Polson soccer receives national honors
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Jess Kittle and the Polson boys’ soccer program already have many reasons to be proud after placing second against Whitefish at the Class A State Championship a month and a half ago, but recent news from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America was the icing on the cake. Senior keeper Clay Frissell was selected as a Scholar All-America by the NSCAA, an award given to only 33 boys across the nation.
To be honored, Frissell had to have a 3.75 GPA or above, as well as being named either an All-State or an All-Conference athlete. He currently has a 3.82 GPA.
“He’s a pretty humble, quiet young kid,” Kittle said. “An amazing young man. Whatever he’s going to do in life, he will do well.”
Frissell says the award is a big honor, but the success of his team making it to the State Championship meant a lot more to him.
“I feel like I’m part of the Polson soccer movement with good finishes in the past few years,” he said. “I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Frissell is Kittle’s first athlete to achieve this honor in seven seasons as the varsity boys’ soccer head coach at Polson. The head coach says it’s nice to have Frissell honored both for his hard work on the field and for staying focused in the classroom.
“I’m really happy to get it, I feel honored,” Frissell said. “It took a lot of work to succeed at both soccer and academics.”
Frissell said soccer is important, but there are other things in life that are of higher importance, such as academics.
“I want to be a role model to show that (athletes) can focus on studies, because it’s important to work hard in school as well,” he said.
After receiving the NSCAA Coach of the Year for Montana last month, Kittle received news this week that he was selected as the NSCAA Adidas/Mondo Small High School Boys Coach of the Year for the Rocky Mountain Region. The region includes Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
The award puts Kittle in the running for the national Coach of the Year award. He is up against seven other regional winners from across the nation. The national Coach of the Year award will be announced at the national convention awards banquet in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, Jan. 13.
“It’s a huge compliment to the Polson soccer program,” Kittle said. “I don’t personally feel it’s an individual award, but (a compliment to the) successful program we have going on here.”
Kittle says he couldn’t have done any of this without his fellow coaches or players’ help.
“Our guys played their heart and soul out this season,” he said. “We had a high morale all season and had a great group with positive attitudes. We bonded as a team.”
Kittle first began coaching for Polson as the junior varsity coach, a position he held for one year before moving to the varsity team, which won only a single game that season.
“In the last five years we’ve made improvements each year,” Kittle said. “Not many programs can say they’ve improved (each consecutive year).”
Kittle credits assistant coaches Mike Moll and Chris Moore as key players in the success the Polson boys’ program has seen.
“Soccer is a team sport, and individual awards are not what we focus on,” Kittle said. “But with that being said, I am truly honored that the Polson High School boys’ soccer program is getting this kind of national recognition; it just shows the caliber of boys that we have involved in our program.”
