US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame

For more than 30 years, Bob Abbott was a key part of soccer in the state of Louisiana and for US Youth Soccer as a whole. Abbott’s presence became commonplace on a variety of US Youth Soccer committees. Bob was a member of both the United States Soccer Federation Constitution Review Committee and the US Youth Soccer Constitutional Rewrite Committee in the late 1990s.

Michelle Akers grew up playing US Youth Soccer in California and Washington. In high school, she won a state championship and was a three-time All-American. While playing for the University of Central Florida, she was a four-time NSCAA All-American and the first woman to be awarded the Hermann Trophy, as most outstanding NCAA Division I soccer player. Akers played in the 1991 and 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cups and in 1999, she was named the FIFA Women’s Player of the Century. In 1996, she was a part of the U.S. women’s team that captured the gold medal in Atlanta.

DaMarcus Beasley had a storied career in the professional ranks, culminating in 126 appearances for the United States Men’s National Team. After his playing career, Beasley started operating a network of youth soccer camps in the Ft. Wayne area in hopes of continuing the growth of youth soccer. Beasley continues to show kids what made him an international star and one of the most celebrated American players of all time.

The Bivens’ involvement in youth soccer began as parents nearly 40 years ago when they were “drafted” as coach, referee and team mom. From that point on, Jon and Connie’s influence on the game and their love of soccer continued to grow.

Bob Brantley has served on the US Youth Soccer Risk Management Committee since its inception. He was the US Youth Soccer Region III (South) representative in the early 1990s before a risk management program even existed. The work of the committee came at a time when awareness was growing dramatically in society of the problems associated with child safety and of the extent to which organizations working with youth need to take steps to address the problems.

Dennis Brumfield was an active member of the US Youth Soccer family for more than 30 years. In that time, Brumfield first became involved in his home state of West Virginia before then using his accounting knowledge at the Regional and National levels to help implement sound financial practices into US Youth Soccer. In addition to his accounting background, Brumfield was also an active member of the referee community.

Anthony Buiniskis first became involved in soccer in 1979 when his son started to play. While Buiniskis initially started out as a coach, he would go on to become a travel director, State Cup director, and board member of a major club in the Syracuse, New York area. Buiniskis had a passion for education and training at all levels and as a result, the game of soccer grew exponentially under his radar.

Wayne L. Christoffersen was a founding member and the first president of the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association. Prior to the formation of the State Association, he was the vice president of the Heart of America Soccer Association. Wayne was also the US Youth Soccer Region II Director from 1994 to 2006, serving on the board of directors. During this time, Region II started the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional League.

Susanne Conlon was an active member in the soccer world beginning in 1987. She was a referee assignor and assisted in the founding of Georgia Soccer’s first affiliated club. Conlon played a significant role in growing Georgia’s TOPSoccer program, as well as introducing TOPSoccer – Rama for the Special Needs school population. Conlon also served as a club registrar, coach, program director, vice president, president, referee, and sat on multiple US Youth Soccer committees.

Dr. Robert Contiguglia served as president of US Youth Soccer from 1990 to 1996. He secured the first national sponsorship and introduced Soccer Start (now Soccer Across America). In 1980, he served as president of Colorado Youth Soccer and, during his eight years as Colorado president, Contiguglia grew the organization from 3,000 to 33,000 members while also introducing coach and referee training programs. Starting in 1990, Contiguglia served on the U.S. Soccer Federation board of directors, serving as president from 1998 to 2006. In 2010, he was honored with the Werner Fricker Builder Award by U.S. Soccer for his work furthering soccer.

Copple spent nearly five decades of her life involved with soccer. As President of the Washington State Youth Soccer Association, Copple established a risk management program in 1992. She spent time on US Youth Soccer’s Risk Management Committee and as Chair of the Region IV Committee, where she helped position USYS as one of the leaders in the field. Copple was also a member of U.S. Soccer’s Women’s Committee, U.S. Soccer’s Constitutional Commission Planning Committee, and multiple other US Youth Soccer committees.

For nearly two decades, Jim Cosgrove helped push US Youth Soccer forward, serving in different capacities as he helped benefit the game for all kids. Cosgrove’s influence on USYS can be felt in all aspects of the organization from budget creation to the implementation of new communications channels and technologies. 

Mavis Derflinger began her soccer career coaching a girls’ team in Lee, New York, in 1969. In the 1970s, Derflinger teamed with Rael Vodicka to form the Washington Area Girls Soccer League (WAGS), where she served as treasurer. Derflinger was elected the president of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association from 1979-1981. She also held the position of Region I director for US Youth Soccer from 1981-1986. In the early 1980s, she became the first female board member of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). In 1986, she was elected as chairwoman of US Youth Soccer, which put her on the USSF Executive Committee. She served as chairwoman through 1990.  

Adele Dolansky’s dedication to the sport started when she became a coach for the Fairfax Police Club. For the following three decades, Dolansky went on to impact countless youth soccer players in Virginia, Region 1, and nationwide. She also served as Chairwoman of USYS’ National Championship Series Region 1. 

Flo Egan was US Youth Soccer’s East Region Administrator from 2014-2017. She managed the National Championship, Presidents Cup, ODP, and TOPSoccer programs in the region while maintaining official records and managing the budget. Egan also spent three years with Maryland State Youth Soccer Association as its Executive Director, where she was responsible for managing the organization’s daily operations, coordinating its programs, increasing player registration, and working with various members to develop new programs throughout the state. From 2022-2025, Egan served as USYS’ Eastern Region National Championship Series Program Manager. She oversaw all operational procedures, including bid processes, schedule making, and communication to all involved parties, among other responsibilities. In addition to her other administrative endeavors, Egan has also served as a committee member for numerous initiatives.

Elmer Ehlers served as the Region II Director on US Youth Soccer’s Board of Directors from 1984-1994. During Ehlers’ time on the Board, USYS’ membership grew by more than one million players. Even after retiring, he remained involved with the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series for many years. To honor his many contributions, the Under-14 Girls US Youth Soccer National Championship Cup was named the Elmer Ehlers Cup in 2002.

Fawcett began playing with the Orange County Youth Soccer Club and, at just 14, was selected to both the Olympic Development Program and the United States Youth National Team. Fawcett later attended UC Berkeley and was a two-time National Player of the Year, three-time First Team All American, and still holds the program record for most goals in a single season. Fawcett went on to appear in 239 games for the United States Women’s National Team while winning two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals. She was also a founding member of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA).

For more than 40 years, Dr. Thomas Fleck fostered the physical, mental and emotional growth and development of America’s youth through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition. He was recognized in 2005 as the inaugural recipient of the US Youth Soccer Dr. Thomas Fleck Excellence in Youth Coaching Education Award, designed to honor a lifetime of dedication where one has with integrity, honor, humor and humility made extensive and far reaching contributions to the process by which youth soccer coaches are educated in America.

Julie Foudy began playing team soccer when she was seven years old. In 1986, she helped Cal South’s Mission Viejo Soccerettes win the US Youth Soccer U16 National Championship. Foudy was the captain on the U.S. Women’s National Team for 13 years, appearing in 271 matches and tallying 45 goals and 59 assists. She is a two-time FIFA World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Evelyn Gill’s devotion to the sport’s local, state, and national levels lasted more than three decades. In every role she held, Gill helped strengthen and plan for the future of youth soccer, always believing that it was “The Game for All Kids.”

Donald Greer’s impact on the sport lives on today. Greer founded the California Youth Soccer Association in 1968 and served as its President until 1975. He also served as the United States Soccer Federation’s Vice President from 1972-1984. During that time, Greer founded the United States Youth Soccer Association and was its Chairman until 1984. While in that role, Greer’s vision helped launch the James P. McGuire Cup, the USYS Olympic Development Program, and both regional and sub-regional programs for State Associations. He oversaw an incredible increase in membership, with the number of players participating rising from 32,000 to more than 1.3 million. In 1992, the US Youth Soccer Founder’s Award and, in 1993, USYS’ U17 Boys National Championship Trophy was named “the Don Greer Cup” in his honor. 

Dr. Lauren Gregg capitalized on her incredible youth years – which included being named an All-American at Wellesley High School – with a standout collegiate career. Gregg spent her first two years at Lehigh University with the men’s junior varsity team. She then transferred to Harvard University, where she was named an All-American in 1981. Gregg finished her collegiate career at the University of North Carolina, where she won an AIAW Championship and the first-ever NCAA Championship in 1982. Gregg then transitioned to coaching and returned to both UNC and Harvard as an assistant – winning another National Championship with the former. She also coached the Virginia Cavaliers for nearly a decade and earned numerous coaching accolades, including leading them to the first Final Four in program history. Gregg has also coached at the international level and was a member of the USWNT’s staff during two World Cup winning campaigns and an Olympic triumph. She was also an assistant for the Nigerian Women’s National Team that made its incredible run in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Amy Griffin’s dedication to the sport began at 14 as a Washington State Youth Soccer player. She was a member of many teams and was part of the Olympic Development Program. Griffin then went on to play for the University of Central Florida, was a member of the USWNT, coached several collegiate teams, and was head coach of the U.S. Deaf Women’s National Team. 

Over three days in 1974, Karl Grosch, Don Greer and Robert Nessler wrote the initial constitution, bylaws and rules for US Youth Soccer. It was then and remains now a revolutionary step that provided a democratic structure to provide uniform rules and guidelines to facilitate intrastate, interstate, and international play while uniting all youth soccer programs in the country. US Youth Soccer was officially formed and recognized as an affiliated, self-governing body for youth soccer at the 1974 USSF AGM. 

John Harkes grew up playing in the New Jersey State Youth Soccer Association with Thistle FC. He earned his first cap for the USMNT in 1987 and played in the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups. Harkes also played in the 1988 Olympic Games and was the founding player and captain for the MLS’ D.C. United. He was named a five-time MLS All-Star and played in 167 games throughout his career. Even after his retirement, Harkes remained involved in the sport as an ESPN commentator and US Youth Soccer’s spokesperson for the first Youth Soccer Month.

For nearly four decades of his life, Jesse Harrell was a passionate supporter and advocator for youth soccer. He was able to make an impact at the club, state, regional, and national level while discovering what works well in providing youth soccer programs to each.

During the early years of US Youth Soccer, John Hilske worked hard to develop it and help elevate soccer to its current popularity level. He was one of the founding fathers of the Nebraska State Soccer Association in 1969, and seven years later was elected as US Youth Soccer Region II Director. He served on the board until 1984, while also serving on the Hall of Fame, Rules and Sub-Olympic Committees. With Hilske as the Regional Director, Region II’s membership grew from 20,000 players to 165,000. It now has more than 660,000 registered members.

For nearly 40 years, Steve Hoffman has been an influential figure in coaching circles across the United States. He’s spent 23 years as a U.S. Soccer Coaching Educator and 36 years with Cal South ODP in addition to being the only head coach for the Ventura College Women’s Soccer program. Through 28 years with the Pirates, Hoffman has won more than 400 games, been named Western State Conference Coach of the Year 10 times, and led them to 17 conference titles. In addition to his coaching accolades, Hoffman has also been at the forefront of numerous coaching initiatives, such as mandatory coaching licenses and creation of the ODP scouting program.

Keller started with US Youth Soccer. He first played as a U7 player for Washington State Youth Soccer’s Woodlawn Cemetery Diggers Booters Soccer Club before moving on to new clubs and being named to USYS ODP Regional, State, and National Teams.

Krieger played with Virginia Youth Soccer’s Prince William Sparklers for 12 years and was a finalist at the 2000 US Youth Soccer National Championships. She was named the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year at Forest High School and a two-time All-American with Penn State. Krieger played professionally for eight years before being allocated to the Washington Spirit in 2013. She spent 11 seasons in the NWSL among multiple teams and won the 2023 Championship in her final year. Krieger also appeared in 108 matches for the USWNT and won two World Cups.

For more than four decades, Dave Laraba has transformed the sport in West Virginia as its Executive Director. He has always made a positive impact in his many roles, whether with U.S. Soccer, US Youth Soccer, or the WVSA. He’s also a three-time Region 1 Championship-winning coach won three county championships with the Park Junior High School.

Guided by his love of the sport and all that it offers, Virgil Lewis’ endless pursuit to promote the game has led to numerous positive impacts. For more than three decades, he was an in influential figure in the growth of youth soccer as both a coach and administrator.

Kristine Lilly attributes much of her early success to her time with US Youth Soccer as she grew up in Connecticut. Before Lilly went on to star with the USWNT, she won multiple state titles in high school and was a four-time NCAA champion. Lilly made 340 appearances for the Stars and Stripes and won two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals. She runs the Kristine Lilly Soccer Academy each summer and works with the Special Olympics of Connecticut. In 2003, Lilly had the U15 US Youth Soccer National Championship trophy named after her. 

Wally Lyslo has always been someone that those in Minnesota’s referee community can look up to. In 1973, Lyslo started as a volunteer referee when his son became old enough to play. He registered as a referee with the U.S. Soccer Federation eight years later, beginning his time as a valuable referee, assignor and instructor at the state, regional and national level.

MacMillan played for Cal South’s Escondido Rancho Bernardo Soccer Club throughout her entire youth career and reached the US Youth Soccer National Championship once. She starred at the University of Portland for four years, being named a three-time All-American and winning the MAC Hermann Trophy in her senior year. She ranks third all-time in program history in points, goals, and assists. MacMillan also appeared in 176 games for the USWNT over 12 years, scoring 60 goals and winning both a World Cup and Olympic gold medal.

In 1985, Martella was honored as the recipient of the Bill Schrandt Award, given to an individual who has provided a substantial contribution to the Southeast Cincinnati Soccer Association. He’s also earned two awards from US Youth Soccer: the 2005 Region II Angus Cameron Award and 2010 National Administrator of the Year. For all of his diligence and determination, Martella was also inducted into the Ohio Soccer Hall of Fame and named on MLS’ 100 Top Soccer Leaders list.

McBride grew up in Illinois playing for the Arlington Aces and won the State Championship as a U10. He would go on to represent the USMNT 90 times and played in three FIFA World Cups.

Tom Mendoth led the implementation of a round-robin tournament for US Youth Soccer’s Region IV. He then used the experience to help the National Championship Committee begin using the same format, giving teams more opportunity to compete and growing the event from a weekend to week-long duration.

For more than 20 years and through numerous roles, David Messersmith has dedicated himself to the development of the sport. He served as President of US Youth Soccer from 2000-2006 and remains involved today as the Executive Director of the North Texas Youth Soccer Association.

In 1970, Larry Monaco established “Soccer on the Hill,” the first youth soccer league in Washington, D.C. For the next 40 years, Monaco would go on to advance the sport in the country throughout the many positions he held.

Charlotte Moran helped advance the game at the local, state, regional, and national level for three decades. Even though her first involvement came as team manager, years later Moran would be a member of Philadelphia’s 2003 Women’s World Cup Local Organizing Committee.

John Motta held numerous administrative roles since 1985, but for the last three decades, he’s become a referee mentor and administrator at the local, regional, and national levels. He’s been able to help grow the game by implementing programs that all states and regions can use to recruit, develop, and retain young referees. Motta is also the current President of the United States Adult Soccer Association, Chairman of the USASA Championships, and serves as a member of multiple Board of Directors’, including the United States Soccer Federation, U.S. Soccer National Soccer Hall of Fame, and the USASA.

Peggy Neason is synonymous with youth soccer in Western Pennsylvania and was instrumental in the creation and implementation of TOPSoccer in the area. She is a firm believer of coaching from the heart, which allows every player to be treated equally and be able to enjoy the game she loves.

Irene Niemotka retired from US Youth Soccer in 2010. She had an influential 19-year career and held many roles, including Director of Membership and Business Operations. Niemotka was involved in many of the National Office’s first initiatives, including launching a website and IT system, to the development of the marketing and caching departments. Niemotka also helped create the US Youth Soccer Foundation.

Pat Pullen served the soccer community as a trusted insurance and risk management advisor, and was the broker of choice for the majority of the State Associations, for over 20 years. He worked closely with the US Youth Soccer Risk Management Committee to advise and assist on various issues that the soccer community faced. Pullen Insurance Services also provided many educational workshops at both the state and national level in hopes of supporting the objectives of the USYS Risk Management Committee.

Darl Rose began his involvement as a charter member of United States Youth Soccer Nevada. From 1974 through 1988, he served as treasurer, vice chairman, chairman and past chairman. In 1980, Rose became involved in US Youth Soccer committees including the regional protest and appeals, National McGuire Cup and budget. He was elected US Youth Soccer Region IV Director in 1988 and served on the board of directors through 2006. Rose was also on the U.S. Soccer Federation board during that period. He served on several U.S. Soccer committees and served as the head of delegation for several National Team trips abroad. In 2001, Rose was awarded the U.S. Soccer President’s Award.

Julius Roth was one of the first organizers and founders of US Youth Soccer. His greatest contributions were his persistent and generous efforts toward the development of youth and women’s soccer programs. Roth identified and organized US Youth Soccer State Associations in the Midwest, and lobbied to have women’s soccer recognized by the U.S. Soccer Federation. In 1974, he became the first US Youth Soccer Region II Director. In 1975, he was chairman of the James P. McGuire Cup, now part of the US Youth Soccer National Championships Series. In 1977, Roth served as Chairman of the Appeals Committee for US Youth Soccer Region II. In 1981, he served on the US Youth Soccer Region II Planning Committee. 

Seitz’s refereeing career started in Brighton, Mich., in 1984. She officiated youth games for eight years in the Great Lakes State before moving to Chicago, where she had access to tournaments on the regional and national stages. Seitz also participated in Iowa Soccer’s Olympic Development Program. She then moved to California in 1997 and attended two USYS tournaments as a referee and mentor with Cal-North Youth Soccer. Seitz, while continuing to support referees inside of US Youth Soccer, became a FIFA referee in 1999 and officiated in her first World Cup that year. She would go on to participate in three more and is the only referee to ever cover four World Cups (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011) and four Olympic events (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016). Seitz’s 28-year career as a U.S. Soccer referee saw her officiate matches in 18 different countries and cover national teams from 42 different countries. In addition to Seitz’s career on the international stage, she was an MLS referee for four years (1998-2001) and officiated for WUSA, WPS, and NWSL from 2001-2013. Seitz also officiated four NCAA Finals across Divisions I-III and the 2013 NWSL Championship match. Seitz has been a FIFA Instructor since 2014 and became U.S. Soccer’s first Vice President of Refereeing in April. Prior to coming back to the United States, Seitz had been the Head of Refereeing for FIFA, where she was responsible for leading the global development of female refereeing, since 2016.

In just four years as President of the South Austin Youth Soccer Association, Roy Smithers grew the club to become the second largest in the Capital Area Youth Soccer Association with more than 400 new players. In the two years Smithers spent with CAYSA, he was able to add five new associations to the membership, bringing the player registration to more than 8,000, which was the largest member association in South Texas. Smithers also worked tirelessly to grant more opportunities to girls in the sport, helping create their first select team and all-star program. He then oversaw the South Texas Youth Soccer Association for more than 10 years, which included 29 member associations and leagues that were home to more than 65,000 players.

John Sutter was elected President of US Youth Soccer in 2010 after serving three years on the US Youth Soccer Board of Directors as Member at Large. During his six years as President, Sutter made many organizational changes and restarted a strategic planning initiative that brought the entire membership into the process.

For over three decades, Rick Tompkins dedicated much of his time to the growth of the game of soccer. He was involved in many aspects, from being active as a coach on the field to serving off the field as a member of the US Youth Risk Management Committee. Tompkins played an instrumental role in promoting the need for US Youth Soccer to develop a strong Risk Management program. He served as member and chair of the US Youth Risk Management Committee for 14 years.

For more than 40 years, Bob Wertz contributed to referee programs at the state, regional and national levels of soccer in the United States, and his influence can be seen in hundreds of officials across the country. Wertz is a life member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Referee Program, as well as State Referee emeritus and a National Assessor emeritus. The Bob Wertz award is presented to a participating referee at the US Youth Soccer Region III Championships who displays leadership and support to his or her fellow referees.  

Jimmie Wofford discovered soccer when a local professional team visited her children’s school. That encounter lead to Wofford’s involvement in US Youth Soccer where she helped create the bylaws and she served as the first US Youth Soccer Region III Director from 1974-1979. Wofford opened doors for girls’ soccer and was instrumental in creating a female interstate tournament for Region III. In 1976, Wofford became the first women’s commissioner for U.S. Soccer. She was also the first executive director of North Texas State Soccer Association and also served as secretary. Within her community, she assisted in writing the bylaws of the Richardson (Texas) Soccer Association.

Kathy Zolad has been involved in all facets of the game of soccer, starting as a team manager for her children’s teams to supporting women and girls playing the game. If not for her strong relationships and desire to open the world of soccer to young ladies, many women athletes would not have found their college teams. Much of Zolad’s success comes from her ability to recognize that the world of soccer administration is dynamic and continually evolving. She is a visionary and leader in the soccer community as she has always put the interests of the organization, its members, and players ahead of her own.