UNITED SOCCER COACHES MEDIA CONTEST

United Soccer Coaches annually honors those who have chronicled soccer’s personalities, problems, games and development in the United State.

The United Soccer Coaches Media Contest recognizes writers and reporters with work published in a newspaper (daily or weekly), magazine, website, television broadcast, or blog covering soccer. Freelance writers published in newspapers, magazines or as special features can also submit published articles.

Stories and features published from Dec. 1, 2022, through Nov. 30, 2023, can be entered into this year’s contest. Submissions must be received on or before 5 p.m. CST on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, for consideration.

Winners will be notified in late January and have their awards mailed to them. Awards will not be available at the United Soccer Coaches Convention. 

NOTE: One individual author is allowed one submission per category, and up to two submissions for the entire contest. If submitting two entries, please use a separate form for each story.

Articles can fall into the following categories:

• Deadline/game stories
• Feature stories (Print/Digital)
• Column
• Video feature*
• Student (College, High School)**

*Video submissions can be made using a video player link (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.). Be sure the link will be perpetually active.
**Articles written by a college or high school journalist. In this category only, articles can be published in a campus or high school newspaper, or blog.

Past Winners

2023

Deadline/Game Story: Alex Abrami, Burlington Free Press; “After Emotional Year, Colchester Girls Soccer Soars To First D-I Title In 30 Years”
Feature Story: Michael Battista, U.S Soccer; “Appalachian FC: Sasquatch, Open Cup & The Power Of Belief”
Column: Meg Linehan, The Athletic; “Linehan: This World Cup’s Anti-UWSNT Outrage Isn’t Just Hateful, It’s Irrational”
Video Feature: Vanessa Valentine, Nevada Wolf Pack; “Vanessa Valentine – U.S. Women’s Beach National Team Feature”
Student: Austin Platt, The Hoosier Network; “Indiana’s Season Ends In Eerily Similar Fashion To The Last”

2022
Deadline/Game Story: Michael Battista, Once a Metro, “NPSL title win “more about belief” than experience for FC Motown”
Feature Story: Jeff Kassouf, ESPN, “‘Meet the USWNT chef responsible for feeding the World Cup champs during qualifiers in Mexico”
Column: Greg Oldfield, Brotherly Game, “A Philadelphia Soccer Hollywood Story”
Video Feature: Thomas Arnison, Loyola University Chicago, “Eric Wynalda – Las Vegas Legend“
Student: Matthew Press, Indiana University, “‘We hate losing to each other’: Indiana men’s soccer sophomore duo thrives off competition”

2021
Deadline/Game Story: Angelle Cortes, The Daily Illini, “Illinois to play home opener against No. 2 North Carolina, hold grand opening of Demirjian Park”
Feature Story: Meg Linehan, The Athletic, “‘This guy has a pattern’: Amid institutional failure, former NWSL players accuse prominent coach of sexual coercion”
Column: Jonathan Tannenwald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Fire Vlatko Andonovski? Here’s why U.S. Soccer shouldn’t get rid of him yet”
Video Feature: Nick Perenick, GoSuffolkRams.com, “Ram Cam: Men’s Soccer’s Nigel Leo”
Student: Jared Kelly, The Hoosier Network, “ A dynasty of destiny: Inside college soccer’s greatest family”

2020
Deadline/Game Story: Paul Tenorio, The Athletic, “Inside Orlando City’s wild playoff win: ‘We just gave him the gloves and prayed’”
Feature Story: Felipe Cardenas and Paul Tenorio, The Athletic, “Inside Atlanta United’s failed ‘evolution’ under Frank de Boer”
Column: Michael Lewis, FrontRowSoccer.com, “Missing the Drive, Players, Coaches, Everything on the North Fork and East End”
Student: Jonathan Abraham, Brotherly Game, “How Rejection Paved Carli Lloyd’s Road to Stardom”

2019
Deadline/Game Story: Meg Linehan, The Athletic, “The USWNT beat Thailand 13-0 because you don’t win World Cups by playing nice”
Feature Story: Jeff Kassouf, The Equalizer, “Vlatko Andonovski is prepared for the USWNT job”
Column: Mike Woitalla, Soccer America, “Sigi Schmid (1953-2018): Farewell to a soccer friend”
Video Feature: Michael Holstein, “Soccer in the City”

2018
Deadline/Game Story: Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, “LAFC weathers rain delay to outlast Houston Dynamo 4-2”
Feature Story: Matthew DeGeorge, The Athletic, “From men’s league to MLS: The unlikely rise of the Union’s Jack Elliott”
Column: John Halloran, American Soccer Now, “USWNT rolls past Canada to build momentum heading into 2019”
Student: James Justice, Pro Soccer USA, “NBA center Enes Kanter rediscovers love of soccer through MLS New York Red Bulls”

2017
Deadline/Game Story: Jane Havsy, Daily Record, “McSorleys propel Delbarton to title“
Feature Story: Jonathan Tannenwald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “From Bosnian war to Philadelphia peace“
Column: John Halloran, Four Four Two, “Julie Ertz is the answer“
College Student: Jack Dougherty, GoPSUsports.com, “The unsung hero on Penn State’s staff“

2016
Deadline/Game Story – Austin Danforth, Burlington Free Press, “Cats Put on a Show”
Feature – Michael Lewis, The Guardian, “Alan Hinton: America’s Mr. Soccer”
Column – Jonathan Tannenwald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “The NWSL Can’t Stand Still”
Video – Kwolity Productions, Atlantic10.com, “A-10 Spotlight: Saadiq Mohammed”
College Student – Jonathan Sigal, New England Soccer Journal, “Rosie’s Run”
HS Student – Caitlin Buckley, ExcelleSports.com, “Pride and Spirit fans, players stand together”

2015
Deadline/Game Story – Jeff Kassouf, NBCSports.com – “Predicting Carli Lloyd”
Feature – David Kiefer, Stanford University Athletics – “One Night in April”
Column – Ray Alley, Southern Soccer Scene – “Goodbye…to Joe and Alan!”
College Student – Kevin Wheeler, University of Pittsburgh – “Playing to Survive”

2014
Deadline: Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com – “Gedion Zelalem debuts on America’s soccer stage”
Column: Charles Cuttone, Soccer News Net – “Cuttone’s Concepts: Threads in soccer’s colorful tapestry”
Feature: Mike Zhe, New England Soccer Journal – “United Nations of Hebron”
College Student: Jake Zalesky, California Baptist University – “Scoring Oliver Goals”
Video: Bryan Navarro/Richard Kilwien, SMCGaels.com – “Battling leukemia, Morro returns to Men’s Soccer team”

2013
Deadline/Game Story: Todd Simmons, SILive.com – “New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire: The Supporters’ Shield is Here”
Feature Story: Liviu Bird, Freelance Soccer Reporter – “A Game Worth Living For: Santa Maria Rivera’s Story (Soccerwire.com)”
Column: Michael Lewis, BigAppleSoccer.com – “Offside Remarks: By Not Playing, Michael Bradley Again Proves How Indispensable He Really is to USMNT”
Video Feature: Kevin Copp, Georgia IMG Sports Marketing – “Laura Eddy: The Long Road Back”
College Student: Ryan Bacic, The Hoya (Georgetown University) – “From the Cellar to the Ceiling”
High School Student: Morgan Andrews, Milford High School – “Under Pressure (Our Game Magazine)”

2012
Feature stories: Tim Goodenow, WVUsports.com – “The Long Road Back”
Column: Michael Lewis – “Offside Remarks: Sundhage meant more than just wins and titles”
Deadline/Game Stories: Jane Allison Havsy – “With heavy hearts, Randolph boys win state soccer match”
High School Student: Morgan Andrews – “Impossibility is Nothing”

2011
Deadline/Game Story: Michael Lewis, TropiGol.com, – “Source: Klinsmann to be Named U.S. Coach”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Chris Miller, Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News, – “Home At Last”
Column: Mike Woitalla, SoccerAmerica.com, – “If MLS Wants Kids to Watch…”
College: Michael Lewis, NCAA Women’s College Cup Program, – “Quite a Comeback”
Student: Jeff Kassouf, EqualizerSoccer.com, – “Unique Culture Helps Messiah Soccer Dominate”