KANSAS CITY, MO. (Nov. 11, 2021) — United Soccer Coaches announced on Thursday the recipients of the association’s 2021 Long-Term Service awards for college, high school, and youth soccer. The awards are presented annually to members who have exhibited a career of contributions at their level of the sport and a continued commitment of service to the association. Lesle Gallimore (College), Norm Hillner (High School) and Dr. Doug Williamson (Youth) are this year’s honorees.
“Lesle, Norm and Doug represent dedicated members who have given back to the sport at their respective levels of the game over a career simply for the purpose of enhancing soccer and our association,” said Dr. Melissa Price, 2021 United Soccer Coaches President. “I hope these prestigious recognition awards come close to expressing the appreciation we have for their unselfish commitment to serve.”
The awards are presented annually to members who have exhibited a career of contributions at their level of the sport and a continued commitment of service to the association. The honorees will be presented their awards at the association’s annual United Soccer Coaches Awards Banquet taking place Jan. 21, 2022 in Kansas City, Mo., during the 2022 United Soccer Convention.
Lesle Gallimore | Seattle, Wash.
Bill Jeffrey College Long-Term Service Award
A United Soccer Coaches member since 1990, Gallimore spent 26 years as the women’s head coach at the University of Washington. During her tenure with the Huskies, Gallimore won 270 games and her teams made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including two trips to the Elite Eight. Overall, she recorded a total of 300 career victories.
Twice Gallimore was named Pacific-12 Conference Coach of the Year, one of only five coaches to achieve that feat. In 2019, Gallimore’s staff earned United Soccer Coaches Regional Staff of the Year honors. She produced several United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and National Women’s Soccer League players, most notably former U.S. Women’s National Team standout Hope Solo.
Currently the Commissioner of the Girls Academy, Gallimore has been a mentor to countless athletes and coaches across the country. She is a frequent featured clinician at the annual United Soccer Coaches Convention.
Gallimore served the association as a member of its Board of Directors, and was its President in 2018. She was the 2012 recipient of the Women’s Soccer Award of Excellence, presented to an individual who has provided long-term service to the women’s game on behalf of the association and the sport in the United States. Gallimore also has served as a United Soccer Coaches National Academy Staff member since 1995.
Norm Hillner | Arlington Heights, Ill.
Robert W. Robinson High School Long-Term Service Award
Supported by the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)
Hillner, a United Soccer Coaches member since 1981, spent 33 years as a high school coach, primarily at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Ill., where he served as boys head coach for 28 years. He was one of the Illinois High School Association’s winningest boys’ soccer coaches with a career record of 369-211-71. Norm has been an executive board member of the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association (IHSSCA) since 1986, serving as president in 1988 and again from 2003-2008. He was inducted into the IHSSCA Hall of Fame in 2007.
Hillner has served as the Midwest Region chair of the United Soccer Coaches Boys High School All-America Committee for the past 15 years. In addition, he was the Illinois state chair of the Boys High School Coach of the Year Committee.
As president of the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association, Hillner was influential in negotiating a partnership with United Soccer Coaches to promote membership, awards, education and the Convention within the state association and the state of Illinois. He assisted several other Midwestern states in organizing similar high school soccer coaches associations for partnerships with United Soccer Coaches.
Currently the Director of Operations for Men’s Soccer at Northwestern University, Hillner remains active with IHSSCA as Executive Board Advisor and chairs its Hall of Fame Committee. He received a Certificate of Appreciation from United Soccer Coaches in 2012 and was a 2014 recipient of its Letter of Commendation.
Dr. Doug Williamson | Marblehead, Ohio
Charlotte Moran Youth Long-Term Service Award
A United Soccer Coaches member since 1983, Williamson is a long-time instructor on the association’s National Academy Staff, serving since 1994. He has been a Senior Academy Staff coach since 2006.
He became certified to teach the then-NSCAA State Diploma (now United Soccer Coaches 4v4 Diploma) course in 1986 and has taught that course more than 50 times. Among the states in which he has taught the course include Arizona (on a Native American reservation), Montana (to representatives from six different Native American reservations) and New Mexico (twice in conjunction with the Indigenous Soccer Cup).
Williamson has been active in Coaching Academy affairs including curriculum design with an emphasis in material related to coaching ethics. He revised the current United Soccer Coaches Code of Ethics. Williamson served as the Assistant Director of Coaching Education for five years, providing oversight for administration of both national and regional Academy courses. In addition, he has served as a clinician at numerous Conventions.
A Needham, Massachusetts native, Williamson coached collegiate programs with stints at Curry College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Wellesley College and Kenyon College. He also had served as a secondary school coach with programs in Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska and Ohio.
The 2005 recipient of the Mike Berticelli Excellence in Coaching Education Award, Williamson also was a 2016 recipient of a Letter of Commendation.