Riley Johnson – Power Soccer Player of the Year
Co-captain of the U.S. side at the 2023 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup, Riley Johnson (Saint Cloud, Minn.) wins his second-straight Power Soccer Player of the Year honor. Johnson helped lead his club team Minnesota Shockwave to a fourth consecutive USPSA Premier Cup Championship, won the Golden Guard award as the tournament’s top scorer with 11 goals and seven assists in seven matches, also scoring two of the team’s three goals in the final. A co-captain of the Power NT, Johnson attended all Power Soccer National Team training camps in 2024.
Johnson also continues to represent the team well away from camps, helping to establish the Drew Cunningham Mentorship Program, which is named after the former U.S. Power Soccer National Team athlete who passed away in 2023. Launched in concert with USPNT teammate Peyton Sefick and former player Tyler Hernandez, the annual award pairs a committee-selected athlete under 16 years of age with a mentor from the USPNT to support and accelerate the athlete’s path to the National Team. At the grassroots level, Johnson led instruction at USPSA’s Power Soccer Camp for the fourth time last August, and also oversaw two Power Soccer Introduction Clinics in North Carolina and Ohio with the purpose of starting new teams in areas that do not currently have Power Soccer.
Additionally, Johnson, who is a mechanical engineer, leaned on his experiences in Power Soccer to deliver a powerful TEDTalk, titled “Why We Can’t Predict a Person’s True Potential.”
“I'm very honored to receive this award,” Johnson said. “Being surrounded by the top-quality athletes on the U.S. Power Soccer National Team has pushed me to become a better player, leader and teammate. I wouldn't be where I am today without the level that my teammates and coaches bring. I hope athletes that aspire to be on a National Team recognize the positive influence it can have on your life. I will forever be grateful for being a part of this family.”
Johnson claims his second Power Soccer Player of the Year award with 41 percent of the weighted vote.
About the U.S. Soccer Federation
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future amid an unprecedented moment of opportunity, it has aligned its efforts around five strategic pillars: Grow the game by increasing youth and adult participation and accessibility to the sport; Foster best playing environments through quality of referees and coaches, and commitment to participant safety; Develop winning teams through solidified pathways and success of professional leagues; Grow the soccer economy to fuel reinvestment by increasing membership, fandom and commercial success; and Create a world-class organization through revitalized structure and culture, best-in-class talent, progress in DEIB, and more. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.
