Lebron James
First nationally ranked NCAA program (#2), George Mason, to compete against a Black women's college program, Howard, on a HBCU campus.
George Mason won 9-0.
Clint Peay becomes the first Black player to play for Bruce Arena at University of Virginia, winning 4 NCAA titles, along with Nate Friends and Silvera.
Lincoln Philips and Sheldon Philips establish first Black team in American professional soccer with Maryland Mania of the A-League.
2001:
WYSA U18s become America's first soccer team to defeat a full-time English Premier League academy team following their 3-1 win
over Chelsea FC U19s (coached by Jose Mourinho's assistant Steve Clarke) during an historic European tour of 6 countries,
playing 6 academies in 9 days. Kab Hakim's academy program was featured globally on Futbol Mundial, SKY Sports in Europe and
the NSCAA Soccer Journal.
WYSA Academy of Washington DC play an historic match with Brixton Academy of London, UK as part of a twinning venture between the inner city Black communities of Washington DC and London. This match was endorsed by DC Mayor Anthony Williams and DC Councillor Jim Graham and London Mayor Claudette Hewitt. The final score of this match was 2-1 to Brixton. From this venture, Haribo Kamara-Taylor became the first ever inner city player from London to play for the Howard University Men's Soccer Team on scholarship.
WYSA Academy played the following full-time professional soccer academies in Europe during their historic tour of 2001: West Ham United, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Brixton, Ajax, and De Treffers of Nijmegen, Holland (WYSA 2001 tour photo attached at famous Toekomst Ajax Academy center). The WYSA program served as a national model for urban soccer development success in America from 1991 to 2001 and was featured in the NSCAA Soccer Journal published to over 20,000 soccer coaches worldwide.
1991:
Kab Hakim starts America's first inner city academy for Black players aged 4 thru 12 in Washington DC. Beginnings of minority run Washington
Youth Soccer Association (WYSA).
Jason Gross becomes the first inner city soccer player from DC to become a collegiate soccer coach when he is given the position of Assistant Women's Coach at Trinity University of Washington, DC.
Coach Gross is a graduate of the historic WYSA Academy and Howard University.
HISTORY
Eddie Pope considered one of the best defenders in US National Team history.
1997:
KIMA Institute becomes the nation's first Black charter school to engage in a year round soccer program based in Washington DC.
First major step to combine college prep education and soccer development in the Black community.
1999:
Brianna Scurry is first Black female to win World Cup with US Women's National Team as active participant.
Shaka Hislop (Photo, Courtesy of Sporting Heroes.Net)
Zack Thornton becomes Director of Goalkeeping for D.C. United.
Zack Thornton
2008
Denis Hamlet becomes the first black head coach in MLS with the Chicago Fire.
Ed Foster-Simeon becomes President and CEO of United States Soccer Foundation
"Rebo" Taylor
1993:
Phillip Gyau becomes first Black American to play professionally in a top European League at the Division 1 level, with Genk in Belgium.
First nationally syndicated television broadcast of a Black college soccer program is aired on Soccer'94 thru Home Team Sports
(now Comcast sports) featuring Howard University.
Tammy Pearman becomes first black female player to play in NCAA Division 1 Championship game when she plays for George Mason
against North Carolina.
Jason Gross
Briana Scurry
WYSA Academy Graduates at Howard University
Tammy Pearman
First Black college radio broadcast of women's soccer done on WHBC at Howard University.
1990:
Desmond Armstrong becomes the first Black American male to play in a World Cup (in Italy)
UNITED STATES Black Soccer History
Since the 80’s
By Kab Hakim
Freddy Adu
Black Soccer Association
Eddie Pope
At the age of 14, Freddy Adu became the youngest African American to play professional soccer in the US when he helped DC United
win MLS Cup in 2004. Adu was also the youngest to play professional sports in America since 1887. He also became the youngest player
ever to score a goal in MLS.
2005
Kab Hakim and Mo Sheta establish first Black team in PDL with Northern Virginia Royals.
Kab Hakim becomes the first BCC member to win a national youth championship in the USL Super Y League with the
Northern Virginia Majestics U19 Girls.
Alex and Angel Ughiovhe become the first African American brother and sister to play NCAA Division 1 college soccer together at the same institution when they played and captained Howard University Men's and Women's Soccer respectively. Both players are WYSA Academy graduates. Note: Angel Ughiovhe was also the first inner city female player from DC to be selected for USYS National ODP at the age of 14. She also was the first inner city female player from DC to play in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League, the only national women's league in the country in 2004 and was the first inner city female player from DC to win a national championship when she won the 2005 USL North American Super Y title at U19. (Photo attached of Alex and Angel at Howard)
WYSA Academy Boys and Girls with Coaches Kab Hakim (far left) and Akeem Ishola (far right)
2015
Steve Hightower becomes Minority owner of FC Cincinnati
Keidane McAlpine becomes the first American born black coach to win the NCAA Division 1 Women's Soccer National Championship (2016 USC)
Futsal America becomes the first futsal skills program for inner city girls in DC to play travel soccer and futsal year round during its launch in 2015.
Futsal America players
Steve Hightower
2010
Fox Soccer Channel presents an episode of Black History Month and World Cup FIFA South Africa celebration.
Featured Football Legend Jim Brown, Cobi Jones and Ed Foster-Simeon, President of US Soccer Foundation.
Christen Press wins Hermann Trophy.
2011
Black Soccer Association (BSA) is formed, on February 25th.
Lebron James becomes the first African American minority stakeholder in a major professional European soccer club with his
purchase into English Premier League giant, Liverpool Football Club.
First Black collegiate cup competition is formed between Keith Tucker's Howard University and Clyde Watson's UDC, called the
Ted Chambers Cup.
Alex and Angel
1994:
First Black Girls' travel team formed in Washington DC with Soccer On The Hill and coached by Kab Hakim and Wendell Domon.
Soccer In The Streets is founded by Carolyn McKenzie.
DC Scores starts as America Scores first after school program combining literacy with soccer in the inner city, based in Washington DC.
1995:
Howard University move women's soccer to varsity status becoming the first Black women's program in NCAA history to gain that status.
Michelle Street is appointed head coach.
Shaka Hislop of Howard University becomes first Black college player from America to play in England's Premier League with Newcastle United.
Clint Peay
Kab Hakim starts first ODP program for girls in Washington DC to identify minority players.
Soccer On The Hill become Washington's first travel club to represent the US in the Holland Cup, the world's 3rd largest tournament.
Lincoln Philips gets first soccer book published featuring soccer skill development by an American based Black coach.
Soccer On The Hill Capitol Roadrunners become the first inner city girls team from Washington DC to participate in the Holland Cup, the 3rd largest youth tournament in the World with over 1500 teams. This representation was endorsed by US President Bill Clinton who wrote to Head Coach Kab Hakim and the team endorsing them as sporting ambassadors for the USA. The team was also given an equipment sponsorship from Adidas. The historic trip was reported on Capitol Hill in the Hill Rag Newspaper. Special mention for Wendell Domon, the founding coach of the team and first ever girls travel coach in inner city DC.
1996:
Brianna Scurry and Danielle Slaton become first Black females to win Olympic Gold medals for US Women’s’ National Team.
First Black Coaches Committee (BCC) is formed by Lincoln Philips with original members Keith Tucker, Mike Curry, Curtis Landy,
Guy Cornish, Sheldon Philips and Kab Hakim.
Nation's first Legacy League is founded in Washington DC in partnership with SNICKERS, WYSA and US Soccer Foundation
to develop competitive inner city soccer as a legacy of World Cup 1994. The goal of the program was to build a self sufficient network
of inner city clubs.
First Black players from college soccer to go full-time pro in America with MLS:
Eddie Pope, Tony Sanneh, Clint Peay, Manny Omotajo, Peter Isaacs, Cobi Jones, Judah Cooks, Zach Thornton, Silvera, Dante Washington,
Roy Lassiter and others.
Sheldon Philips, son of the legendary Lincoln Philips, became the first Black venue director during the 1996 Olympics when he was responsible for the soccer operations of Birmingham, Alabama, host city of the largest ever soccer crowd of a woman's soccer match in the USA when 90,000 attended the 1996 Olympic Women's Soccer Gold Medal Match.
Peter "Boomie" Isaacs scoring against Tony Meola in Klockner Stadium
1989:
Kab Hakim starts America's first collegiate soccer program for African American women at Howard Universityand first match was against American University in a 1-1 tie.
2004
The last WYSA graduate from the 1991 inauguration joined Howard University's Men's varsity program, representing an unprecedented
100% graduation rate into college soccer for all the inner city academy members. The most successful model for inner city soccer development.
(L-R) Phillip Gyau and Jean Harbor
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Redemption Song Movie Release
Clyde Watson
Lincoln Philips
America's first public television broadcast of a Black community high school soccer match was aired on District cablevision in Washington DC.
The match featured Bell and Wilson, and the shoot was produced by Shellie Bowers.
Phillip Gyau and Jean Harbor become American professional soccer's most prolific partnership with the Maryland Bays.
Cobi Jones (Photo, Courtesy of Sporting Heroes.Net)
2003:
Clyde Watson becomes the first Black coach to win a professional women's league title in America with WUSA's Washington Freedom.
Freddy Adu signed the biggest endorsement deal ever given to an America soccer player when he signed for $1 million with NIKE.
Howard University Women's Soccer Team, 1989
(L-R) Victor MacFarlane and Brian Davis
Desmond Armstrong (Photo, Courtesy of Sporting Heroes.Net)
Kab Hakim USL Super Y National Cup
2016
Lincoln Philips and Howard University Men's Soccer become the feature of the first ever soccer movie in America to be produced by the legendary Spike Lee for ESPN films. The movie documentary of Howard's famous NCAA title winning seasons of 1970 and 1974 was aired in June 2016.
Lincoln Philips becomes US Men's National Team's first Black goalkeeper coach.
WYSA 2001
Ed Foster-Simeon
2006
Shaka Hislop set to become the first player from an HBCU to play in a World Cup Finals.
Shaka Hislop becomes the first black player from the US to play in a FA Cup Final when he was in goal for West Ham United vs Liverpool.
First international branch of the BCC to be established in London as part of a global project for the 2010 African World Cup.
At the age of 16, Freddy Adu became the youngest African America player to play for the US National Team when he played in a friendly
against Canada in January 2006
2007
Kendall Reyes becomes the first black coach to be appointed as an NSCAA State Technical Coordinator. In the same year, Kendall
was also appointed to the NSCAA Academy National Staff.
The NSCAA has only 3 black coaching educators currently on staff; Hylton Dayes, Sam Okpodu and Kendall Reyes.
Devon Payton becomes the first black coach to win a national championship in USFF Futsal.
Victor MacFarlane and Brian Davis become the first black owners of an MLS franchise with DC United.
1988:
Keith Tucker and Mavis Derflinger start America's first Soccer Start program based in Washington DC area. They also establish first city
wide minority youth league called Joe Cole Soccer League.
Keith Tucker became the first Black coach to defeat Bruce Arena's University of Virginia in Charlottesville,
in the NCAA Division 1 Tournament of 1988 when Howard defeated UVA 3-2 in overtime. Howard went on to reach the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Final only to lose 1-0 to Indiana. UVA went on to win 4 unprecedented NCAA titles back to back in consequent seasons.
Howard University reaches their 3rd NCAA Division 1 Men's Soccer Final in history.
Kab Hakim writes first public newspaper soccer reports of a whole season by a Black college team with the
Community News of Washington.
First win by an HBCU women's soccer program over NCAA opposition, when Howard defeats Trinity 3-0 at Greene Stadium.
First Black Boys' travel team formed in Washington DC with Washington Soccer Club.
Houston establish largest inner city recreation soccer program with some 5000 participants. Beginnings of the Houstonians.
Palmer (of George Mason) becomes the first Black female to play in FIFA competition for the US Women's National Team.
1992:
Lincoln Philips does first clinic for inner city Black players at RFK Stadium to be televised globally thru RAI (Italian TV) in preparation for
Italian Super Cup match between Roma and Torino.
Ernie Stewart becomes first non-American born Black male player to play for Men’s US National Team.
Ernie Stewart, Desmond Armstrong and Cobi Jones become the first Black players on a Men's US National Team to defeat a
European nation when they beat Ireland 3-1 at RFK Stadium in Washington DC in front of 36,000+ fans as part of US Cup'92.