Eastern’s McGroarty Honored By State Girls’ Soccer Association
Jamie McGroarty has been one of the best high school soccer coaches in New Jersey for the better part of three decades. Yet McGroarty, who has won four state championships as a coach and nine South Jersey titles, has done much more to help grow the game.
Recently McGroarty was honored for his service to the sport by earning the Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association. He was presented the award at the association’s annual banquet.
McGroarty was a standout soccer player at Cherry Hill West and Rowan University and is in the Athletic Hall of Fame at both schools. As a girls’ soccer coach, he won a Group 3 state championship at Delsea and three more at Eastern, where he continues to coach.
Overall, he has 562 career wins.
Yet it is beyond what he has done on the field that has made McGroarty such a vital part of growing the game of soccer in South Jersey and statewide.
He was formerly the president of the NJ Girls’ Soccer Coaches Association and continues to work as an officer in the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association.
“Pretty much what I have in life is from playing soccer,” McGroarty said. “I always felt a need to give back and I like doing it.”
His time as president of the NJ Girls’ Soccer Coaches Association was simply a game-changer.
“For 10 years he served as this association’s president, which included the difficult pandemic years,” said Sean Casey, one of the vice presidents of the organization. “To put it simply, without his efforts, the association would have folded years ago and the state’s best players would not have the opportunity to be recognized as regional and national All Americans by United Soccer Coaches.”
McGroarty feels his players are like family. Actually, one of them is family. His daughter Kelli, was a member of one of McGroarty’s state championship teams at Eastern and is a former state Player of the Year. She recently concluded her college career at the University of Iowa and is now playing professionally in Australia.
Through the years Jamie McGroarty has developed a tight bond with his players. He is a coach who asks for a lot from the youngsters, but gives just as in return.
“My girls do a lot for me and give me a lot, and I am giving back to the girls who give to me,” he said.
As a member of the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association, McGroarty and his co-workers have done a great job of honoring the sport and the players.
Each year the players are honored by the Association during its All-South Jersey banquet, where first, second and third-team selections are announced.
The Coaches Association also runs what is among the best tournaments in the state for any sport – the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Tournament for girls and boys.
This is a tournament that invites the top 16 teams in South Jersey (selected through the Coaches Association Top 20 poll).
It is high level soccer and the semifinals and finals this season played at DeCou Field in Cherry Hill, drew large crowds.
“The Coaches Tournament is one of the best in New Jersey the way it is run and often it can determine who the best team in South Jersey is,” he said. “Even those who play club soccer, don’t have the feeling that they get from competing in the Coaches Tournament and it really showcases the teams and their players.”
Whether a coach, or member of a soccer association, McGroarty has always strived to make soccer a great experience, and recently he was honored for all his hard work over the years.
Sean Casey one of the vice presidents with the New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association (left) and Jamie McGroarty (right) presented with the Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Girls' Soccer Coaches Association / Photo courtesy of NJ Girls' Soccer Coaches Association
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Author: Marc Narducci
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