KANSAS CITY, Mo. – United Soccer Coaches announced Thursday that U.S. Soccer Foundation president and CEO Ed Foster-Simeon has been selected to receive the association’s 2020 Honorary All-America Award.
Foster-Simeon will be presented the award at the association’s All-America ceremony Saturday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. ET during the United Soccer Coaches digital convention.
“Ed Foster-Simeon’s meaningful service to both soccer interests and the country, and successful leadership across several arenas of soccer and public life establish him as an exemplary Honorary All-American,” United Soccer Coaches President Kevin Sims said in a statement. “The work of the U.S. Soccer Foundation is impacting lives positively where the need is greatest. United Soccer Coaches proudly celebrates his exceptional contributions.”
A champion of soccer as a vehicle for youth development and social change, Foster-Simeon has been president and CEO of the foundation since May 2008. He has more than three decades of experience at the local, state, and national level of the game and has been a member of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s board of directors since 2004.
Under his leadership, the foundation has become a nationally recognized leader in sports-based youth development. The organization places a special emphasis on programs that improve health and social outcomes among children in underserved communities. To date, the foundation has engaged 300,000 children in Soccer for Success, its program proven to help children establish healthy habits and develop critical life skills through the game.
The foundation has also installed 380 mini-pitches nationwide in an effort to provide more kids safe places to play in communities that often lack recreational facilities or fields. One of these mini-pitches was donated by the Foundation, MUSCO Lighting and United Soccer Coaches to Baltimore at last year’s convention.
Foster-Simeon served as deputy managing editor at USA TODAY where he was responsible for Washington, political and foreign news operations.
At the grassroots level, he is a former vice president of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association and past president of Prince William Soccer, Inc. in Northern Virginia. In 2011, Foster-Simeon was awarded a Community Leadership Award from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) and in 2017 he was inducted into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Foster-Simeon serves as a trustee of the NAACP Foundation.
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.
