Tom O'Shea

North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame

Class of 2023

Tom O‘Shea

Tom O’Shea has spent his lifetime advocating and building Soccer in NC and the USA at all levels. His contributions and devotion to the various aspects of Soccer is remarkable.  A brief overview of the multiple soccer endeavors include:

Outstanding collegiate player; development, building, and leadership of the North Carolina Soccer League; Founder, Manager, and Player of NC Adult Soccer Teams;  US Veterans Cup Regional & National leadership; organization and sponsorships roles with the Greensboro Youth Soccer Association; NC Regional Select coach to Recreational & Challenge Youth coach; HS referee and director of youth soccer camps with HOF Bill Utter…

Specifics on these most impressive efforts and accomplishments of Tom O’Shea are listed below:

Ryken High School (Leonardtown, Md) & East Carolina University

• Captain of RHS soccer team 1970, 1971; Co-captain ECU Varsity Soccer 1974, 1975

• Leading scorer RHS 1969-71; All-time career scorer and points leader at East Carolina University

• All-Southern Maryland Conference Honors 1970, 1971; All-Southern Conference at ECU 1973-74

• All-Metropolitan Washington DC Honor 1970

Greensboro Youth & Adult Soccer

• Founded Greensboro United Adult Soccer Club in 1977 upon arrival in Greensboro; Greensboro United is one of the oldest continuously operating adult soccer clubs in NC and has won multiple NC State Open Cups at various age ranges during the past 38 years.

• Greensboro United is also one of the most highly respected and recognized adult amateur clubs on the national level, having competed regularly in the US Veterans Cup since 2001 in Beckley, WV, Honolulu, HI, Bellingham, WA, Wilmington, NC, Boston, MA.

• Greensboro United has won National Championships in the Over-40, Over-50, Over-55, and Over-60 age groups. Since the 1990s, GU has been managed by Kim Bergenser.

• Founded and operated one of the finest early-day youth soccer camps at Greensboro Day School in 1978 with Bill Utter – a friend, Greensboro soccer legend, and NC Hall of Fame member.

• High School Soccer Referee 1978-1982  Greensboro Youth Soccer Association Board Member 1982-84, 1995-1999  North Carolina Regional Select Coach for U-19 Boys – 1982-86

• Secured sponsorship of Greensboro Youth Soccer Tournament while working at Wrangler.  Chairman, Wrangler McDonald’s Youth Soccer Classic in Greensboro, NC – 1981-82

• Coach of numerous Greensboro Youth Soccer boys’ and girls’ recreation, Challenge, and Classic level teams from 1980 through 2006 … often more than one at a time

• Recipient of Coach of the Year at Recreational and Challenge levels

North Carolina Adult Soccer & US Adult Soccer Association (USASA)

• Founder of Greenville Soccer Club 1972 – one of the first adult amateur soccer clubs in NC

• One of the founders of the North Carolina Adult Soccer League (w/ Anson Dorrance, MC McCoy, and Dan Ariail)

• President of North Carolina Adult Soccer Association - 1981-84; EVP from 199 to 2006

• Recipient of the 2003 Charles Mark Crampton Award for Significant Contributions to the Growth and Development of Adult Soccer in North Carolina – awarded by the North Carolina Adult Soccer Association

• Recipient of the 2006 NCASA Special Recognition & Achievement Award for bringing national recognition and acclaim to the North Carolina soccer scene as NC Chair for the 2005 & 2006 US Veterans’ Cups - the largest and most successful US Veteran’s Cup tournaments in the 10-year history of the event. Included with this award was the declaration that the opening day of the 2006 NC Adult Soccer Association State Cup was recognized as “Tom O’Shea Day”

• Appointed Chair of the 2009 USASA Vision & Strategy Task Force; facilitated Tucson Strategy Summit

Unquestionably, Tom O’Shea made and continues to make countless positive impacts on an unbelievably broad spectrum for the Good of Game in North Carolina. Many fellow NCSHOF members are grateful and appreciative of Tom’s devotion to Soccer in NC, which is simply outstanding - critical for building and developing NC Soccer. Representative of this is the attached endorsement from NCSHOF & National Soccer HOF member – Hank Steinbrecher.