Lula Bauer (Meritorious) - Inducted 2024

Growing up, Lula Bauer loved playing sports. Her passion for them continued throughout high school and college, wherein she studied physical education and earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from George Mason University.   

In 1981, she was part of the GW University Hospital surgical team that attended to President Ronald Reagan’s wounds after he was shot. She and her team went on to be featured in the movie “Saving of the President” and in the book, “Rawhide Down.”

Lula has been coaching soccer in the Lee Mt. Vernon Soccer Club (LMTVSC) for more than 30 years.  She is the Women’s Head Soccer Coach, and the Club’s Executive Director. 

Her proudest contribution to player development is when, while serving on the WAGS Board of Directors in 2004, she worked alongside Walt Lenar and Tom Goodman to introduce the “small-sided” format to league play. Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) had its first U-12 small-sided Cup competition in 2006, and the VYSA U-12 Girls Champion was the LMTV Patriots—coached by Lula Bauer 

During Lula’s educative career, she found that she was always either the only female, or one of two females, in her coaching courses. Desperately wanting to change that narrative, Lula paved the way for several historical soccer firsts: all-female coaching education and referee certification courses in 2018, and an all-female international coaching education trip in 2019—with all-female coaching education instructors. 

Since 2017, she has been serving as the Chairwoman for Women’s and Girls in Soccer (WAGS). Throughout her leadership in WAGS, she was instrumental in having WAGS be a major sponsor for the VA-DC Soccer Hall of Fame Committee’s Annual Golf Tournament.   

Lula Bauer was named the VYSA and Region I Girls Competitive Coach of the Year. She received the prestigious “DC Iconic” Woman’s Award, and is a member of the inaugural 2021 Class presented by the Washington Spirit.