Frank Gorman, Sr. (Veteran) - Inducted 2024

Frank Gorman, Sr. began his involvement in Metropolitan DC-Virginia area soccer in 1969, when he started a boys’ team with the Annandale Boys Club called the 1960 Annandale Cardinals. Around 1971 the 1960 Cardinals joined the Braddock Road Boys Club (BRBC). Frank held the position of BRBC Select Commissioner for the competitive teams. He designed the original crest for BRBC. He also became an active volunteer for the Annual BRBC Festival. He continued that involvement when, in 1976, the festival was renamed the Braddock Road Youth Club (BRYC) Al Dougherty Memorial Tournament. While coaching, Frank played a major role in the establishment of an Amateur’s Soccer Association.  From 1972 through 1975 he served as the first president of the Metropolitan DC-Virginia Soccer Association (MDCVSA). Frank Gorman’s Cardinals, from their start to their graduation as U-19s, were an extremely successful team. His team ended their youth soccer careers with an outstanding accomplishment, having lost only ten games cumulatively across their eight active years. One of Frank’s driving forces to start coaching soccer was his son, Frank, Jr. As a coach and a mentor, he did an outstanding job in preparing and challenging his players to achieve their goal of playing collegiate soccer. As a builder, Frank Gorman, Sr. made a major impact on the growth of soccer for MDCVSA and VYSA.

 

Colin Calvert (Veteran) - Inducted 2023

Colin Calvert was born in Grimsby, England and grew up in Leeds as an avid Leeds United fan. He left England with his wife Anne and sons Andrew and Nick and arrived in New York in 1967 with their destination being Chantilly, Virginia in 1969. Colin of course was devoted to the game of soccer. Where he lived in Chantilly there was a little league baseball club called Battlefield and they begged Colin to start a soccer program for them. It was a matter of time, before Colin started and ran their soccer program. Around 1971 he started the Chantilly Soccer Club which later became the Chantilly Youth Soccer Association (CYA). He also formed the "Adult Sunday Kick-Around Games". These games were started to help dads - who had never played soccer or even seen a soccer game - better understand the game the volunteered to coach. The "Adult Kick-Around Games" grew into the “Northern Virginia Coaches Soccer League”. Thanks to Colin’s leadership and dedication the league grew and was able to be divided into over 30 and under 30 age divisions. In the late 1990’s at RFK Stadium Colin Calvert was honored with a farewell tribute when he stepped down from running the Northern Virginia Coaches Soccer League. Colin a Certified USSF Referee was well known as a superior referee. He officiated Collegiate games, Virginia HS games, NCSL and WAGS games. In the days of the Washington Diplomats, Colin was assigned to Diplomat games as a Backup Referee now known as a “4th Official”. In 1977, Colin along with Don Hood were primarily responsible for establishing a Referee Program in Virginia. This was at the time when there were only 49 referees in the state and controlled by the Metropolitan Washington Soccer Referee Association (MWSRA). Colin Calvert was a contributing builder to soccer in Virginia and DC before and after the Virginia Metropolitan Youth Soccer Association (VMYSA) was established in 1975.

 

Edward "Ed" Reynolds (Veteran) - Inducted 2022

Ed Reynolds was indeed one of the true pioneers of soccer in Northern Virginia. In 1960, Ed became the first public High School Soccer Coach in Northern Virginia, at Wakefield HS in Arlington. There were no other Virginia public high school teams to play in the first several years, so the team competed against high school teams from Montgomery County and freshman college teams. The two other Arlington County High Schools at the time started fielding teams approximately four years later. In 1965, Ed joined the Washington Metropolitan Soccer Referee Association (WMSRA). He refereed games at the high school, college, and semi-pro level. Served as the WMSRA President for one year and its parliamentarian for three years. In 1971, Ed started coaching in Vienna Youth Soccer (VYS) as a pee-wee boys/girls coach and soon thereafter became the league commissioner. During his tenure at Vienna Youth Soccer, he served in a plethora of capacities including Director of Training and Chief Referee. In 1978, Ed started a 1967 VYS girls travel team that competed in Division I of the Washington Area Girls Soccer League (WAGS) for 5 years. In 1985 he started a 1975 VYS girls travel team that also competed in Division I of WAGS. In addition to coaching in WAGS, Ed served on the WAGS Board of Directors as the Referee Coordinator and was a committee member for the WAGS Tournament for several years. In 1967, Ed served as the PA Announcer for the Washington Whips and in 1968 served as a media coordinator. He was the PA Announcer for Oakton HS Girls Varsity Soccer Team from 1982-1985, and the PA Announcer for the Madison HS Girls Soccer Team from 1985 to 1988. Ed’s many Hall of Fame Inductions include: 1986 - Oakton HS Volunteer Hall of Fame; 1989 - Madison HS Volunteer Hall of Fame; and 1992 - Vienna YS Hall of Fame.

 

John "Jack" Nolan (Veteran) - Inducted 2021

John “Jack” Nolan moved to Fairfax County in 1974.  He enrolled his 8-year-old son in Southwestern Youth Soccer and later to a club closer to his home, Springfield Youth Club (SYC). In 1975 Jack stepped up to coach the SYC Hornets.  After two years coaching recreational soccer, one of Jack’s sons tried out and was selected for a travel soccer team.  Wanting to stay involved in his son’s activities, Jack became the assistant coach to Gene Mishalow in Braddock Road Youth Club (BRYC).  Jack’s other son continued to play in SYC.  In Spring 1980 Jack was nominated and elected to the SYC Board of Directors as the Vice-President of Operations.  Also, in 1980 Jack was the appointed SYC representative to the Fairfax County Soccer Council and soon after became the Fairfax County Soccer Council alternate to the Fairfax Council Athletic Council.  In the 1980’s soccer organizations in Fairfax County began to grow rapidly.  Fairfax County’s “Field Allocations” were a huge issue.  In 1981, Jack was elected as the President of the Springfield Youth Club and served for multiple terms. Later that same year, Jack was elected as the Fairfax County Soccer Council President.  During Jack’s tenure, his contributions were epic, extraordinary, revolutionary and yes, legendary.  He raised awareness of players in financial need in Fairfax County in all sports. He was involved in new schools being built and in field improvement and maintenance.

 

Reed Saunders (Veteran) - Inducted 2021

Reed Saunders was lifelong educator, committed to providing access to college educations for people of all financial backgrounds. Throughout his professional career, Reed played a key leadership role in designing and implementing the Pell Grants program and other state and federal aid programs to support students in obtaining their college educations through awarding grants, loan guarantees, and scholarships. 

A resident of McLean since 1969, Reed was instrumental in helping develop youth soccer in the Virginia-DC metropolitan area. Reed began coaching soccer in the early 70s.  He strongly supported girls’ participation in sports and assisted his daughter in becoming one of the first girls to play for the McLean Boys Club. He was one of the leaders in the migration of McLean Boys Club soccer to McLean Youth Soccer. From 1975 to 1977, he served as the first President of the VYSA. During that time, Reed wanted to ensure that no child was left behind in the sport because of financial constraints. In that endeavor, he was committed to keeping costs to a minimum so all children could participate. To address the limited coaching pool, Reed insisted on programs to encourage coaching development. For Reed, sportsmanship was not a word simply uttered, but one truly practiced. He was dedicated to ensuring that it was something “lived” by both coaches and players alike.   Reed was quoted in the minutes of an executive committee meeting held in 1977 “Our principal interest…. is the good of soccer.  We hope to make this a better game for kids.”

Pam Wilks (Veteran) - Inducted 2020

Pam Wilks started her soccer service with McLean Youth Soccer Association where her son’s and daughter played soccer. She was also a Team Manager and served on the Mclean Youth Soccer Board. Pam was also involved at her children’s HS and established the first snack bar for girls soccer that evolved into snack bars for many sports and is now dedicated in her name. Pam was the Virginia Youth Soccer Association’s First Administrator. She started May 13, 1987 and retired October 1992.  Pam ran the VYSA State Office from her home.  Pam worked endlessly to start the First VYSA Workshop held on February 4, 1989 at the Holiday Inn Fair Oaks in Fairfax, VA.  Her duties as VYSA Administrator included VYSA Library- Librarian for the Northern Virginia Tape and Book Library.  She also Assisted the Touchline Editor, Carol Cason, by providing Carol a compilation of ever changing facts. While VYSA Administrator she was also the VYSA Joint Coaching Program Administrator. Pam Wilks was short in stature, but she was a giant and a leader when it came to running the State Office and was a great asset to VYSA with her ability to network with other Region I State Association offices and the National Office.

 

 

Tom Frank (Veteran) - Inducted 2019

Tom Frank became involved in soccer in 1974 when he coached his son’s team in Chantilly Youth Association. Besides coaching for CYA, he also was the first director of their travel program and director of their referee program.

Tom played in the Northern Virginia Coaches League from 1975 until 1985. Tom first certified with USSF as a referee in the fall of 1975 and has remained certified since then.  His officiating career was mostly focused on adult games; however, he made sure that he more than exceeded the required number of youth games required as a senior referee each year. His highest referee grade level was State Level Grade 5 and he was a national candidate. He started refereeing high school games in 1980 and continued until 2005 refereeing in many District, Regional, and State Title games. Tom became a USSF Referee Instructor in 1982. Tom started refereeing college games in 1984 and continued until 1994. During his referee career Tom officiated an estimated 5,000 games, has been teaching referee classes for 36 years, and assessed referees for 12 years.  He received assignments for many final games in tournaments, state cup, and college games.  Went to the Senior Regionals eight times, Youth Regionals four times (once as referee and three times as an assessor), refereed professional games for about 10 years, and refereed numerous International Friendlies involving teams from Europe, Central and South America. He was the President of DC/NOVA Soccer Referee Association, and Area Director of Instruction. Tom currently holds US Soccer certifications as a Grade 5 referee, Grade 5 Instructor, Grade 5 Assessor, and Grade 8 Assignor. For the past 10 years he has been the State Referee Registrar for Metro DC-Virginia State Referee Program, registering approximately 6,000 referees per year with US Soccer. He also manages their Risk Management Program.

Anita J. Hood (Veteran) - Inducted 2019

Anita J. Hood’s served a 41 year uninterrupted soccer related career as Referee Assignor, League Secretary (30 years) and ‘At-Large’ delegate (25 years) to the Adult State Soccer Association.

As Referee Assignor, she worked with most of the Virginia, DC, West Virginia and some Maryland leagues as they developed over those years.  During her tenure she made 134,000 – 150,000 individual assignments to the Youth, Adult, Co-Ed, High School, and International matches.

She assisted in the development of Referee training programs before there was a formal USSF program that increased the number of DC/No VA registered referees from 49 to well over 1200.

As the State Youth and Adult programs developed, she lent her expertise assisting and training new assignors and worked with administrators, coaches, and league officials as referee advocate in dispute resolution as a friend, teacher, defender and sometimes irate supervisor.

Dick Whalen  (Veteran) - Inducted 2018

Captain Dick Whalen, U.S. Navy (Retired), graduated from the Naval Academy in 1963. He served thirty years at sea and ashore, including as Commanding Officer of two warships.  Both vessels were recognized best-in-class recipient of Atlantic Fleet Awards for athletics, leadership, and personnel retention.  

Dick began parent-coaching soccer of his eldest son’s recreation team in 1977 while on duty in the Washington area, followed by first coach of the highly successful ‘72 boys Springfield Youth Club “Express” travel team. As “Officer Representative” while Director of Professional Development at the U.S. Naval Academy, he mentored varsity soccer athletes, coached a Bowie, Maryland travel club and, subsequently, Pascagoula, Mississippi recreational and State ODP teams. After reassignment to Hampton Roads, Dick formed the “Parent’s Soccer Association of Virginia Beach:, successfully lobbying the School System to change high school soccer from afternoon to an evening format, increasing player recruiting visibility and families ability to see offspring in action.  While President of Beach FC for several years, he focused on improving player college recruiting and was instrumental in the creation of the Hampton Roads Soccer Council (HRSC) and its premier 75 acre Soccer Complex.  To generate Complex revenues, Dick led creation of the “North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC) in 1994, now the largest amateur and pro/am sand/beach soccer festival worldwide.  In its 25th year, NASSC has hosted 200,000 youth and adult players, raising millions of dollars for the Complex. He was selected as a Tourism Ambassador” by Virginia Beach.

Garland Carter (Veteran) - Inducted 2017

Garland Carter served as Treasurer of VYSA for three years from 1982 through 1985. He brought professionalism into the position through his accounting based background. During his tenure as the VYSA Treasurer he secured tax exempt status as a section 501(c)3 organization. Also during his tenure, he took on the responsibility of reorganizing the DC/VA State Referee program. The State Youth and Amateur Associations were having growing and organizational difficulties with the Referee organization. Garland was appointed by both State Associations to be the State Referee Administrator. With his experience as a USSF referee, and a Youth Association officer, he was able to reorganize the program and returned the confidence to all three organizations. Garland also was a coach in WAGS for many years; he coached the 1969 FPYC Flyers. His daughter Kathy Carter the goalkeeper for the team, is now the President of Soccer United Marketing, a position which, oversees the commercial and marketing aspects of Major League Soccer. Kathy also served as the United States representative on FIFA’s Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

 

Richard Broad (Veteran) - Inducted 2016


Richard is a television analyst for Fox Sports and The American Sports Network, and is president of American Soccer Programs and Director of Middle States Soccer Camp. He was the head men’s coach at George Mason University, where he raised the program from Division III status to the Division I level, and was twice selected South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. Prior to that, Richard was head men’s coach at W. T Woodson High School, where he took his teams to the State Tournament four times. He also coached several successful club teams.

 

 

 

Susan Frank (Veteran) - Inducted 2016

When Susan started refereeing in 1975, there were no women referees in DC or VA. Susan became a USSF referee in 1975 and over a career of 37 years, she refereed youth, senior amateur, high school, college, and professional games – over 6,000 in all. She was the first woman in Virginia to become both a State Grade referee and a State Referee instructor. Some of her other accomplishments include: first woman to referee a men’s league final; first woman from Virginia to be invited to referee at the NCAA final four; and first woman to referee in both a professional league and an international friendly. Susan was also a referee assessor and secretary for the National Soccer League of Washington, DC.
                                                     

 

 

Everett Merritt (Veteran) - Inducted 2015


Everett started his amateur career in the German American league in New York as a teenager. He then played his collegiate soccer at the University of Bridgeport and led his team to the finals of the first NCAA Division I tournament in 1959. He was selected to the All-New England squad 3 years running. After graduation, he played with three National Soccer League teams in Washington, DC: Maggies, which finished second in the League and won the Roland Cup; the Washington Internationals Soccer Club; and the British Lions. He coached in the National Capital Soccer League for about ten years, during which time his teams won two NCSL Division One titles and Virginia State Championships, along with five consecutive Arlington Invitational Fall Tournament titles. Everett was inducted into the University of Bridgeport Hall of Fame in 2009, which was the 50^th anniversary of the first NCAA final.

 

 

Hicabi "Turk" Emekli (Veteran) - Inducted 2014

Emekli's soccer career began in Turkey in the 1930's and continued in the United States from 1951 - 2010. Turk played an instrumental role in advancing college and professional soccer. As head coach, Turk led the Washingon Whips during the inaugural season of the NASL. Under Turk as player-head coach, Catholic University set national scoring records and won Mason-Dixon titles in 1956 and 1957; Catholic still surpasses the all-time best NCAA Division I records for team and individual goals scored per game average in a season. Turk, First Team All-Mason Dixon and 1992 Catholic Hall of Fame inductee, coached Catholic for 21 seasons. Recognized as the best player on the field by Galatasaray legend Gündüz Kılıç, Emekli played with Genclerbirligi Soccer Club, the Greek Americans in the German American Soccer League, Central Valet, Lido, and the Italian Americans in the National Soccer League. Turk later enjoyed a 40-year officiating career.

 

 

 

Ferdinand Paciolla had a major impact on youth soccer in Northern Virginia. He was involved in the creation and administration of the National Capital Soccer League, and served as Chair of the Rules and Discipline Committee, League Commissioner, and President. He was instrumental in the development of the Springfield Youth Club, particularly the establishment of the travel soccer program. He helped to establish a standardized coaching program. He also started the WAGS Tournament and the Capital Cup. Ferdinand holds a USSF “C” License and coached the Springfield Boys Club ‘67 Raiders, the Annandale Boys Club ‘67 Sabres, and the Annandale Boys Club ‘70 Cavaliers, all NCSL Division I teams, for many years. He is also a USSF-FIFA Licensed referee.

 

Richard White (Veterans) - Inducted 2006

Richard was born in England and moved to the United States after World War II. He served in Suwon, Korea in 1951 - 1952. He had soccer balls shipped to him to kick around with the local children which he gifted to them when he returned home. He played soccer at the University of Florida from 1956-1960. In 1961, he played with the British Lions in Washington, DC, and several other teams, and finished his playing career with the Annandale “over 30 gang” in 1991. Richard began his coaching career in 1967 with the Annandale Boys Club 1964 Rebels/Apprentices, who in 1982 won the Maguire Cup in Omaha. He also coached many teams in Annandale, Vista, Braddock Road, Fredericksburg, and Stafford. From 1979 through 1983, Richard coached U16 Boys, U18 Girls, and U16 Girls State Select teams that participated in Region I competition. He retired to Tennessee, where he currently coaches the Adamsville High School boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, as well as Parks and Recreation Department soccer teams. He is in his 48th year coaching soccer.