TAMPA (June 10, 2025) — The United Soccer Association, a 35-year-old administrator for West Central Florida elite youth soccer teams that is better known as the “USA League,’’ has become a Founders Club Lifetime Member of the Tampa Bay Soccer Hall of Fame, which will celebrate the game’s local history and heritage by inducting its first class this summer.
USA League executive director Kai Velmer said he believes the partnership is mutually beneficial.
“It makes so much sense to become a Founders Club Lifetime Member because our league has been ingrained into the youth landscape here for a few decades,’’ Velmer said. “We are all so excited to have this Tampa Bay Soccer Hall of Fame because it has been needed for a very long time. Now we get to tell the story of our rich soccer history and I know our young people will pick up on that and aspire to reach the game’s highest levels.’’
The TBSHOF, which will induct its first class during an awards dinner on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Tampa’s Higgins Hall, has assembled support from group-ticket buyers and corporate sponsors, along with community members who have joined the Founders Club, a ground-floor opportunity for contributions to secure the honoring of Tampa Bay’s storied soccer history.
TBSHOF Board of Directors member Perry Van Der Beck, a former Tampa Bay Rowdie, National Team member and U.S. Olympian, said the organization is thrilled to have an association with the USA League, which he described as a vital part of the area’s soccer scene.
“We want to not only honor our past, but also reach out to current young players and let them know they are part of a really important legacy of Tampa Bay area soccer,’’ Van Der Beck said. “The USA League is filled with a lot of really successful youth clubs and youth leagues, so it’s gratifying to have them all join our Tampa Bay Soccer Hall of Fame team in a very meaningful way.’’
Velmer said he hopes other organizations get behind the TBSHOF because he has big dreams for its future.
“I think it will be a hub for the entire soccer community,’’ Velmer said. “Now we have a centralized place to bring everything home in one place. We can connect a fragmented community. It’s also a great way to recognize people who have put in so much work. I’d love to see an actual museum one day. We’re off to a great start and I think it’s going to keep growing and growing.’’
