Founder and CEO of the Empowerment Through Sport Leadership Series, Angela Hucles is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist for US Soccer, two-time World Cup Bronze Medalist, former professional soccer player of the Boston Breakers and the US Soccer Foundation’s 2009 Humanitarian of the Year. With a passion for helping others achieve their goals and dreams and over 25 years experience in the sports industry, she founded Empowerment Through Sport, LLC in 2012, an organization focused on discovering sports leadership skills and athlete transitions that translate to life success. Angela has become a regular speaker on topics of sports leadership, equality, inclusion & safe spaces, anti-bullying, and the power of sport and its impact on personal growth and development. Angela currently serves as the Women’s Sports Foundation President, effective January 1, 2015.
U.S. Women’s National Team leading scorer in the 2008 Olympic Games, Hucles played her inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) for the Boston Breakers. This 5 foot 7 midfielder first stepped into the soccer scene for USA in 2002; she started in 48 of her 109 career caps (she is ranked to be 24th on the all- time the U.S. caps list). Undoubtedly her breakout year was in 2008. Going into her last year, she only scored five career goals, but doubled that number, she scored eight in 32 matches which more games than Hucles has ever played in year.
In the 2008 Olympics Hucles did not expect to play as fast as she did, but an unfortunate leg injury to Abby Wambach in the pre- Olympic match pushed Hucles into the starting lineup. With this opportunity as a starter she delivered in true clutch fashion, she put up the best performance in U.S. history. Angela led the U.S. team in 4 goals in the 2008 Olympics; 2 of these goals came in the U.S. victory over Japan.
Hucles played at University of Virginia from 1996-1999. Hucles’s career as a Virginia Cavalier she put up impressive numbers. While at Virginia she was a first team All-ACC Selection and a 4 time Mid- Atlantic Star. What made her stand out from all the other women soccer players at University of Virginia was just how high her numbers were on the field. Hucles ended her career at Virginia as the all- time leader in goals with 59 and also the all- time leader in points with 138. Lastly Hucles holds the record at University of Virginia for most game- winning goals with 19.
Hucles was named the 2009 Humanitarian of the year by the U.S. Soccer Foundation because of her efforts with the youth in the Boston area which she has been involved with since her career with the Boston Breakers. Angela was also named as a finalist for the Hermann Trophy in 1999.
Hucles’s successes on the field reflect her off the field; she has dedicated herself to giving back to the community. Recently she became the president of the board for the newly- formed non- profit Dream Big! Also Angela has worked closely with the Massachusetts State Treasury Department’s “Savings make cents” program which teaches youngsters the importance of saving money. She is a spokesperson for New England SCORES, an organization whose goal is to empower students in urban communities, it uses soccer, writing, creative and expression, service- learning, inspires them to lead healthy lifestyles, and mostly importantly to be eager students that are difference makers in their communities. Hucles has also volunteered with CityKicks, an after school program for under- served middle school girls in the Boston Public School System. In 2008 Hucles was chosen for the Womens Sports Foundation Athlete Advisory Board. In addition to her extraordinary charity work Hucles has written columns on women’s sports for the Boston Metro during her 2002 WUSA season.
Your donation today provides the essential resources we need to defend Title IX, support community programs that keep girls in the game, conduct the critical research that educates policy makers and the public about the societal impact of sports participation for girls and women, and so much more.
Donate Today >>