The Newtown High School girls’ soccer team was recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) with the 2014-15 High School Team Academic Award.

The NSCAA annually recognizes high school soccer programs that have excelled in the classroom, in addition to their performance on the field. Newtown was one of 398 teams (150 boys, 248 girls) nationwide recognized for exemplary performance in the classroom as a team during the 2014-15 academic year. Among these programs are 51 schools receiving honors for both their boys’ and girls’ teams.

To qualify for this award, the team must have a collective minimum grade point average of 3.25 for the entire academic year.

“As a teacher, as an educator, it feels good to know we excel in the classroom, too,” said Newtown Coach Marc Kenney, whose team this year carried an 8-4-2 record into this week’s action.

“We ask a lot of them,” said Kenney, noting that the team members not only compete at a high level, but also engage in fundraising activities, as well as keeping their grades up. The coach added that his teams have always maintained a GPA of at least 3.0.

Last year’s squad posted a record of 6-5-5. Kenney’s 2012 team won the state championship.

The NSCAA administers an extensive high school awards and recognition program, which includes Coach of the Year, All-America, long-term service, and special recognition awards designed to recognize excellence in soccer, academics, and service to the game. In all, nearly 11,000 awards are presented by the NSCAA each year for high school, college and youth soccer programs. These awards and recognition are available only to NSCAA member coaches and their players.

Founded in 1941 and based in Kansas City, Mo., the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate coaches, encourage excellence, and serve the soccer community. For more information about the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, visit nscaa.com.