Adam Cooper to lead USA Squad in 20th Maccabiah Games

Posted: 7/1/2009 
Updated: 7/9/2009

Moraga, CA – Saint Mary’s College men’s soccer head coach and Diablo FC coaching director for the Under 9-11 age group, Adam Cooper, is heading to Israel this week to represent the United States as the head coach of the U.S. youth boy’s squad competing for a gold medal in the 18th Maccabiah Games.

"I am looking forward to the challenge of the 18th Maccabiah Games” said Cooper. “I have high expectations for this team and it is our goal to bring a medal back to the USA."

Cooper will be coaching players born in 1991 and 1992. The preliminary rounds are July 12-16 and the U.S. team has drawn Great Britain, Germany, and Canada in their group. They will open up the games against Great Britain July 12. On July 14, the U.S. team will face Germany and two days later, they will take on Canada in the final game of pool play.

Cooper was head coach of the 2007 U.S. Maccabi junior boy’s squad for the 11th Maccabi Pan-American games in Argentina that year. He has extensive experience with the Maccabi Games. Before coming to Saint Mary’s he led the JCC Los Angeles squad to six consecutive undefeated seasons, which included six gold medals at the Games.

As a player, Cooper played for the L.A. Delegation in the JCC games. He led the squad in 1992 in Baltimore and 1994 in Cleveland where he was named the Game’s MVP both times. In Cleveland he led the Delegation to a bronze medal. He played collegiately at UCLA. He’s been with our club since 2003.

The Maccabiah Games is an international Jewish athletic event similar to the Olympics. It is held in Israel every four years under the auspices of the Maccabi Foundation, a part of the Maccabi World Union. Every Israeli citizen (Jewish or non-Jewish) and every Jewish person not an Israeli citizen, is eligible to compete in the games.