U.S. Soccer Foundation Announces Recipients of Annual Awards Recognizing Top Contributors to Advancing Soccer for Social Impact in the U.S.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Soccer Foundation announced recipients for its four annual awards recognizing organizations and leaders who have made significant contributions toward advancing social impact efforts through the game of soccer. Organizations and leaders recognized include the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, Black Players for Change, Black Women’s Players Collective, Brotherhood Crusade, and Mikyle Covington.

“Soccer is so much more than a game and when used intentionally, it can tackle some of our nation’s most pressing social issues,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “This year’s awardees have a track record of supporting this vision and embody a commitment to uplifting young people in under-resourced communities through our game. We’re honored to shine a light on their work and the difference they’ve made for so many young people.”

LAFC was awarded the 2024 Kevin Payne Community Impact Award, presented to a professional team with a track record that exemplifies what it means to leverage soccer to engage youth and strengthen under-resourced communities. LAFC and its foundation have been committed to uplifting the city and being a force for good in the community since their inception through the creation of safe places to play and critical support for high-quality programming. Together with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and other partners, LAFC has built over 40 futsal courts and plan to add an additional six locations in 2025. The Foundation’s work with LAFC began in April of 2018, in conjunction with its first ever home game.

The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation was awarded the 2024 Alan Rothenberg Influencer Award, presented to an individual, corporation, or organization that has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in driving support for the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s mission. Over 13 years, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation has contributed more than $3.25 million to support the Foundation’s programs. This funding supported the creation of 20 mini-pitches across D.C. area schools and the upcoming 10 mini-pitches in Boston, as well as the Foundation’s evidence-based Soccer for Success program across the D.C. region for ten years, impacting more than 16,000 young people.

Brotherhood Crusade received the 2024 Change Maker Award, presented to a community-based organization, administrator or coach-mentor that leverages soccer in an exemplary way to strengthen communities and drive positive outcomes that help transform the lives of children growing up in under-resourced communities. Brotherhood Crusade has been a partner of the U.S. Soccer Foundation for 15 years, reaching nearly 30,000 youth and activating multiple mini-pitches in the South Los Angeles community. A 50-year-old grassroots organization, Brotherhood Crusade is deeply rooted in the community it serves, envisioning a South Los Angeles devoid of disenfranchisement and poverty-associated health disparities. Brotherhood’s collaboration with the U.S. Soccer Foundation has ensured that sport lifts communities through its impact on children, young adults, and families.

Black Players for Change, Black Women’s Player Collective, and Mikyle Covington received the 2024 Briana Scurry Ally Award which is presented each year to an athlete or ally who helps drive positive social change by leveraging their platform as a force for good in support of under-resourced and marginalized communities.

“Briana Scurry is such a pivotal player to the women’s game. So it is in great honor that we accept the 2024 Briana Scurry Ally Award,” said Imani Dorsey, Founding Board Member of Black Women’s Player Collective. “Our opportunity to partner with U.S. Soccer Foundation on the initial 24 mini-pitches continues to aid in our shared mission to ensure equity and access to the next generation of players.”

Black Players for Change (BPC) is a nonprofit organization consisting of more than 170 Black players, coaches and staff from Major League Soccer, working to bridge the racial equality gap that exists in society. The Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC) is a non-for-profit organization created by the Black players in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) to advance opportunities for Black girls in sport and beyond. Both organizations have partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to install 24 mini-pitches across the country, with two more projects coming in the summer of 2025. These pitches included innovative partnerships between the player groups and several professional clubs, including New York Red Bulls, Sporting KC, KC Current, Portland Thorns, Portland Timbers, Sacramento Republic and the Seattle Sounders. Projects were focused on work creating access in communities that either had personal connections to the leadership within each organization (hometowns, college towns, etc.) or historically Black communities where new play space opportunities are often limited.

Mikyle Covington received the 2024 award posthumously. Mikyle, a Detroit resident and former team member of Detroit PAL and Detroit Public Schools Community District, passed away on February 13, 2024. An inspiration to many, Mikyle understood the value of sport – and soccer – in empowering thousands of Detroit youth he reached and the greater Detroit community he impacted. Mikyle exemplified mentorship and leading with purpose and was integral in his role as a coach-mentor, trainer, administrator, and community change agent.

For more than 30 years, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has been the leading force focused on advancing soccer as a vehicle for social impact. In three decades, the Foundation has worked collaboratively with 1,000 national and local partners to positively impact youth largely in underserved communities – delivering proven programs that foster improved health and well-being at a time when kids need it most. In the past year, the Foundation engaged 1 million youth in its programs and opened its 780th mini-pitch, on its way to opening 1,000 by 2026.

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About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
As the national leader for sports-based youth development in under-resourced areas, the U.S. Soccer Foundation is on a mission to let soccer do what it does: change absolutely everything. Founded as a legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Foundation provides underserved communities access to innovative play spaces and evidence-based soccer programs that instill hope, foster well-being, and help youth achieve their fullest potential. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Black Women’s Player Collective
The Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that introduces, inspires and exposes the next generations to the many possibilities’ soccer can bring to life and elevates the image, value, and representation of Black women as athletes and leaders in business, industry, and public and private institutions. The BWPC consists of active and retired pro-women athletes whose aim is to provide a collective voice to the Black perspective and experience of professional female athletes. For more information visit www.thebwpc.org or follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.