Each year at the United Soccer Convention, the association recognizes a select few for their special contributions to the sport and to the United Soccer Coaches membership.
The Presidential Recognition Award may be presented in a given year to recognize groups or individuals of the soccer community for their impact on the game of soccer or those involved in the sport worldwide.
Benchmarks for nomination include extraordinary success in the national and/or international arena; exceptional acts of courage, inspiration or philanthropy that have a long-lasting impact on the sport; or incomparable achievement, acts of service or contributions to the game in the preceding year.
The United Soccer Coaches Letter of Commendation is presented to someone for their service to, impact on, and positive influence on the association and/or the game of soccer in the United States.
Also presented during Convention week are the Certificates of Appreciation, presented to express appreciation to an individual or organization for an outstanding contribution, act or service to United Soccer Coaches and/or the game in a given year or during a career. Recipients are recognized for their time, effort, resources, ideas, insight or energy given to the Association or soccer.
Those individuals who were honored at the 2019 Convention in Chicago were:
Presidential Recognition Award
Haley Carter & Kelly Lindsey – Afghanistan Women’s National Team
Dan Flynn – U.S. Soccer
April Heinrichs – U.S. Soccer
Karen “Petie” Huether, Monte Vista (Calif.) High School
Aly Wagner – FOX Sports
Certificate of Appreciation
Dick Bate – Service to academy and convention, Herefordshire, U.K. (presented posthumously to his wife, Maggie)
Sal Galvano – Service to junior college soccer, Rochester, N.Y.
Lee Horton – Service to high school soccer, Charlotte, N.C.
Barry Jacobson – Service to high school soccer, Bolingbrook, Ill.
John Mayer – Service to high school soccer, awards program and convention, Tampa, Fla.
Melody McNulty – Service to the convention, Newark, Del.
John Orozco – Service to the game, the convention and the association, Toledo, Ohio
Terry Stefankiewicz – Service to college soccer, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Letter of Commendation
Bob Warming – Nebraska-Omaha, Omaha, Neb.
Dr. Doug Williamson – United Soccer Coaches Academy Staff, Columbus, Ohio
United Soccer Coaches administers an extensive 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 association each year. For the complete list of awards presented by the association this past year, visit the 2018-19 Awards Central page.