Mike Ryan left the “Old Sod” for the United States a half-century ago, with coaching experience dating back to his pre-teen years. In the 1960s, Ryan relocated to Seattle, where he began to organize, train, coach and mentor the game at many levels.  By 1974, he obtained a USSF “A” License and, since that time, he has coached at the national team, college, high school, youth and adult levels with but one guiding principle, “I just want people to love the game.”  Another one of his favorite phrases is: “That little black and white ball will take you around the world.”

Ryan first became involved with women’s soccer when in 1974 he stepped up to help form the Washington State Women’s Soccer Association (WSWSA) and served as its first president. At the time, in addition to his University of Washington coaching duties with the men’s team, Mike coached a team of student-aged women who played in a WSWSA league. The team won first place in the end of season tournament.

In 1980, Michael Ryan took his young women plus a team of Over-30’s he was also coaching to Florida to the National Cup Finals. His teams won both Women’s divisions in the inaugural year of those competitions. As winners, they had the right to choose the venue for the following year. They chose Memorial Stadium in Seattle for what was then called the Challenge Cup and once again Mike’s team captured both women championships, beating teams from Maryland, Texas, Missouri, Virginia and Oregon.  Mr. Ryan’s success with men’s teams included a triumph over the U.S. Olympic National Team by Washington’s State Select Team.

By 1983, Mike Ryan was named by the USSF as the first Women’s National Team Head Coach. Their first international game was with Canada. Later the team went to Italy to play in the Muna Quita – “little World Cup” tournament.

Mike is also the only Professor of Soccer in the United States, an Adjunct Professorship of Soccer being granted to him by Washington State University.

Originally from Seattle, Washington, Janet Slauson was involved with the Washington State Women’s Soccer Association (WSWSA) from its very beginning. She collaborated with naming the organization, the nuts and bolts of rules and bylaws and was elected the association’s first Vice President in 1974. The following year she was elected President, a capacity she served in on three different occasions. Janet has also served on almost every WSWSA committee, as Secretary, Scheduler, Public Relations, Jamboree Chair and Tournament Chair. 

In 1975, Janet worked with the Seattle Sounders and the University of Washington as administrator for Northwest Soccer Camps, Inc., which ran day camps for youth. She also enrolled in referee training to learn the game better. She whistled games for the youth leagues for many years. Janet not only loved the administrative side of the game, she also loved playing in the WSWSA for over a decade.

At the state level, Janet served in numerous capacities such as President, Vice President and Secretary. She was Select Team Administrator for several years and worked on the committee for the World Amputee Games which were held in Seattle in 2000. Slauson also chaired USASA’s Women’s Development Committee from 2001 to 2006.

Janet has been honored on multiple occasions. She was bestowed the Barney Kempton Award for volunteers by the Washington State Soccer Association (WSSA) in 1985, given WSSA Life Membership during the 1990s, and then inducted into the WSSA Hall of Fame in 2004. Janet Slauson was also honored by the WSWSA with its Life Membership Award, the Bernadette Noonan Volunteer Award and with the “Order of the Golden Ball.” In 2009, Janet was inducted into the Region IV Hall of Fame.

Janet is currently the WSWSA Rules/Judicial Committee Chair and has been involved with the Veteran’s Cup for the past several years.