CHICAGO (Jan. 18, 2023) – U.S. Soccer today announced Shawn Danhouser has won the second annual ADAPTandTHRIVE Disability Award, which recognizes an individual who is making an impact in the United States’ broad landscape of Disability soccer.
"I am so pleased to see Shawn being recognized in this way, as he has dedicated so much of his life to creating and providing opportunities for players with disabilities to access the game,” said U.S. Soccer Sr. Director of Technical & Grassroots of Extended National Teams Stuart Sharp. “We are lucky to have so many active coaches in this area of the game, and this award allows us to celebrate the work they are doing week in and week out. In what was a very tight voting category, Shawn is a very deserving winner."
Danhouser earned the honor after serving on the Board for Diversity and Inclusion in Soccer with the US Soccer Coaches community, as well as for his work with US Youth Soccer’s TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer), a community-based training program for athletes with intellectual, emotional and/or physical disabilities to play the game in a safe, fun and supportive environment
“This is a fantastic honor and I’m humbled,” said Danhouser. “I was up against some really good competition and I’m just really grateful toward U.S. Soccer and everyone who cast a vote. I’ll continue to do as much good work as I can in my career to help out these great organizations.”
Danhouser is also a member of the Disabilities Allies Coaches Community, dedicated to providing resources and information, raising awareness, and creating a community for coaches of athletes with disabilities and coaches with disabilities to share experiences and ideas. He is also a coach at Addison United in Addison, Ill. outside of Chicago.
Nominated alongside Danhouser for the ADAPTandTHRIVE Disability Award were David Robinson for his work as chair of the US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer Committee and Katie Smith, recently named the first-ever head coach of the U.S. Men’s Blind Soccer National Team.
In 2021, Sandy Castillo won the inaugural ADAPTandTHRIVE Disability Award for her work as a long-time coach and advocate in the TOPSoccer program around Southern California.