Eddie Hawkins facts for kids

Edward Hawkins is a former soccer player from the United States. He played as a midfielder. In 1984, he made history by becoming the first American-born Black player to join the U.S. national soccer team.

Early Life and School Soccer

Edward Hawkins grew up in Washingtonville, New York. He was a talented athlete at Washingtonville High School. He played three sports: soccer, basketball, and track. Soccer was his strongest sport. He was named "All State" twice, a "National Coaches All-American" twice, and a Parade high school All-American twice.

College Soccer Career

After high school in 1980, professional soccer teams noticed his skills. The Washington Diplomats, a team in the North American Soccer League (NASL), even drafted him. However, Hawkins chose to go to Hartwick College instead of playing professionally right away.

At Hartwick, he played for the Hawks soccer team for four seasons. In 1980, his team reached the NCAA Final Four tournament. When he graduated in 1984, he had scored 30 goals and made 10 assists. In 1995, he was honored by being added to the Hartwick College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Hawkins earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and Management. Later, in 1990, he received his master's degree in Information Technology from Pace University.

Professional Soccer Journey

By the time Hawkins finished college, the NASL had closed down. However, the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) drafted him in 1984. Hawkins stayed in school to finish his degree. During this time, his rights were traded to the Minnesota Strikers, and then to the Dallas Sidekicks.

Hawkins decided not to sign with the Sidekicks. Instead, he played for the Mt. Vernon Corsairs in the New York City Super League. He later started a job as a computer programmer with IBM.

Playing for the U.S. National Team

In 1984, Edward Hawkins was called to play for the U.S. national team. On December 2, 1984, he played in a game against Ecuador. When he stepped onto the field, he became the first American-born Black soccer player to earn a "cap." A "cap" means playing in an official international game for your country. That game, which was part of the Miami Cup, ended in a 2–2 tie. Hawkins was replaced by Dave Cayemitte in the second half.

Life After Playing Soccer

After his playing career, Hawkins started coaching soccer. He launched the ZenFooty Soccer Academy and the Zen United Club Soccer Programs. Zen United began in 2005 but closed after five years.

He still offers private soccer training. His ZenFooty Soccer Academy is now called Zen Soccer School. His company, www.ZenSoccerSchool.com, provides private and group training for players of all ages. Many of the players he has coached have gone on to play soccer at colleges across the country. These colleges include Georgia State, Hartwick, Loyola University Maryland, Marquette, UIC, UW-Parkside, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Family Life

Edward Hawkins lives in the Chicago area with his wife, Eyleen. They have been married for 28 years and met while he was in graduate school. They have three children: Eryka, Elyssa, and Edison.

Eryka played on the women's soccer team at Georgia State for five seasons. Elyssa was a member of the women's water polo team at Carthage College for four years. Elyssa is now part of the coaching staff for both the men's and women's water polo teams at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Claremont, California.