Legendary sports entrepreneur and Columbus Crew Founder Lamar Hunt, a pioneer in building the sport of soccer in the United States, was honored last night at the U.S. Soccer Foundation's 2005 banquet with The Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States, commemorated the organization's 10th Anniversary at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C., with the theme Celebrating the Past, Building the Future. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco attended the banquet as Honorary Chairman, and was joined by a veritable who's-who of political and soccer luminaries.
The 2005 U.S. Soccer Foundation Banquet honored the nation's soccer community while raising funds for the U.S. Soccer National Training Center within the Home Dept Center in Carson, California and for local soccer programs in the District of Columbia. Among the evening's highlights was the unveiling of the Foundation's Top Ten U.S. Soccer Events of the Past Decade, as voted for by soccer fans nationwide, online.
Hunt helped write pro football history by founding and organizing the American Football League in 1960. Yet, while he has long been known for his role in the development of American football, Hunt's contributions to pro soccer have also had a major impact on sports in the U.S. In 1967, Hunt became an investor in the Dallas Tornado Soccer Club of the North American Soccer League (NASL). That organization and its legacy of soccer disciples was an early catalyst in the game's development, placing North Texas at the cutting edge of the American youth soccer market.
In 1996, the Hunt family once again stepped to the forefront of U.S. soccer by becoming a charter investor in Major League Soccer. Lamar was joined by his sons Clark and Daniel in the Hunt Sports Group as MLS was created with a unique, single-entity operating structure, in which investors own an interest in the league, rather than the individual teams.
In 1999, the Hunt family established a pro soccer milestone by funding construction of the first major-league stadium built specifically for soccer in the United States as the Columbus Crew opened their facility. Heading into the 2005 season, two of the three soccer-specific stadiums in Major League Soccer have been built through the initiative of the Hunt organization.
The 1999 MLS season proved an historic one for Lamar Hunt, as he was awarded the National Soccer Hall of Fame Medal of Honor (only the second ever given). He also saw the U.S. Open Cup Tournament renamed in his honor to recognize his contributions to soccer in America.
In early 2004, the Hunt Sports Group again made Texas soccer history by breaking ground on the new Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Center (FSEC). The 21,193 state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium in Frisco will be the new home for FC Dallas and is the first soccer stadium built through a coordination of both private and public funds. Hunt Sports, the City of Frisco, Collin County and the Frisco Independent School District partnered to build this new facility that will feature 17 championship-quality soccer fields adjacent to the stadium. The 117-acre facility will be used 300-plus days a year and will host an estimated 1.4 million spectators and participants annually. Along with hosting MLS and International matches, FSEC will also accommodate scores of youth soccer tournaments, major concerts, high school football and numerous other community events.
At the 2004 MLS Cup, Lamar Hunt was presented the Commissioner's Award by Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber as one of the league's founding fathers as well as a man who has championed soccer in the United States for nearly 40 years. In addition to their association with The Crew and FC Dallas, Hunt and his family are also the Investor-Operators of MLS's Kansas City Wizards.
As far back as 1982, Hunt was honored for his efforts to help establish pro soccer in America when he was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. Hunt has also been inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame, as well as the state Sports Halls of Fame of both Missouri and Texas.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation was established in 1994 to manage the surplus funds generated by the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the United States. Under the guidance of its Board of Directors, the Foundation has taken a leading role in supporting the continuous development of the sport at all levels. Over $40 million in grants, financial support and loans have been made to help develop a soccer nation. The Foundation has provided 345 grants focused on developing players, coaches and referees and building or enhancing fields and soccer complexes, with a special emphasis on economically disadvantaged urban areas. For more information, or to donate online, please visit: www.ussoccerfoundation.org.
