A former soccer player and professional executive, Cynthia Parlow Cone has risen to the top of the soccer world. She is also the president for the United States Soccer Federation. She was also an Olympic Gold medalist twice and the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup runner-up. Her accomplishments include being elected the first female president for the United States Soccer Federation.
President of U.S. Soccer
Cindy Parlow Cone, the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, has been re-elected for a second four-year term. Her main areas of focus will be on the collective bargaining process, and a report by former Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates about allegations of abuse in women’s soccer. She will push for equal pay for women players. She will continue to work for equal pay for women players and she will be working hard to build the game in all its forms.
USSF is in a difficult financial position. Parlow cone has had the challenge of dealing with a multitude of lawsuits, financial hardships, and her leadership has been capable to restore USSF's finances. Her recent equal pay contract has also restored public faith in US Soccer and allowed US Soccer to present a more united front before commercial partners. However, as the president of US Soccer, Cone still has a lot of work ahead of her.
Assistant coach at University of North Carolina
Cindy Parlow Cone used to be a player and now works as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina women’s hockey team. Parlow cone played college soccer for the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She is a coach with a wealth of experience in women's football. She is also a USSF "A” License coach and has completed FIFA Futuro III courses.
Parlow cone was a four-time All-American during Parlow's playing days. This helped the Tar Heels to four ACC regular-season titles, three national titles, and four national titles. Parlow Cone also won two Hermann Trophies which is the highest award in women's collegiate football. She is also a member of the UNC women's soccer hall of fame.
First female president of U.S. Soccer
Cone has been US Soccer president since March, when the Athletes Board elected her to the position. As president, Cone has focused on improving diversity efforts, bringing commercial rights back in-house, and growing the sport in all forms. She was president for two years, helping to achieve important goals such as a historic agreement with the US National Teams unions on collective bargaining and equal pay for soccer players of both genders.
Cone, a three-time Olympian, is also a former member the senior U.S. National Team. Cone is also an inductee into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. She has led a significant shift in the priorities of the Federation as president. She has put greater emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and team building.
Portland Thorns FC Head Coach
Portland Thorns FC are the NWSL champions. The club was looking to bring Parlow home after a two year hiatus. The Thorns finished ninth in the league last season, but the new head coach will have to deal with high expectations and limited resources. He or she will need to create a championship-winning team.
Cone worked as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina for four seasons before he took the Portland Thorns FC position. Cone coached the team to four NCAA championships. In 2013, Cone became the Thorns' head coach. Cone, in addition to being a great coach, was also a member of the US national team's youth taskforce and Athletes' board. In addition, she was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame this year.
Face of the "Safer Soccer Initiative"
Parlow cone, an ex-soccer star, is the face of a campaign for safer soccer. The former Olympic Gold medalist is no stranger to concussions, and suffered a second concussion during the 2003 World Cup. After suffering recurring headaches, she retired from the national team. She has been a soccer coach for Chapel Hill, North Carolina since then and has spoken out about her experiences and the importance safety in the game.
A group of concussion experts and former professional players have joined the campaign. The campaign aims to reduce head-to-head collisions and prevent concussions among young soccer players. A Washington State study that looked at junior-high school girls revealed that a ban on heading could reduce up to 30% of all injuries. This could mean that youth soccer will suffer fewer concussions.