Former Olympic soccer coach coaches Winona youth groups

Tony DiCicco, former head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Olympic Soccer Teams, is pictured with the WYSA girls.

WINONA, Minn. — Winona-area girls soccer players scored some personal coaching from Tony DiCicco, former head coach of the U.S. women’s national and Olympic soccer teams. DiCicco coached a portion of the SoccerPlus camp, held June 16-22, on the Saint Mary’s University campus.

The CEO and founder of SoccerPlus, DiCicco also brought in soccer coaches with international experience to work with approximately 20 residential campers. He also worked with a group of Winona Youth Soccer Association girls June 17 at the Saint Mary’s campus.

DiCicco is the former head coach of the U.S. women’s national and Olympic soccer teams and the head coach of the U.S. U20 women’s national team. In 2008, in his return to international soccer, he coached the U.S. to the FIFA U20 World Cup championship in Chile. He also led the full national team to the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship, the largest women’s sporting event in history. And in 1996, he coached the U.S. women’s Olympic team to the first-ever gold medal in women’s soccer.

DiCicco plans to return to Winona next year to continue training young Winona-area athletes.