Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Sport: Soccer

Will John

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Eswatini

Professional football player William Oluremi John was born on June 13th, 1985 in Overland Park, Kansas. William started playing soccer at the age of three following in the footsteps of his father, Emilio John, who played professionally in the U.S. and also represented the Nigerian national team.

In 2016, Will started his own YouTube channel that now has over 915,000 subscribers worldwide and 90 million views. His 21-day challenge has now been viewed by over 12 million people and marked his initial popularity.

Amy Griffin

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Brunei

Amy Allmann Griffin has included soccer as a big part of her life and given back to the game whenever the opportunity arises, including being a member of the inaugural World Championship team in 1991. Following her playing career, Griffin was one of the first 20 women to earn her USSF “A” coaching license and began a career of coaching. Griffin started the program at the University of New Mexico in 1992, and then moved to Seattle as an Associate Head Coach at the University of Washington for 24 years.

Vlastimir Davidovic

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Bangladesh

Vlastimir Davidovic is currently a head coach at Phoenix College of the Men’s Soccer team in addition to a youth head coach role at Real Salt Lake – Arizona working with three boys Elite Academy teams ages U17, U15, and U14.

Vlastimir is a passionate and experienced soccer coach and soccer ambassador who loves using the power of the beautiful game to guide student athletes of all ages to accomplish individual and team goals, but more importantly to positively impact players in establishing overall well being and in becoming good citizens.

Schellas Hyndman

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Bangladesh

2023 United Soccer Coaches recipient Honor Award
2020 Selected into United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame
2019 5th Division 1 Coach to Win 500 Games
2015 Inducted Into Southern Methodist University Hall of Fame
2010 MLS Coach of the Year
2008 – 2013 FC Dallas Coach
2005 President of United Soccer Coaches Association
2004 Director Of Coaching NSCAA
2001 Inducted into Eastern Illinois Hall Fame

Jennifer Ruiz Williams

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Colombia

Jennifer Ruiz Williams is the current head coach at UNLV in Las Vegas, NV & has a United States Soccer ‘A’ License. Prior to coaching, she competed in the NWSL with Reign FC. From the age of 19 to 33, Ruiz Williams played with the Mexican National Team. She competed in the 2015 World Cup, earned three Pan American Games medals, qualified for the Olympics, & played in several other international games & tournaments. Ruiz Williams has also spent time with CBS Sports as a TV analyst. She is a Teach for America alumna with an MA from Loyola Marymount and a BA from UNLV, where she played collegiately.

Christina Murillo

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Montenegro
  • 2023  –  Colombia

Christina Murillo Sanchez is currently a Director for Chicago Fire FC and oversees 13u-15U age groups as well as being an Olympic Development Coach. She supports the Chicago community in her role through fundraising and outreach efforts that support with creating more opportunities. She previously was signed to Chicago Red Stars back in 2018 and in 2017 competed in Champions League with Gintra Universitetas getting to the round of 16. She represented the Mexican National Soccer Team from 2009-2018 and participated in the World Cup at the U17, U20, and Senior Level receiving 46 caps with the senior national team . Murillo was one of the first women to be part of the FIFA video game back in 2015. At University of Michigan, she competed with the team from 2011 to 2015 while taking off the 2014 season to train and compete at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was captain of the University of Michigan and made the all-Big Ten Tournament team her senior year. Murillo currently holds the record for most assists in a game at her university and was the first student athlete from Michigan to participate in a FIFA World Cup at the senior level.

Bonnie Young

Soccer

Served as envoy

Bonnie currently coaches in USYS ODP program with the Midwest and West regions, the Colorado Select program, and Elevation soccer club.

Young had been the director of the FC Boulder girls academy since January, 2018 and has previous experience playing professional soccer.
Young has more than 17 years of experience in coaching and club leadership across all levels, from recreational soccer through women’s professional soccer with the Chicago Red Stars and the Washington Spirit.

Jennifer Grubb

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Greece

Jennifer is the owner and primary therapist at Cairn Consulting, LLC. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor who is passionate about helping two groups in particular: athletes who are facing the next level in the sport, addressing injury, or transitioning away from sport; and members of the LGBTQIA+ community who want to live into their authentic selves.

Additionally, Jennifer is a former professional soccer player who has represented her sport on both a national and international level during her nearly 20-year competitive career. Some of Jennifer’s notable accomplishments are:
● Representing the US Women’s National Team between 1995 and 1999
● Earning the title of “Iron Woman” for having played every minute of every game in a 3 year professional career
● Earning All-Star team selections in 2001, 2002, 2003 (WUSA)
● Becoming the first defensive 4-time All-American at the University of Notre Dame
● Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999
● 4-Time Big East Champion and 4-Time Big East All-Tournament Team

After retiring from her playing career, Jennifer pledged to continue sharing her love of sports by supporting athletes as they address the unique demands that athletes face, especially as they pursue goals and overcome barriers related to reaching the next level in their performance.

Off the field, Jennifer’s leadership experience includes starting a violence prevention program utilized in elementary and middle schools, previously sitting on the Board of Directors for an organization that provides direct programming for grieving children and their families, being trained as an instructor for Teen Mental Health First Aid, and being a spokesperson for a campaign that provides free community education in grit and resilience. She currently holds a position on the ARC ND (Alumni Rainbow Community of Notre Dame) board of directors, a group that is committed to inclusion of and equity for the LGBTQIA+ community at the University of Notre Dame.

Debra Belkin Rademacher

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Israel

Debbie Belkin Rademacher, was the head coach of the women’s soccer team at the University of Michigan from 1994-2007. From 1986-1991 she was a mainstay on the US women’s National Team, and was a key member of the 1991 U.S. team that won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Championship. In August 2001, the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame awarded the 1991 U.S. Women’s World Cup champions, the prestigious National Soccer Medal of Honor.

In 2000, Soccer America named her to the Women’s College Soccer Team of the Century. She is a member of the Massachusetts State Hall of Fame, a member of the University of Massachusetts Athletic Hall of Fame, and a member of the National Jewish Hall of Fame.

An outstanding defender from 1984-1988, Rademacher was a three-time All-American at the University of Massachusetts, and led the team to four consecutive Final Four appearances. Named All-New England from 1985-1987, Rademacher helped the Minutewomen achieve a No. 1 ranking during the 1986 season and led them to the NCAA championship game in 1987. Named the Defensive MVP of the 1987 Final Four, Rademacher also received honors from Soccer America, who named her to its MVP teams in 1986 and 1987, and to the All-Decade team (1980s).

Over Rademacher’s four-year career at UMass, the Minutewomen had an overall record of 65-9-4. It was in 1986, during her junior season at Massachusetts, Rademacher joined the U.S. National Team.

In 1992, Rademacher became the head coach at Fairfield University after serving as an assistant at Tufts (1988), and New Hampshire (1989-91). After an record of 6-8-1 in her first season, Rademacher led Fairfield to a 12-4-3 record and the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) regular season and tournament championship in 1992 as she was named MAAC Coach of the Year. The following year, Rademacher became the head coach at the University of Michigan in the school’s inaugural season of NCAA women’s soccer.

Rademacher led Michigan to a second place regular season finish in 1997. They then won the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the next nine years. Rademacher was named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year that year. Michigan won the Big Ten tournament for a second time in 1999, and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2002. In 2003, the Wolverines advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament. They finished the season ranked No. 16 in the country. Through her final season, in 2007, Rademacher amassed a career coaching record of 178-120-41.

Tara Koleski

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Greece

Tara Koleski is the current UWS FC Arizona Head Coach and FC Arizona Girls Director of Coaching.Koleski was the former Head Coach at Dominican University of California and former head coach for two seasons at NCAA DI UMBC and 3 seasons NCAA DII West Chester University.Tara was named the 2005 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year, the Southeast Pennsylvania Coaches Association (SEPCA) Women’s College Coach of the Year, and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Coach of the Year. Tara was the head coach of the semi-professional Rochester Reign of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and an assistant coach at Villanova University (2002).

As a player, Koleski competed at the NCAA DI level for University of Portland attending 2 final four tournaments awarded with honors for All-American, Offensive player of the year for WCC conference and team MVP. Koleski competed with the US U-21 National Team, and attended several US National Team pool camps. Koleski spent 2 season in the German Bundesliga for 1. FC Saarbrucken and was drafted in the 11th round to the first Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) professional league in the USA (2000-2003) playing for the San Diego Spirit and Philadelphia Charge.

Tara holds a USSF B license and NSCAA premier diploma.Tara has a Masters degree in Strategic Non-Profit Management from Harvard University, Certification in Entrepreneurship Essentials from Harvard University and a Masters Degree in Administrative Leadership from Northern Arizona University also with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology from University of Portland.