It was thanks to the Coaches Convention that I visited Philadelphia for the first time in the late 1980s. I marveled at the city’s history and recall being told that no building shall ever be higher than the 36-foot tall statue of William Penn that has perched atop the 516-foot City Hall Tower since 1894.

Several skyscrapers now loom over Penn’s broad-brimmed hat and he’s no longer visible from all angles of the skyline. But we had a great view of Pennsylvania’s founder from our hotel for the 2026 United Soccer Coaches Convention.

And while soccer’s biggest convention was much about the modern game and its future, it also delivered views into its history.

The convention provides platforms for coaching education and marketers, honors young players (All-Americans) and longtime contributors. Important meetings take place, eg: college coaches plotting a season reformat, and it’s a stage for U.S. Soccer to connect with the coaching community from grassroots up.

U.S. Soccer’s Lex Chalat (Executive Director, Soccer Forward Foundation), Tony Lepore (Head of Talent ID) and Matt Crocker (Sporting Director).

In his presentation on U.S. Soccer’s Pathways Strategy, Sporting Director, Matt Crocker, addressed the recent announcement that the Federation will manage US Club Soccer’s internal operations.

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Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla has written freelance articles about soccer for more than 30 media outlets in nine nations. The winner of eight United Soccer Coaches Writing Contest awards,...