Frank Hall

Frank Hall played a significant role in the growth of youth soccer in Pierce County, and it was directly as a result of his coaching and support of youth soccer that some of the top young talent went on to national – and in some cases international – stardom.

Hall came by his interest in soccer quite naturally - he was born on March 16, 1935 in London, England, where soccer (it’s called football over there) was then and remains the nation’s most popular sport. He graduated from high school in England and came to the United States, where he joined the Air Force.

That move brought him to Pierce County, and the local youth soccer scene benefited greatly from his 46-year involvement as an administrator, referee and coach. The Tacoma-Pierce County Junior Soccer Association started out quite innocently in 1961 when boys of a wide age range played disorganized games prior to matches played by the Tacoma Soccer Club. Shortly thereafter, the Tacoma Soccer Club sponsored a team of boys from 9 to 12 years of age, which was the first youth team to be formed in the area. Hall coached the Tacoma Soccer Club Juniors, who played a five-game season against elementary schools at Jane Clark playfield.

Hall, along with Bill Aiken and George Black, started the Tacoma Youth Soccer committee within the Tacoma Soccer club in 1962. They first met on Nov. 6, 1962, to organize and operate a junior league. The first league of six 12-and-under teams played a 10-week season, with the title going to the North End Wanderers, later known as the Tacoma Wanderers. For the 1967-68 season, Hall was elected president and the Tacoma Wanderers became the country’s first American schoolboy team to tour England, that occurring in July of 1967. Keys to the City of Tacoma were presented to the Lord Mayors of English cities that they visited during the three-week tour. Tacoma also experienced a big boost in numbers with 48 teams participating in five different age brackets, and through Tex Vaughn’s continued efforts, cooperation with the Metro Parks continued to flourish.

Roman Strug and Hall formed a 12-and-under select team to play in Portland and San Francisco, and this was the first Washington team to travel to other states. In 1977, his Tacoma Kickers played in the North American Championships. Hall also played a major role in the formation of the Washington State Youth Soccer Association in 1966, of which he is a life member and an inductee into that organization’s Hall of Fame.