Vienna Little League (VLL) has a new accolade under its belt, thanks to one standout coach.
Josh Cilman, who coaches boys and girls at the league’s “Majors” level, has been named 2024 Coach of the Year by Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care, which operates 23 urgent care centers in Northern Virginia. Announced on Nov. 19, the award comes with a $2,000 donation that the VLL can use for supplies and other resources.
“Good coaches are important to the vitality of our community. They play a pivotal role in our children’s development by teaching skills they’ll use throughout their life, including teamwork and perseverance,” Inova-GoHealth Medical Director Dr. Meredith Porter said in a press release. “This award aims to recognize the contributions of coaches and to support our local leagues, ensuring every child has the chance to thrive in sports and beyond. It’s an honor to recognize Josh Cilman.”
Inova-GoHealth identified Cilman as its Coach of the Year for 2024 after soliciting nominations of youth coaches from the community this spring.
According to the press release, GoHealth, a private on-demand health care company that partnered with Inova Health Systems in 2022, has sponsored youth sports programs around the country since 2020. The Coach of the Year award program is part of its efforts to promote sports and physical activity, giving awards and a total of $18,000 to the leagues of nine coaches in communities it serves.
Cilman has been coaching Vienna Little League for about a decade now, including six years at the “Majors” level for players aged 10 to 12. More on his coaching from Inova-GoHealth:
Cilman started coaching Vienna Little League baseball a decade ago and says it is the enthusiasm of his players that keeps him coming back each season. Their excitement before every practice is palpable, and Cilman says he never takes for granted that for many of them, their time on the diamond is probably the best part of their day.
Cilman has coached the girls’ and boys’ “Majors” level for the past six years, which consists of players ages 10 to 12. One of the greatest rewards is seeing how the discipline they learn during practice applies on the diamond. His players work hard, and Cilman says the reward is not only the final score on the scoreboard but the relationship he maintains with many players long after they’ve moved beyond his team.
“Seeing my players take the lessons learned in Little League and applying it to higher level baseball or other sports is incredibly rewarding,” Cilman says.
His team faced a challenging start to their spring season with a few losses, but Cilman says through each player’s commitment to hard work and practice, they turned it around and finished the season in first place.
VLL players have seen their share of success in recent years. In 2022, the American League 11U All Stars team, which consists of its top 11-year-old players, won a regional championship, and the American League 9-11 All Stars won state titles this past summer and in 2023.
