Medina leaving Har-Ber for Las Vegas

Thursday, May 15, 2014

SPRINGDALE — A six-figure salary is hard to turn down.

That’s the primary reason Nelson Medina is leaving after two seasons as the boys soccer coach at Springdale Har-Ber. Medina will leave Arkansas May 30 to become an executive director with the Las Vegas Sports Academy, where he’ll help oversee 85 boys and girls youth soccer teams.

“It’s bittersweet to be leaving Northwest Arkansas because I love the area,” said Medina, who was a volunteer coach at Har-Ber. “This area is beautiful and it’s been a great experience for me being here. But I’ll be able to support my family better because I’ll be making more money than I’ve ever made in my life.”

Medina returns to Las Vegas, where he ran his own youth soccer academy for five years. He met his wife, Shannon, a Prairie Grove native, in Las Vegas and the couple moved to Farmington.

Medina made an immediate impact with the Har-Ber boys soccer team last season. He was named the NWA Media Boys Soccer Coach of the Year after turning a losing program into one that won the 7A/6A-West Conference championship with a 7-0 league record. The Wildcats clinched the title with a victory over rival Springdale.

“Coach Medina has been dedicated to this team from Day 1, and he did it voluntarily,” Har-Ber senior Miguel Gomez said. “He was able to toughen us up and go over things multiple times until we got it right. We know he played at the highest level and we’re grateful to have him as a coach.”

Medina has a strong resume that began when he was one of 18 players selected to play for the United States Youth Soccer Team in 1987. He played collegiately at Oklahoma City University, where he was a team captain for two years. He also played professionally with the San Diego Fusion, Oklahoma City Spirit, and Oklahoma City Slickers.

Medina has 20 years of head coaching experience, including his work with the Arkansas Comets club team.

Soccer is still relatively new on the sports scene in Arkansas, but Medina said he sees a potential for growth in a state where football and basketball dominate.

“Arkansas reminds me of what soccer was in Dallas in the 1970s,” Medina said. “Dallas is a monster now and there’s so much room to grow here. In the time I’ve been in Northwest Arkansas, I’ve seen a change at the high school and club level. It’s moving a little slow, but it’s moving.”

Har-Ber dropped to 10-8-1 Tuesday after a 1-0 loss to Bentonville, which finished as undefeated conference champions. But the Wildcats will get a chance to extend their season against Cabot on Thursday in the Class 7A State Tournament.

“I thought we played well against arguably the best team in the state,” Medina said following the close loss to Bentonville. “We’ll be ready for Cabot on Thursday.”