The power of positive influence: Matt Heeren’s service to community supports local youth
Posted: September 19, 2024
Matt Heeren, JD, understands the importance of community involvement. While Heeren serves ATSU as chief operating officer & general counsel, he also serves the Kirksville, Missouri, community with his time and talent. He is a former member of several local boards, past president of Kirksville Regional Economic Development Inc., and his personal favorite, youth soccer coach.
Heeren began coaching in 2013 when his son started playing soccer at the local YMCA. At the time, the YMCA soccer club mainly held practices for a few dozen kids with occasional games. When his players wanted more opportunities to develop their soccer skills, he was asked if he would help the club grow, to which he agreed. His vision was to grow the sport in Kirksville by establishing a local league for youth and, eventually, offering competitive travel opportunities for players who wanted to play soccer in high school.
“I am so passionate about teaching kids early on the power of their own influence,” Heeren says, “the power that influence can have on themselves and, just as importantly, the power that influence can have on other people.”
Heeren lectures his players about this concept, and to put words into practice, he encourages intergenerational training, where players of all ages play together. The older players take responsibility for teaching the younger players and being good role models. He also tells his players if he could go back to high school and change one thing, it would be to firmly learn the power of his influence on others.
“I never realized that as a high schooler. The middle school kids admired me and my teammates and wanted to be just like us,” Heeren says. “What an opportunity to make the world better by simply learning early the power of your own positive influence, but I never realized I had it until I was much older.”
At just 7 years old, Heeren’s father passed away. The many important lessons Heeren would have learned from his father, he instead learned through youth sports and the coaches who cared about him and his future. When Heeren became a coach, his only goal was to support local kids and help them envision their potential. His mindset and leadership led to his recognition as Missouri Girls Recreation Coach of the Year and Regional Girls Recreation Coach of the Year in 2021, followed by National Girls Recreation Coach of the Year from U.S. Youth Soccer in 2022.
Today, Heeren’s vision for the club is complete. It serves as a consistent feeder of strong soccer players – and principled students – for the high school soccer program, with dozens of volunteers supporting the local recreation and competitive travel teams. Currently, more than 300 kids participate in the local soccer club, and the sport has grown so popular, there are more interested high school players than there are spots available.
“I told my players’ parents from the very beginning we are playing soccer, but don’t tell the kids the importance of all of this has nothing to do with soccer,” Heeren says. “It has to do with finding a passion, creating a process, finding mentors, and working hard. If you do that, then success will come in anything, not just soccer.”