KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 11, 2025) – Amir Lowery, the Executive Director and co-founder of Open Goal Project, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Jerry Yeagley Award for Exceptional Personal Achievement. He will be honored during the annual All-America Ceremony on Saturday, January 17, 2026, in conjunction with the 86th United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia, Pa.
The award is presented to a former collegiate soccer student-athlete who has demonstrated extraordinary accomplishments and service beyond the sport itself. The award is named in honor of the legendary Indiana University men’s soccer coach (1973-2003) who won 544 games and captured six NCAA championships.
“Amir Lowery is a deserving recipient of the Yeagley Award,” said Paul Payne, United Soccer Coaches President. “He is a wonderful example of a former soccer player who has been able to ensure that young players who normally could not afford to participate in our wonderful game be given an opportunity to play, and through soccer, potentially open doors to a more enriching life.”
Lowery, a 2004 graduate of Wake Forest University, where he played all four years for the Demon Deacons before embarking on a professional career that spanned nearly a decade across Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League.
A Washington, D.C. native, Lowery returned home to coach and quickly recognized a critical gap in access and representation within the youth soccer landscape. Motivated to create meaningful change, founded the Open Goal Project—an initiative dedicated to expanding opportunity and inclusivity in the sport for young players in his community.
The Open Goal Project works to ensure that talented youth from marginalized communities can fully participate in high-level soccer. Its mission centers on removing the financial and structural barriers that often prevent players and families from navigating the costs of the game. Through comprehensive support, the program helps young athletes grow both on the field and in life, using soccer as a pathway toward upward mobility, educational opportunity, and long-term well-being.
The organization is guided by a core belief: access to the game, and the personal growth that comes with it, should never depend on a child’s zip code, language, or family income.
To make this vision a reality, the Open Goal Project provides entirely free-to-play programming located near public transportation, staffed by professional coaches, community mentors, and bilingual leaders. Their holistic model offers the logistical resources families need to overcome longstanding obstacles to participation. By breaking down systemic barriers, the organization ensures that high-quality soccer and its youth-development benefits are truly available to all.