EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral and Athletic Director Bill Matthews are pleased to announce that soccer coach John Barata has been selected to receive the 2020-2021 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Coach of the Year Award for soccer.
Award recipients are selected based upon excellence of character, impact on students and community and coaching credentials. Coach Barata was notified of his selection in November, and will be recognized at an event that is expected to be held in January 2022.
Barata has coached the boys varsity soccer team at Oliver Ames High School for 13 seasons. In that time, he has led the program to a 169-44-40 record,12 MIAA state tournament appearances, three state championship appearances and one state championship title.
The team went 13-4-2 this fall and was the Hockomock League Davenport Division champions. The team qualified for the state tournament and ultimately made it to the round of 16.
Coach Barata has been recognized by the Boston Globe, Hockomock League and Eastern Massachusetts Soccer Coaches Association a total of seven times, as well as the Mass Youth Soccer Association Girls Competitive Coach of the Year and with the United Soccer Coaches Coach of Significance Award.
His coaching philosophy revolves around guiding players along their soccer journey and helping them to reach their potential both on and off the field. He works to create a positive and player-focused environment and believes that his background as a youth minister has allowed him to use his relational ministry skills to guide players and build lifelong relationships that extend beyond the soccer field.
Under Coach Barata’s leadership, players have volunteered hundreds of hours with the Easton Youth Soccer League, Easton Lions Club and My Brother’s Keeper, a local non-profit that provides furniture donations and delivery to families throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and assistance for families in need during the holiday season.
He is also invested in players’ academic success and works to help find support for any player who would benefit from academic assistance. His teams have been recognized each year for the past seven years with the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award.
During the 2020-2021 school year, the team was also recognized by United Soccer Coaches with a Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award.
Coach Barata was nominated for the MIAA Coach of the Year Award by Athletic Director Matthews, who wrote in the nomination letter, “John has high expectations of his players on the field, in the classroom and in the community and provides them the tools and support they need to meet and exceed those expectations. Perhaps more important than the statistics and recognition above is John’s commitment to seeing his players develop into not only good players, but good citizens as well.”
He added, “It is hard to imagine anyone who loves soccer as much as John and is as invested in fostering that same love of the game in others. His enthusiasm for soccer is contagious and his ability to engage with kids of all ages is remarkable.”
As director of coach and player development for Easton Youth Soccer, Coach Barata also started a program to introduce preschoolers to soccer. Many of those children have grown up and been valuable contributors to Oliver Ames’ soccer programs and many have credited him with sparking their love for the game.
“Our Oliver Ames boys varsity soccer program has thrived under Coach Barata’s leadership and he has been a wonderful supporter of players’ successes as athletes, students and members of their community,” Superintendent Cabral said. “Coach Barata is very well-deserving of this award, and we are proud to see him recognized for his outstanding accomplishments.”
Coach Barata has also held several positions in professional and coaching associations including serving on the YMCA Board of Governors, Parish Youth Enrichment Board, Hanson Youth Soccer Board of Directors, P3 Foundation Board, Eastern MA Soccer Coaches Association Board, United Soccer Coaches Advocacy Board, United Soccer Coaches Advocacy Group (Chair), United Soccer Federation Instructor and Easton Youth Soccer Board.
In addition to his role at Oliver Ames, Barata is the director of soccer and owner at Beautiful Game Soccer Academy in Hanson, and chief executive officer at Legacy Soccer Club in Hanson. He previously served as director of operations in New England for the Club Champions League New England in Hanson and the general manager for the Real Boston Rams of the United Soccer League out of Quincy.
He also holds a Master Coach and Soccer Leaders diploma from the University of Delaware and a number of other certifications from various soccer and coaching-related organizations.
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