Council Members
-
Chris Ahrens
Para 7-A-Side (2006-2015)
Chris serves as the Chair of the Athletes’ Council. He is also the Chair of the USSF Referee Committee, and on the USSF Commercial Committee, USSF Pro League Task Force, USSF Risk, Audit, and Compliance Committee. He coached youth soccer in San Diego for the Crusaders Soccer Club and currently coaches High School Soccer as well as working as an adapted physical education teacher.
-
Nelson Akwari
U17, U20, U23 MNT (1998-2003)
Nelson works at Boeing as the Director of the Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina (IRCSC). He serves on various Executive Boards focused on STEM based educational initiatives, health and wellness, and economic community development. Nelson played soccer professionally for 10 years (MLS and USL), and he uses his experiences as a youth soccer coach, mentor, and consultant.
-
Danielle Slaton Albers
-
Nicole Barnhart
USWNT
Nicole, better known as “Barnie” has played professionally in the NWSL for 9 seasons. She has coached at many levels and is currently working to get her B Coaching license. She runs her own coaching business, Nicole Barnhart Goalkeeping, LLC and is the creator of Techne GK sessions. Nicole also serves as the Secretary of the NWSL Players Association.
-
Steven Bohlemann
Para 7-A-Side (2016-2018)
Steven works at Raytheon Technologies in the Collins Aerospace division as a site leader for Supplier Quality Engineering. He serves on the Collins Aerospace DE&I Board, leads site PRIDE-ERG, on the Game Changers United team, focuses on disability initiatives in industry and serves on the Independent Ethics Committee of U.S. Soccer.
-
-
-
-
Ali Hall
Women’s Beach NT (2021-Present)
Active member of USA Women's Beach soccer team. Coach and director for competitive youth soccer club in San Francisco. Supporter and creator of community initiative around the world, bringing soccer and culture together as one.
-
Kevin Hensley
Para 7-A-Side (2014-2018)
Kevin coaches with CP Soccer USA, a program that has training sessions for kids with disabilities and serves as a pathway to the Paralympic National team. He also coached youth soccer for nine years. He currently works as a project manager for Cummings Resources.
-
-
Ali Krieger
USWNT (2008-2021)
In addition to playing professional soccer for Orlando Pride in NWSL, Ali runs camps and clinics for youth and adult players throughout the country through her business, AKFC. She coaches a boys team in Orlando and is working on her B license. She is also part of the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association’s Inclusion and Diversity task force.
-
-
-
Nick Mayhugh
Para 7-A-Side (2017-Present)
Nick has been involved in coaching youth soccer for the past 10 years, as well as working camps, volunteering, public speaking, and mentoring the youth soccer community. For the last three years, he has also volunteered with TOPSoccer. He is a Team USA athlete for both soccer and track.
-
-
Trip Neil
US Deaf MNT (2004 - Present)
Trip is a Partner at Churchill Capital Company, a real estate investment bank. He served as a board member for USA Deaf Soccer Association, and served on USSF’s Disability Soccer Committee. He is on the board of PowerSense, a nonprofit serving the D/deaf and HoH community. He coaches the oldest of his 3 kids, and is an advocate for those in the disability soccer world.
-
Oguchi Onyewu
USMNT (2003-2014)
Oguchi serves as a Vice Chair of the Athletes’ Council. He is the owner of ONYX and is heavily involved in youth soccer, working to create a pro combine for aspiring professional players to prepare and be seen, as well as collaborating with MLS. He is a founding member of SCORE (Soccer Collective on Racial Equality).
-
Nick Perera
Men’s Beach NT (2011-Present)
Nick is the Executive Director for Washington Youth Soccer. In addition to his full time job in the game, Nick coaches youth and adult soccer and plays indoor professional soccer.
-
-
Becky Sauerbrunn
USWNT (2008-Present)
Becky is a professional soccer player for the Portland Thorns in NWSL. She serves as an ambassador for the US Soccer Foundation, which works to bring soccer to underserved populations. She is also an ambassador for Athlete Ally whose mission is to dismantle the systems of oppression in sport that isolate, exclude and endanger LGBTQI+ people. She is on the advocacy council that works with the Black Women’s Player Collective and she supports their initiatives that protect, empower, and showcase the Black women of the NWSL and their endeavors both on and off the field. Becky also serves as the President of the USWNT Players Association. Additionally, she serves on the USSF Rules Committee.
-
Lindsay Tarpley
USWNT (2003-2012)
Lindsay is an entrepreneur and created a program called Community Kicks in Michigan, which helps grow the game at a grassroots level. She runs fantasy camps for U.S Soccer, serves on the USSF Referee Committee, as well as runs her own camps while coaching in AYSO and youth club soccer.
-
Kate Ward
US Deaf WNT
Kate is currently a college coach and serves on the USSF Participant Safety Taskforce, Disability Soccer Committee, and Membership Advisory Committee. She is the founder of the United Soccer Coaches Disabilities Allies Advocacy Coaching Community, a vice president for the USA Deaf Soccer board, and a participant on the FIFA Para Football Working Group.
-
Jeané Sunseri-Warp
Women’s Beach NT (2019-Present)
In addition to playing for the US Women's Beach Soccer team, Jeané works as a Business Ops Leader within the Talent Acquisition space at a multinational digital and communications technology company.
-
Yael Averbuch West
USWNT (2007-2013)
Yael has served as part of the Organizational Growth Committee Taskforce, and is part of the Athletes’ Council Communications working group. She owns her own business, Techne Futbol, which is a training app that serves many youth players and clubs throughout the U.S. and around the world. Yael is currently the GM of Gotham FC.
-
Megan Wharton
Women’s Beach NT (2019-present)
Megan is an active member in the soccer community. She has experience with coaching at youth and high school age levels, currently coaching at the college level. She has worked with Female Footballers, a group that helps restore and strengthen the mental aspects of the game for athletes. By day, Megan is a senior graphic designer for a large corporate retailer.
-
