January 14, 2016

SEDALIA—State Fair Community College is recommending two Sedalia natives as head coaches for its soccer and baseball programs pending approval of the Board of Trustees later this month.

Eddie Horn will coach men’s and women’s soccer, both of which will begin play in fall 2016. Jud Kindle will lead the baseball program, set to begin play in spring 2017.

The coaches’ full-time contracts will become effective July 1. They will receive small stipends to cover planning and recruiting until they begin work full time.

Horn, a 1983 Smith-Cotton High School graduate, has 28 years of soccer coaching experience. He has spent the last 26 years as a teacher and coach in the Jefferson City Public Schools where he was responsible for all aspects of the boys’ and girls’ soccer programs.

He has recorded more than 500 victories in his career at Jefferson City, leading the boys’ team to winning records in 23 of his 26 seasons. He also started the girls’ program and led that team to a third-place finish in the 2014 state Final Four in Class Four.

“Sedalia has a great tradition in soccer,” said Horn. “The community is very supportive; it’s an opportunity to build something special. I believe there are a lot of great players in the area who will have an opportunity to continue their educations as well as their playing careers.”

Horn was inducted into the Missouri State High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame this January and named Coach of the Year by both the Missouri State High School Soccer Coaches Association and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in 2014. He has helped develop four Division I players, one player who was invited to the Women’s National Team training camp and more than 50 student-athletes who continued their playing careers at the college level.

He had the opportunity to coach some of the best high school soccer players in the country at the 2013 high school All-American game. Horn also served as a state Olympic development staff coach. He has recruited players for teams that went on eight different tours of Europe. He has been on the coaching staff at numerous Division I soccer camps and served as a guest clinician at various soccer clinics.

Horn served 15 years as director of coaching for the United Soccer Club where he was responsible for player development curriculum, evaluation and recruitment. He served as the director of the Lake of the Ozarks Soccer Clinic and founded the Central Missouri 7 vs.7 Summer League and the Central Missouri Futsal League.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education in 1988 from Missouri Southern State College, where he finished his playing career after playing one season at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received a Master of Science degree in Educational Administration in 2001 from Lincoln University.

He served as the high school assistant principal from 1999-2007 and taught high school Physical Education from 2007-2015 for the Jefferson City Public Schools. He also taught Physical Education from 1988-1990 and adaptive Physical Education from 1990-1999.

Horn knows what he is looking for when recruiting.

“The student-athletes have to be the right fit for us academically,” said Horn. “We want them to be serious about graduating with their associate degrees and moving on to four-year schools, if that’s what they want to do. Graduating from State Fair Community College has to be their number one priority. Soccer is a great way to get your education.”

Kindle, a 2000 graduate of Smith-Cotton High School, brings a wealth of experience to his position at SFCC. He served as assistant baseball coach at Missouri State University in 2004-2005 and as head coach for the Chillicothe Mudcats of the MINK (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas) league, a collegiate summer league, in 2008.

From 2007-2012 Kindle taught elementary Physical Education and served as varsity baseball coach in the Knob Noster School District. He has been head varsity baseball coach at Smith-Cotton High School since 2013.

In 2009 Kindle founded the Sedalia Bombers, a MINK league team, and continues to serve as manager. He has been responsible for recruiting players from colleges throughout the country, securing host families, scheduling games, securing sponsorships to fund the program, and spearheading the Bombers’ community service efforts. In 2011 he opened Kindle Sports Academy, which provides instruction in baseball fundamentals for youth who want to improve their skills.

He began his collegiate playing career at Crowder College, where he received an Associate of Arts degree in 2002. He was elected to the Crowder College Hall Of Fame in 2012. He finished his collegiate career at Missouri State University, where he earned Missouri Valley Conference First-Team Catcher of the Year in 2004.

He played minor league baseball for the Ozark Ducks in Ozark, Missouri, in 2004, and for the Evansville Otters in Evansville, Indiana, in 2005.

Kindle received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education in 2005 and a master’s degree in Health Promotion and Wellness Management in 2008, both from Missouri State University.

Like Horn, Kindle also plans to recruit high-caliber student-athletes.

“We are definitely looking for student-athletes,” said Kindle. “Kids with high grade point averages are the ones who achieve and are coachable. Graduating our student-athletes is goal number one. We are looking for students with strong character who are focused not only on baseball but also on education.”

Athletic Director Darren Pannier has high praise for both coaching candidates.

“Horn’s legacy of soccer in the state and ties to Sedalia are what made him stand out,” said Pannier. “He has great experience with the caliber of players we’re seeking, both in soccer ability and academically, because of his connections in secondary coaching. He’s a professional and well respected in the soccer community.

“Kindle also has strong ties to this community. He started the Bombers, and he has experience recruiting and cultivating a team from the ground up, which will be a huge benefit in starting our program. He has connections with many high schools and colleges in the region that will not only help with recruitment now but also will assist student-athletes who want to continue their playing careers at four-year colleges.”

Pannier said the college has already received about 60 inquiries from prospective players.

“There’s a tremendous amount of interest already in the new sports,” he said. “Our priority is to recruit players within a 100-miles radius and from the college’s 14-county service area.” Prospective student-athletes may submit information online at http://sfccmoroadrunners.com/student-athletes/prospects.

The SFCC Board of Trustees voted in December to add baseball, softball and men’s and women’s soccer in the 2016-2017 academic year.

Dr. Joanna Anderson, SFCC president, said adding the sports is in alignment with the college’s strategic plan.

“I’m excited that quality area athletes will have the opportunity to play their sports at SFCC,” she said. “Although adding four sports is a big undertaking, I look forward to these programs increasing enrollment at our Sedalia campus, which is one of the goals in our strategic plan.”

All four sports will be played at National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I levels. The baseball team will play at Dey Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium and the softball team will play at Richard Vansell Field in Liberty Park. SFCC’s soccer field will be redeveloped.

Baseball and soccer are not new to the college. SFCC’s baseball program began in spring 1970 and ended in spring 1988. The Residence Hall replaced the baseball field in 1999-2000.

Men’s soccer began as a club program in 1969 and ended in 2001. SFCC suspended the program for the 2002-2003 academic year after an administrative investigation revealed information suggesting player eligibility breaches preceding the 2001 season. The NJCAA then imposed sanctions, which recently were lifted at SFCC’s request.

SFCC has never had softball or women’s soccer programs.

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