SASH Sessions

On Friday, June, 5 2026, Michael Lewis presented a Book Talk on his new book, “Around the World Cup in 40 years: An American Sportswriter’s Perspective.” Lewis talked about the history of the World Cup, some memorable games he has covered, and how the tournament has changed over the past four decades. A member of the SASH Board of Directors, Lewis is the recipient of the  United Soccer Coaches 202...

On Friday, May 8,  Dilwyn Porter presented a SASH Session titled, “How about that trip to Worcester!’ Building sporting links between Britain and the USA in the 1920s.” In the presentation, Porter discussed the history behind a series of games featuring clubs from Worcester, Massachusetts and Worcester, England in the 1920s. Originating during the First World War with the establishment of the Brit...

On Friday, April 10, 2026, women's soccer historian and NWSL stats manager Jen Cooper discussed the lead-up to the Women's United Soccer Association's inaugural league game on April 14, 2001 — the world's first fully-professional women's league game — and the precedent is set for all the women's pro leagues that followed. 1999 Women's World Cup champions Mia Hamm (Washington Freedom) and Brandi Ch...

On Friday, February 20, 2026, Jermaine Scott, professor of history at Florida Atlantic University, Maxwell Murray of Detroit City FC and the Urban Football League, and SASH board member Chuck Carlson presented a SASH Session about two Black soccer players who broke racial barriers in US during the 1940’s and 1950’s. Murray and Carlson discuss the Jamaica-born Gil Heron. In addition to playing for...

On January 16, 2026 at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia, SASH hosted a discussion ranking the US World Cup coaches. Eighteen members and friends gathered to discuss and debate “Ranking the USMNT World Cup Coaches.” Board member, Michael Lewis, providing opening remarks, followed by Dr. David Kilpatrick, who explained the game and its rules for the session: ranking the ten USMNT...

On Friday, January 9, 2026, Alex Popovich discussed his time with the first Junior US Men’s National team. The team was assembled to participate in the second CONCACAF Youth Tournament, which was staged in Guatemala City in April 1964. Alex’s essay, “Memories of the first US Junior National Team: Guatemala, 1964,” was recently published on the SASH website at https://www.ussoccerhistory.org/memori...

On Friday, December 5, 2025, Conor Curran discussed Irish male and female soccer players’ experiences of US soccer scholarships in the twentieth century and how valuable these scholarships were in terms of playing, education and post-university careers. Curran’s Blue Chippers from the Emerald Isle: A history of Irish footballers and scholarships in the USA in the twentieth century was recently pub...

November 2025 is full of anniversaries which have shaped sporting memory and scripted a national history of all codes of “foot ball”. The Oneida Football Club of Boston celebrates three such events including the 100th anniversary of the monument in their honor. Replete with twists and turns, Kevin Tallec Marston and Mike Cronin explain how the surprising story of a handful of old Boston boys has b...

On Friday, October 3, 2025, Rachel Allison, Jen Cooper, and Tom McCabe discussed the first US Women’s National Team, otherwise known as the 1985ers.  Tom began the session with a discussion of the “Little Earthquakes” episode from the new soccer history podcast series, AN AMERICAN GAME. The subject of the episode is the Mundialito, the “little World Cup” women’s tournament played in Jesolo, Italy...

On Friday, September 5 at 12 pm ET,  Dave Lange was joined by Ernesto Milani for a SASH Session discussing the creation of a mural in Cuggiono, Italy commemorating five St. Louis players of Italian descent on the US team that competed in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. Lange, author of book Made in St. Louis: A History of the Game in America's First Soccer Capital and member of the SASH Board of Dir...

Whether it’s a club, a college, a supporter’s group or a professional team, history is an essential element for building strong, long-term soccer communities. On January 9, 2025, at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago, David Kilpatrick and Chuck Carson led a discussion titled, “Implementing an Historical Initiative for Your Club, League, or Community.” David Kilpatrick, a former SASH b...

On December 6, 2024, SASH hosted an Oral History Workshop with Carly Adams, a Board of Governors Research Chair (Tier I), Director of the Centre for Oral History and Tradition and Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Arrow Salkeld moderated the discussion. The Oral History Workshop presented an overview of the basics of...

Gabe Logan discusses the origins of the National Amateur Cup tournament with an emphasis on the aborted 1923 tournament and completed 1924 tournament. Gabe looks at how the 1924 championship resulted in the partial selection of the 1924 Olympic roster with a cursory examination of select team personnel. A professor of history at Northern Michigan University, Gabe is the author of  The Early Years...

A survey of Minnesota’s soccer history from the 1890s to the 1970s. Brian D. Bunk discusses the McKendrick brothers, who starred on one of the state’s earliest championship teams in the 1890s. Brian Quarstad tells the story of Win Ping Pan, a Chinese student who helped build soccer at the University of Minnesota in the 1910s. Chris Bolsmann investigates the career of Minnesota Kicks standout Patri...

On Friday, June 7, 2024, Tom McCabe presented a SASH Session titled, “Tom ‘Bullets’ Cahill: A Reappraisal of a Founding Father of American Soccer.” There is quite a bit of mythology surrounding Thomas W. Cahill. The driving force behind the formation of the United States Soccer Football Association (now U.S. Soccer) in 1913, and the manager of the USA’s first official international matches in 1916...

On Friday, April 5 at 12 pm ET, Zach Bigalke presented work from his dissertation in a session titled, “How the United States is Represented in Women’s Soccer Beyond the USWNT.” Since the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991, 109 American-born women have played for the U.S. Women’s National Team in the tournament. In that same time period, 110 American-born women played for other national teams at...

Host Tom McCabe is joined by Donald Wine for a presentation titled, "Black American Soccer History IS American Soccer History." A Michigan native, Donald has lived in Washington, DC for over 16 years. He is on the national board of the American Outlaws, the largest supporters group for the U.S. national teams. You can find him organizing stadium support at matches all around the world. Donald is a...

As the 1924-25 reached the halfway point Fall River remained in first place. Brian Bunk recounts all the details and tells the stories of Tewfik Abdullah and Andrew Straden. Also, a scandal hits the ASL. Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : footbal...

Could 1924-25 be the American Soccer League’s most successful season yet? Brian Bunk traces all the changes as the ASL continued to expand. Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : football score.wav by winsx87 Episode premiered September 2017 For more...

In the season three finale, Brian Bunk describes Fall River’s run to the ASL title and gives out the season’s awards. Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : football score.wav by winsx87 Episode premiered June 2017 For more US soccer history, visit t...

Brian Bunk recounts the National Challenge Cup tournament and describes the action as the American Soccer League’s 1923-24 winds down.  Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : football score.wav by winsx87 Episode premiered November 2016 For more US s...

Brian Bunk details the first quarter of the ASL’s third season including two New York derbies, a title decider between Fall River and Bethlehem Steel and the story of the “Gay Cavalier,” Alex Jackson. Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : football s...

Brian Bunk chronicles the off-season moves and the first month of the 1923-24 American Soccer League Season. Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : football score.wav by winsx87 Episode premiered August 2016 For more US soccer history, visit the SASH...

Brian Bunk describes the exciting conclusion to the ASL’s second season and names the team of the year and player of the year. Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : football score.wav by winsx87 Episode premiered February 2016 For more US soccer his...

Brian Bunk outlines the second half of the 1922-23 American Soccer League season and discusses the National Challenge Cup final. Theme song: Bix Beiderbecke, “Clarinet Marmalade” Headlines: Waring’s Pennsylvanians, “Bolshevik” Sponsor: Frank Teschemacher’s Chicagoans, “Jazz Me Blues” Sounds from  www.freesound.org : football score.wav by winsx87 Episode premiered January 2016 For more US soccer hi...