By ELLEN ENDO, Rafu Shimpo
KANSAS CITY, Mo—For transportation planning executive Michael R. Kodama, the chance to devote full-time to his favorite sport of soccer is a dream come true.
Since 2009, Kodama has been serving as executive director of Eco-Rapid Transit, a collaboration devoted to economic and community development among 11 cities and an airport in southeast Los Angeles County. He also taught transportation planning at the University of Southern California. That all changed recently when he accepted a position with the United Soccer Coaches, the world’s largest soccer coaches’ organization.
“As much as I liked my job and what I’ve done in transportation and urban planning, those who know me…I have been saying since I’ve been coaching my entire life…if I could kick around the ball all day, I would,” Kodama told those gathered for a farewell party.
In addition to soccer, Kodama, who has an M.A. in urban planning from UCLA, has been working with a diverse group of communities, helping them to implement a wide range of projects as well as environmental justice and equity initiatives, such as the planned West Santa Ana Branch line from Cerritos to Union Station.
As coaches community relations manager, Kodama will be working with 30,000 coaches across the U.S. as well as coaches in Latin America and Asia on both the men’s and women’s sides. He also pledged to bring soccer resources back to Southeast L.A.
Kodama’s passion for soccer began as youth coach at the recreation, club, and high school levels. He served as the boys’ varsity soccer coach at John Burroughs High School for 30 years, winning over 300 games and 11 league titles, in addition to reaching the CIF Southern Section Finals (1994), Semi-finals (1993), and Quarterfinals (1998 and 2008).
His players have gone on to play for junior colleges, universities, and professional soccer, including one player who was recently named a coach for Los Angeles Football Club youth programs. He has served as a volunteer scout, helping universities and colleges identify and select student athletes. He was also selected to coach six high school all-star teams.
Early in his career, Kodama worked in the UCLA Athletic Department, responsible for marketing soccer, basketball, and gymnastics programs.
“I am excited to be joining the United Soccer Coaches team in Kansas City and to work with the coaches communities,” Kodama said in a statement. “I look forward to working with everyone to build upon our association’s effort to foster diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Mercedes' 'Drive Pilot' A.I. can take over when drivers are stuck in freeway trafficGoogle Maps outage means finding directions elsewhere'Starstruck' review: Season 2 will make you fall even harder for the millennial rom'X' movie review: Ti West's hot new '70s slasher can't escape old tropesRoku's best free TV channelsMaserati goes all in on electric with 5 new EVsWhy regulators are handcuffed when it comes to actually policing AmazonHow to create GIFs in Twitter's iOS app with your camera'Wordle' today: Here's the 'Wordle' answer for March 23'Wordle' today: Here's the 'Wordle' answer for March 24 The MyPillow guy's terrible movie wins top 'prize' at the 2021 Razzies Glenn Close shook her ass to 'Da Butt' at the Oscars, and everyone loved it Apple gets nostalgic and brings back colorful options to the iMac Everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in May 2021 Win 100 pounds of cookies by accepting as many web cookies as possible Cadillac's first electric SUV will arrive early for just under $60,000 All the new Emoji in iOS 14.5 Yale's free happiness course shows how awkward it is to be happy Spotify announces price increases in the UK and Europe Apple put through the wringer by Spotify and Tile in Senate hearing
0.1365s , 14212.2734375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【tiny teen real sex video】Kodama Leaves Eco,Global Hot Topic Analysis