George Perry, a United Soccer Coaches member since 1983 and long-time coach in Indiana, will be honored with the Charlotte Moran Youth Award. College men's coach Steve Clements is the recipient of the Bill Jeffrey Award for college coaches. Diane Davey, a three-term president of the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches, will receive the Robert W. Robinson High School Award.
George Perry has been an active and influential member of the United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) for more than 30 years, serving as an Academy Staff coach, in numerous board positions, and as a chair of many NSCAA committees. Most recently, he served as President of the NSCAA (2014). Perry has been an active member of the United Soccer Coaches, chairing the NSCAA/Division I Legislation Committee for two years and as the chairman of the Long Term Youth Award Committee. He also served as the assistant director of coaching for the NSCAA. Currently, he is the Chair of the United Soccer Coaches Jerry Yeagley Award for Exceptional Personal Achievement and on the Board of Directors Executive Committee.
Perry was named to his current position as commissioner of the Indiana Soccer League in 2012. He has also served as a college coach, state director, state director of coaching, and an intramural director of a college where he developed leagues and league schedules. His career has taken him to almost every state in the Union. He was also recently elected into the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame (2017). He has also previously been named as the Mike Berticelli Excellence in Coaching Education Award recipient.
Perry, a 1982 Indiana University graduate, was a three-time captain of the Hoosier soccer program. He played for legendary Indiana soccer coach Jerry Yeagley from 1975-77, playing in one NCAA Division I National Championship game and earning Honorable Mention All-America honors in 1977. Perry served as an assistant for Yeagley and as head coach of the Indiana University Women's Soccer Club until 1983 when he was hired by the University of Rochester as men's head soccer coach. Perry had 70-34-9 record at Rochester over his five-year career. His Rochester team was ranked 20th in the nation in Division III in 1983, and in 1986 set a Rochester record for wins with a 15-4-0 record. His 1986 squad also reached the second-round of the NCAA Tournament. Perry left Rochester to become the men's head soccer coach at St. Bonaventure University until 1994. He returned to Indiana in 1994 to become the state coach for the Indiana Youth Soccer Association. Perry took a position at Canterbury School in Ft. Wayne as Director of Coaching and as a physical education and mathematics teacher in 1996
Perry was drafted into the NASL and played professionally for the Indianapolis Daredevils (American Soccer League).
We asked George's peers at Indiana Soccer Association to share a few words about him and here is what they had to say:
"George Perry is so deserving of this award. He is a kind, soft spoken, selfless individual. He is a true friend and his kindred spirit welcomes all those he comes in contact with. George Perry...a man everyone can count on". Joy Carter - ODP/IDP Administrator & TOPSoccer Staff Liaison
"George Perry is a humble, unassuming, and sincere servant of the Soccer community. It is very appropriate that George is being recognized for his lifetime of excellent service.Indiana Soccer is honored to have George continue to deliver excellence to the Indiana Soccer family as well as to the National Soccer community". Dave Guthrie - Executive Director, Indiana Soccer Association