Eddie Hawkins

Edward Hawkins
Born	Washingtonville, New York, United States
Occupation(s)	Soccer player, soccer coach, computer programmer
Years active	1980s (player)
Known for	First African American born in the U.S. to represent the U.S. national soccer team

Edward Hawkins is a former American soccer midfielder who, in 1984, made history as the first black player born in the United States to represent the U.S. national team.

High school and college

Raised in Washingtonville, New York, Hawkins attended Washingtonville High School, where he distinguished himself in soccer, basketball, and track. His exceptional soccer abilities earned him All State honors twice, recognition as a National Coaches All-American on two occasions, and two selections as a Parade high school All American. After completing high school in 1980, he was picked in the second round of the NASL draft by the Washington Diplomats, but opted to continue his development by playing college soccer.

During his four-year tenure at Hartwick College, Hawkins competed with the Hawks and helped lead the team to the 1980 NCAA Final Four. He concluded his collegiate career having scored 30 goals and provided 10 assists, later earning induction into the Hartwick College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

Hawkins obtained a bachelor's degree in Economics and Management and went on to complete a master's degree in Information Technology at Pace University in 1990.

Club career

Following Hawkins' graduation, the NASL had ceased operations. However, he was selected in the first round of the 1984 draft by the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Choosing to finish his academic pursuits first, Hawkins remained in school. Meanwhile, his rights were traded from the Spirit to the Minnesota Strikers, who subsequently transferred them to the Dallas Sidekicks. Hawkins elected not to sign with Dallas and instead stayed in Westchester County, competing for the Mt. Vernon Corsairs within the New York City Super League while embarking on a career as a computer programmer at IBM.

National team

In 1984, Hawkins received a call-up to join the U.S. national team. His substitution into a match against Ecuador on December 2 of that year marked him as the first African American born in the U.S. to earn an international cap. This fixture, part of the Miami Cup tournament, concluded with a 2–2 draw; Hawkins was substituted out during the second half for Dave Cayemitte.

Post career

After concluding his playing days, Hawkins founded ZenFooty Soccer Academy along with Zen United Club Soccer Programs. Established in 2005, Zen United operated for five years before disbanding. He continues to offer private coaching through his rebranded enterprise, Zen Soccer School. His organization provides individual and group training sessions suitable for all age groups via www.ZenSoccerSchool.com.

Several athletes coached by Hawkins have progressed to compete at NCAA Division I, II, and III soccer programs across the country, including institutions such as Georgia State, Hartwick, Loyola University Maryland, Marquette, UIC, UW-Parkside, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Personal life

Residing in the Chicago metropolitan area, Hawkins shares his life with his wife of 28 years, Eyleen, whom he met during their graduate studies. The couple has three children: Eryka, who competed for five seasons on the women's soccer team at Georgia State; Elyssa, who spent four years playing on the women's water polo team at Carthage College and currently serves on both the men's and women's water polo coaching staff at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges; and Edison.