MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
Awards & Recognition
ALLISON PRONSKE Managing Director
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Throughout this past year, each issue of Soccer Journal has highlighted the many benefits available to United Soccer Coaches members. In this issue, we take a closer look at one of our most well-known benefits: the awards and recognition program.
Each year, United Soccer Coaches presents more than 12,000 awards, available exclusively to member coaches, their teams and their players. These awards span the youth, high school and collegiate levels, recognizing excellence across the game. Among the most notable honors are All-America and Scholar All-America selections, Coach and Staff of the Year awards, and many others that celebrate achievement and dedication. In addition to individual honors, we recognize team accomplishments through awards such as the Team Academic Award, Team Pinnacle Award, and the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award.
Our Coaches Communities also play a vital role in recognizing individuals, organizations and groups who champion diversity, awareness and belonging within the sport. Through the Coaches Communities Awards of Excellence, 10 honorees are recognized annually for their impact at every level of the game.
Many members will be familiar with these prestigious Association honors and awards.
They include:
» Honor Award – The highest accolade bestowed by the Association, recognizing a career of meritorious service and outstanding contributions to soccer across multiple levels.
» Hall of Fame – Established in 1991, this honor celebrates lifetime achievement in coaching, service to the Association and contributions to the game.
» Long-Term Service Awards – These awards recognize sustained contribution and commitment to the sport and the Association and are awarded at the youth, high school and college levels.
• Bill Jeffrey College Long-Term Service Award – The award is named for the former Penn State coach who played a major role in shaping soccer and the Association. Jeffrey was the head coach of the 1950 U. S. World Cup team that defeated England, 1-0, in one of the greatest upsets in the history of soccer. He was the coach at Penn State for 26 seasons, winning 10 national collegiate championships, and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. A founding member of the Association, he served as its president in 1948.
• Robert W. Robinson High School Long- Term Service Award – The award is named for the Philadelphia-area high school coach who touched virtually every aspect of the Association. A member of the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame, Robinson is a past president of the organization and received its Honor Award in 1999.
• Charlotte Moran Youth Long-Term Service Award – The award is named in memory of Charlotte Moran, who served youth soccer for more than 30 years, including as Executive Director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association and as a member of the United Soccer Coaches Board of Directors.