FRISCO, Texas (Jan. 2, 2025) – US Youth Soccer (USYS) today announced Pam Copple, a decades-long volunteer of both Washington State Youth Soccer and USYS; Shannon MacMillan, a former United States women’s national team star; and Kari Seitz, one of the most decorated referees of all time, as the newest members of its Hall of Fame.
Copple’s relationship to the sport can be traced back nearly 50 years to her early days with the Washington State Youth Soccer Association. Some of her preeminent work came during her first few years as President in the Evergreen State – most significantly her efforts to establish a Risk Management program in 1992.
Copple’s success in that endeavor earned her the attention of the US Youth Soccer Region IV Committee, who enlisted her as Chair shortly thereafter. Copple then found herself participating on USYS’ Risk Management Committee, where she helped position the largest youth sport organization in the country as one of the leaders in the field – a title still true today.
Throughout almost five decades of service to the sport, Copple also served on many noteworthy committees to further the game, namely the U.S. Soccer Women’s Committee, U.S. Soccer Constitutional Commission Planning Committee, USYS Girls National Championship Committee, and the USYS Region IV ODP Strategic Planning Committee, among many others.
Copple’s efforts to grow the game are ongoing, as she is the current US Youth Soccer Historian and a member of the USYS Hall of Fame Committee.
MacMillan’s first days on the pitch were with Cal South’s Escondido Rancho Bernardo Soccer Club. She stayed with the US Youth Soccer affiliate – first with the Hornets, then with Pegasus and the Nomads – her entire youth career. MacMillan’s run to the finals of the USYS National Championship with Pegasus caught the eyes of college scouts and earned her a scholarship to the University of Portland.
MacMillan then took the collegiate game by storm during her first year with the Pilots. She was named the WCC Freshman of the Year in 1992 and followed that up with WCC Offensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. MacMillan continued to get better each year and became the first Pilot to earn the sport’s highest individual honor – the MAC Hermann Trophy – as a senior.
Throughout her illustrious career at Portland, MacMillan was a three-time MAC Hermann Trophy finalist, three-time United Soccer Coaches first team All-American, and four-time All-WCC first team selection. She ranks third all-time in program history in points (219), goals (87), and assists (45).
MacMillan’s impressive start to her collegiate career drew the eyes of the U.S. Women’s National Team, and she made her first appearance for the Stars and Stripes in 1994. Throughout 12 years with the USWNT, MacMillan appeared in 176 games and scored 60 goals. She was a crucial piece to the United States’ World Cup winning team in 1999 and was also a member of the 2003 team that finished third. MacMillan also played for the U.S. Olympic Team twice, earning both gold (1996) and silver (2000) medals.
MacMillan is now the Chief Impact Officer for the NWSL’s San Diego Wave FC.
Seitz’ memorable career in refereeing 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.
This year’s three-person class will be honored next week at US Youth Soccer’s awards luncheon on Thurs., Jan. 9, 2025, in Chicago at the United Soccer Coaches Convention.
The US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame has honored individuals that have made significant contributions to the sport on an annual basis since its establishment in 2008. With Copple, MacMillan, and Seitz being inducted, there are now 50 members of USYS’ most esteemed group. To read more about each member, click here.
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About US Youth Soccer
US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers 2.68 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment at every level of the game.
