Dad would be a perfect candidate for soccer administrator of the year because of the intangible qualities he brings to the table every day. He always keeps a positive attitude, and he inspires greatness from those around him. He can accomplish any task, but he isn't worried about his reputation either. For example, he uses his Friday nights to fill sandbags and make sure that all the fields have them. Also, he coaches my team and my brothers in addition to being the president of North Allegheny Soccer Club (NASC). He also supports our family of five with a job as well, and even after he gets home from a long work day he is at a soccer field every day of the week. This isn't an exaggeration, he actually is at the field every day of the week. He coaches practice four days(either me or my brothers), takes my other brother to a practice one day, and has games on the two weekend days. His dedication and hard work as president, coach, and dad inspires those around him, whether it be me, a team, or fellow board members, he is truly the best soccer administrator you will ever meet.

Happy Soccer Administrator's Day and thank you all again for everything that you do!

Sincerely,
Erik Stadler
CEO & Founder
Blue Sombrero