Hall of Fame

Reporter Trecker honored for career contribution to soccer.

Jerry Trecker recently retired after serving as a soccer reporter for nearly five decades, long before it was fashionable. -- Hartford Courant photo --

ONEONTA, N.Y. (Tuesday, September 21, 2004) -- Jerry Trecker, who wrote about soccer for The Hartford Courant long before it became fashionable, has been named the first recipient of the Colin Jose Media Award by the National Soccer Hall of Fame which created the honor to recognize the media's contribution to game.

Trecker will be formally honored October 11 during the Hall's induction weekend when one-time United States women's star Michelle Akers, and former U.S. men's standouts Paul Caligiuri, Eric Wynalda and Michael Windischmann will installed.

The award, which is name for preeminent soccer historian Colin Jose, will be given to members of the media for special career contributions.

Trecker was an English teacher in the West Hartford, Conn., for 29 years before retiring just prior to the 1994 World Cup. Although only a part-time reporter, he traveled the world to report on soccer at every level from the international and professional ranks, to college soccer, as well as amateur and youth competition. He covered more than 350 U.S. national-team matches.

"I am stunned!" Trecker said. "I wrote soccer because I liked to do it. I have enjoyed every minute of covering the game and writing these stories. This is a totally unanticipated honor."

Trecker recently retired from the Courant after serving as the paper's soccer writer since 1955. He also wrote for numerous other publications and has provided background research for ESPN soccer broadcasts since 1989.

"The choice was difficult and there was much lively discussion of the best candidates," Jack Huckel, Hall of Fame director of communications said. "The consensus of the selection committee was that over several eras of soccer, at every level. . . Jerry has always offered fair, appropriate, and professional coverage of the game."

The selection was done by a committee of soccer professionals. Also nominated for the award were Soccer America publisher Lynn Berling-Manuel, broadcasters Seamus Malin and J.P. Dellacamera, Soccer America editor Paul Kennedy, and soccer reporters Paul Gardner, Grahame Jones, Michael Lewis, Dave Payne and Alex Yannis.

Jerry's brother Jim is a well-known soccer media consultant. His son Jamie is a veteran soccer reporter.