KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With growing concerns across the country surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), including on many college campuses, and for the safety of soccer coaches and student-athletes, United Soccer Coaches has canceled its 2020 Open Training Week, it was announced on Tuesday.

The event was scheduled for April 13-19.

“With nearly 200 programs and teams expected to host Open Training Week events and thousands of our members expected to attend, we had to put safety first,” United Soccer Coaches CEO Lynn Berling-Manuel said in a statement. “The operating phrase here for everyone is, ‘with an abundance of caution’. This is just the right thing to do now.”

Open Training Week provides soccer coaches from all levels and backgrounds the opportunity to experience new environments, observe high-level training sessions, and learn from one another. United Soccer Coaches member coaches at the men’s and women’s college and professional levels across the country welcome local members and their guests to attend a practice.

United Soccer Coaches is exploring options to reschedule the event later in 2020. This year’s Open Training Week was dedicated to Charlie Slagle, a 20-year head coach at Davidson College and past president of United Soccer Coaches who passed away in 2019.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.