Brian Orr

Brian Orr of the Heart Mountain United Soccer Association has been named U.S. Youth Soccer’s West Region 2019 Boys Competitive Coach of the Year.

Wyoming Soccer announced the honor for Orr, who leads Heart Mountain’s U15 program, in its November newsletter.

“Please join us in congratulating him and wishing him luck as he is now in the running for the national title,” the organization wrote in the newsletter, adding, “This is a huge honor for Brian [Orr] and for Wyoming Soccer in general.”

The West Region of U.S. Youth Soccer includes teams from 12 states beyond Wyoming, including Montana, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii.

Orr — who’d previously been named the Wyoming’s boy competitive coach of the year — said he’s “extremely honored” by the regional award.

“There are so many great coaches and to be considered among them is special,” he said in the newsletter.

The coach thanked those who nominated and supported him — and the Heart Mountain players and families, “as without their commitment none of this would be possible. I am lucky to coach a lot of great players and be supported by their parents.”

The Heart Mountain program has taken first or second place in 11 of 18 tournaments, and finished second in the Boys Gold bracket at the 2019 Wyoming Cup.

“Being a smaller program and coed is a sense of pride for our team. Like our jersey states, we must play with a lot of ‘HEART’ to compete against teams that are mostly all boys and from larger programs,” Orr said. “While we have been successful ... I am most proud of how we are playing the game the ‘right way’ and always show great sportsmanship.”

The USYS Awards Gala will be held in Baltimore during the United Soccer Coaches Convention on Jan. 18.