KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 31, 2018) – Former U.S. Soccer Secretary General and National Soccer Hall of Fame member Hank Steinbrecher has been selected by United Soccer Coaches to receive the association’s 2018 Honorary All-America Award. Steinbrecher will be presented the award at the association’s All-America Ceremony and Reception on Jan. 12 at the 2019 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago.
“It is an incredible honor to recognize Hank Steinbrecher with our Honorary All-America Award,” said United Soccer Coaches President Lesle Gallimore. “As a fellow military parent, Mr. Steinbrecher has been a great friend and confidante to me during my son’s time in the United States Marine Corps. He has personally shown me what being a part of this great soccer family in America truly means. Every step of the way, from his time as a player, coach and executive, Hank has made enormous contributions to our game and it is with great pride that we honor him for his commitment.”
Steinbrecher’s love affair with the game began as a youth growing up in Levittown, N.Y. He attended Mitchell Junior College in New London, Conn., and then Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. where he was a member of the school’s 1970 NAIA National Championship team.
He began his coaching career at Warren Wilson College, where he served as head coach and athletic director. He coached at Appalachian State from 1978-80, leading the team to three consecutive conference championships, and at Boston University from 1980-84. During his time at BU, he also served as director of the Boston soccer venue at the 1984 Olympic Games. In his coaching career he produced 14 All-Americans and 11 tournament teams.
He left coaching to become the director of sports marketing at Quaker Oats, a position he held from 1985-90, where he built the sports beverage Gatorade into a nationally recognized brand.
Steinbrecher was hired as the Secretary General of U.S. Soccer on Nov. 5, 1990, a position he held until February of 2000. During his tenure, U.S. Soccer experienced unprecedented growth both on and off the field. He took a lead role in marketing the sport and was directly involved in developing U.S. Soccer’s sponsorship programs. He also served as the point man in serving as the host federation for two of the most successful FIFA tournaments of all-time, the 1994 men’s and 1999 women’s World Cups as well as the 1996 Olympic soccer competition at the Atlanta Games.
Steinbrecher was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a builder in 2005. In 2012, he received the Werner Fricker Builder Award, which honors those who have established a lasting legacy in the history and structure of soccer in the United States. He is also a member of the New England Soccer Hall of Fame, the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame and the West Virginia Soccer Association Hall of Fame.
He was recognized by United Soccer Coaches with the 1990 Bill Jeffrey Long-Term Service Award, given annually to a person who has raised intercollegiate soccer to new heights through his or her dedication to the game. He was also presented the 2005 Honor Award, the association’s highest honor, recognizing the career of a person whose work has enhanced the soccer coaching profession and/or contributed to the game as a whole. He continues to stay involved with the association, including his recent involvement with the Commitment to Culture.
The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) crowns its National Amateur Champions each year at a tournament that bears his name, The Hank Steinbrecher Cup.
Each year, the United Soccer Coaches Honorary All-America Award is presented to a person or persons who have brought particular distinction and/or attention to the sport of soccer through their efforts within and beyond the boundaries of the sport. Among past recipients, the categories of persons recognized have included astronauts, entertainers, politicians, military personnel, administrators and other individuals connected to the game. Visit UnitedSoccerCoaches.org to learn more.
Past United Soccer Coaches Honorary All-Americans
2017 – U.S. Paralympic Soccer Team
2016 – Tim Howard, U.S. Men’s National Team
2015 – Jill Ellis, U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach
2014 – Sir Alex Ferguson, Former Manager, Manchester United
2013 – Bob Bradley, Former U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach
2012 – Julie Foudy, U.S. Women’s National Team
2011 – Sunil Gulati, President, U.S. Soccer
2010 – Joe Gaetjens, 1950 U.S. Men’s National Team member
2009 – JP Dellacamera, ESPN
2008 – Dr. Sandra Magnus, United States astronaut
2007 – Kristine Lilly, five-time U.S. Women’s World Cup player
2006 – John and Maureen Hendricks; founders of the Discovery Channel
2005 – Jon Stewart; comedian/TV talk show host
2004 – U.S. Military Using Soccer for Outreach overseas
2003 – Walter Bahr, Frank Borghi, Harry Keough, Gino Pariani and John Sousa of the 1950 U.S. World Cup Team and Zachary Ty Bryan, TV/Movie actor, Game of Their Lives.
2001 – Heroes and Victims of September 11, 2001 (accepted by New York Fire Department soccer team)
2000 – Michelle Akers, U.S. Women’s National Team
1999 – Tony DiCicco, U.S. Women’s World Cup Champions Coach
1998 – Bob Ley, ESPN broadcaster
1996 – Lamar Hunt, Investor/Operator, Major League Soccer
1994 – Carolyn McKenzie-Edwards, Soccer in the Streets
1993 – Andrew Shue, TV/Movie actor
1992 – Anson Dorrance, U.S. Women’s National Team Coach
1991 – Sonny Carter, United States astronaut
1990 – Pelé
1989 – Werner Fricker, President, U.S. Soccer
1985 – Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder of Special Olympics
1983 – Clay Berling, Publisher, Soccer America
1982 – Dennis P. Long, Anheuser-Busch Co.
1974 – William Symington, United States Congressman (Missouri)
1973 – William Westmoreland, Commanding General, United States Army
1972 – Colonel William Anders, Apollo 8 Lunar Mission Astronaut