ATLANTA (Sept. 9, 2025) – Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 U.S. Soccer Annual Awards. Set to be recognized during the Federation’s Annual General Meeting on Feb. 21, 2026 in Atlanta, the prestigious honors include the Werner Fricker Builder Award, the Carla Overbeck Leadership Award, the Kim Crabbe Game Changers Award and the Fernando G. Alvarez Referee Champion Award.
WERNER FRICKER BUILDER AWARD
The Werner Fricker Builder Award was created in 2002 and is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual by U.S. Soccer. Fricker served as President of U.S. Soccer from 1984 to 1990 and is widely credited for his role in bringing the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the United States. Born in Yugoslavia and raised in Austria, he lived his adult life in Pennsylvania, where he was a star midfielder for the United German Hungarians of Philadelphia soccer club from 1954 to 1969 and was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team.
Fricker was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y., in 1992. He died in 2001 at the age of 65 and was honored posthumously with the inaugural award in 2002, with his son, Werner Jr., accepting the award on his behalf.
To be eligible for Werner Fricker Builder Award nomination, an individual must meet the following criteria:
- Nominee has dedicated a minimum twenty (20) years of service to the sport of soccer.
- For athletes, playing career can count towards twenty (20) years of service but nominee must have gone on to contribute to the sport in another capacity.
- Service stands out and distinguishes the nominee from others serving in the same capacity.
- Nominee created/ fostered programs that outlast their own active involvement in the sport.
- Nominee’s work has demonstrable impact on advancing the sport on a national level.
- Nominee is living at time of nomination.
Nominations for the Werner Fricker Builder Award can be submitted HERE and all nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on October 17, 2025.
CARLA OVERBECK LEADERSHIP AWARD
The fourth annual Carla Overbeck Leadership Award will be given to an individual who demonstrates a unique ability to lead and guide others and who contributes to the success of an initiative that benefits those outside their own organization and places emphasis on collaboration within and among leadership.
As captain of the USWNT (1993-2000), Overbeck led the 1996 Gold Medal Olympic Team and the 1999 World Cup Championship Team. She has been applauded for her leadership by former teammates and coaches and continues to lead with over thirty (30) years of experience as a college coach at Duke University. She is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
In order to be considered for the Carla Overbeck Leadership Award, a nominee must meet the following criteria:
- An individual actively working within the U.S. Soccer landscape (i.e., affiliated with an Organization Member);
- Demonstrates a unique ability to motivate and guide others, which in turn contributes to the effective and efficient functioning of their organization and the landscape overall.
- Willing to “carry the watercooler,” and lead by example, doing the little things that fosters an environment of trust and credibility.
- Adapts and innovates readily to new situations; does not rely on the way things have always been done.
- Mentors and cultivates teammates and colleagues, specifically those in less-tenured roles, creating a culture of respect that fosters an atmosphere conducive to achievement;
- Contributes to the success of an initiative that benefits those outside their own organization and/or places emphasis on collaboration within and among membership.
Nominations for the Carla Overbeck Leadership Award can be submitted HERE and all nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on October 17, 2025.
FERNANDO G. ALVAREZ REFEREE CHAMPION AWARD
The second annual Fernando G. Alvarez Referee Champion Award will recognize an individual who selflessly devotes their time, wisdom and passion to Refereeing in the United States.
Named after the late former FIFA Centennial Order of Merit winner, Fernando G. Alvarez championed refereeing on the local level and used his international influence, experience and persistence to help open the doors for success on the world stage for many of the USA’s top FIFA Referees, including National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee and 1998 FIFA World Cup Referee Esse Baharmast and four-time MLS Referee of the Year and 2002 FIFA World Cup Referee Brian Hall.
Nominated individuals or groups must meet the following criteria at a local and/or national level:
- Regularly goes above and beyond to champion the role of referees and the refereeing program through their work, actions, words, and devotion.
- Is an ambassador for the refereeing community and always represents referees positively.
- Brings a positive light to the referee community at any level (grassroots to professional) through their actions or ideas.
- Demonstrates an optimistic attitude and encourages others despite any personal challenges.
- Brings invaluable support to the referee community (does not have to be an on-field official).
- Has shown the highest degree of integrity and ethics.
- Sets an example for others to emulate.
- Consistently exhibits the qualities of a referee "champion” in their referee community, including passion, leadership, respect, resilience, confidence, determination, dedication, and empathy.
Nominations for the Fernando G. Alvarez Referee Champion Award can be submitted HERE and all nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on October 17, 2025.
Nominations for the three awards above will be reviewed by U.S. Soccer staff and the Nominating and Governance committee. The nomination process for these awards takes place annually, however, U.S. Soccer is not required to award them each year. Should there be recipients, they will be honored at the 2026 U.S. Soccer Annual Awards Dinner on February 21, 2026 in Atlanta.
KIM CRABBE GAME CHANGERS AWARD
The fourth annual Kim Crabbe Game Changers Award will be given to a member of the soccer community who has made a lasting impact in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in a creative way while fostering long-term sustainability for the future of soccer. Nominations are open to anyone across the American soccer landscape who embodies the spirit of the award.
A pioneer in women’s soccer, in 1986 Kim Crabbe became the first African American player called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team. Following her time with the USWNT, she took up coaching and went on to serve as the Outreach Program Director for the Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Football Club, where she coaches and mentors youth players in underserved communities and has made a lasting impact on the groups she works with.
Following the impact of her program, Crabbe was named the 2021 Youth Coach of the Year by United Soccer Coaches, while also earning their Black Soccer Coaches Advocacy Group Award of Excellence in 2018. She also received the 2019 Centennial NAACP Youth Services Award in 2019. She was inducted into the Virginia-DC Hall of Fame in 2016 for her achievements as a player, joining the likes of USWNT icons Mia Hamm and Jill Ellis, among other notable names in American soccer.
In order to be considered for the Kim Crabbe Game Changers Award, a nominee must meet the following criteria:
- Community Impact relates to positive changes for individuals, communities and society by addressing one or more social challenges of the local community. Community Impact is broken down into:
- Reach - The initiative or work reaches a significant number of individuals or communities, either locally, regionally, or nationally.
- Targets Social Areas - The Nominee targets and positively impacts core social areas such as inequality, poverty, education, disability, health, access, etc.
- Demonstrated Outcomes - The Nominee can point to tangible, measurable outcomes (quantitative or qualitative) that highlight the difference their work has made.
- Creativity in transforming ideas and dreams into reality by innovating to make connections that aren’t traditionally related. Creativity is broken down into:
- Originality/Uniqueness - The Nominee demonstrates bold, outside-the-box thinking to address a challenge or opportunity related to DEIB in the community.
- Relevant - The initiative or idea is timely, responsive to current community needs, and clearly aligned with local context.
- Problem Solving - The work directly addresses a persistent challenge, offering innovative solutions that move the needle on equity or inclusion.
- Sustainability and ensuring the impact has shown to continue over time based on project findings. Sustainability is broken into:
- Long-term Vision - The work is designed for enduring impact, not just one-time engagement or short- term wins.
- Capacity Building - The Nominee helps others build the knowledge, skills, or infrastructure needed to sustain equity work beyond their direct involvement.
- Soccer Landscape Impact and whether the awardee has positively impacted the soccer landscape to push the sport forward. About soccer is broken into:
- Game-changing Influence - The Nominee's work shifts the culture, policies, or practices within the soccer ecosystem to be more inclusive, accessible, or equitable.
- Alignment with Mission - The efforts clearly support the overarching U.S. Soccer mission: to make soccer, in all its forms, the preeminent sport in the United States.
Nominations for the Kim Crabbe Gamechangers Award can be submitted HERE and all nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on October 17, 2025.
Nominations for the Kim Crabbe Game Changers Award will be reviewed by The Game Changers United (GCU) Advisory Board. The GCU Advisory Board is comprised of diverse group of current and former players as well as industry professionals within the DEIB space focused on building a culture where everyone plays and every individual is welcomed, respected and valued.
WERNER FRICKER BUILDER AWARD RECIPIENTS
2002 Werner Fricker, Sr.
2003 Sunil Gulati
2005 Gerhard Mengel
2006 Sal Rapaglia
2007 Francisco Marcos
2008 Bob Gansler
2009 Alan Rothenberg
2010 Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia
2011 Kevin Payne
2012 Hank Steinbrecher
2014 Richard Groff
2015 Bruce Arena
2016 Anson Dorrance
2017 Mary Harvey
2018 Tony DiCicco
2019 April Heinrichs
2020 Esse Baharmast
2022 Don Garber
2024 Burton Haimes
2025 Phil Anschutz
CARLA OVERBECK LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS
2023 Lesle Gallimore
2024 Joslynn Bigelow
2025 Tony Sanneh
FERNANDO G. ALVAREZ REFEREE CHAMPION AWARD RECIPIENTS
2025 Don Wilbur
KIM CRABBE GAME CHANGERS AWARD RECIPIENTS
2023 Janeicia Neely
2024 Esmeralda Negron
2025 JT Dorsey
About the U.S. Soccer Federation
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the official governing body of the sport in the United States. Our vision is clear; we exist in service to soccer. Our ambition, working across the soccer ecosystem, is to ignite a national passion for the game. We believe soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good. We are focused in three areas: Soccer Everywhere, ensuring everyone, everywhere experiences the joy of soccer; Soccer Success, our 27 National Teams and pro leagues winning on the world stage; and Soccer Investment, maximizing and diversifying investments to sustainably grow the game at all levels. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.
