FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – AUGUST 2025

The USA Deaf Soccer Association (USADSA) is proud to announce the appointment of two new executive leaders: Kate Ward as Executive Director of Programs and Partnerships and Greg Priode as Executive Director of Growth and Development. Together, they bring a unique and complementary blend of experience in sport, advocacy, and organizational leadership that will propel USADSA into its next phase of growth and impact.

Kate and Greg will operate as a unified executive leadership team, working side by side across all strategic and operational areas. Each will take primary ownership of efforts aligned to their specific background and expertise, but every initiative will be approached with full collaboration and joint accountability—ensuring alignment, consistency, and shared purpose in the work to come.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Kate and Greg to these critical leadership roles,” said Suzanne Anderson, President of the USADSA Board of Directors. “Kate brings an extraordinary record of advocacy and representation in the disability sport world, as well as the credibility of a decorated player and national voice. Greg has built high-performing teams and organizations across sectors, combining business and nonprofit leadership with a heart for grassroots growth and community building. Together, they represent a powerful vision for the future of USADSA—one built on partnership, shared leadership, and long-term sustainability.”

Kate Ward, a three-time Deaflympic gold medalist and captain of the U.S. Deaf Women’s National Team, has been at the forefront of advancing disability soccer in the United States and globally. She currently serves on the U.S. Soccer Federation Board of Directors and holds leadership roles across multiple committees, including the Disability Soccer Committee and the Athelete’s Council. Kate has also served as a DIFA liaison to FIFA and played a role in the development of the FIFA Disability Football Toolkit. Her leadership extends beyond the field, with extensive experience coaching collegiate and youth soccer, mentoring athletes, and securing critical resources to expand inclusive programming across the country.

Greg Priode brings two decades of leadership experience in commercialization and growth, having built and scaled successful teams that have successfully launched 60+ products or programs both domestically and internationally.  He pairs this business background with a passion for pouring into young people of all ages.  Greg has coached youth and collegiate teams across multiple sports, with a coaching philosophy grounded in developing not just players, but people. His passion for USADSA’s mission stems from being the parent of a deaf athlete, fueling a personal commitment to expand access, improve inclusion, and build broader awareness of the opportunities that exist for D/HH athletes to pursue their goals at the highest levels of the sport.

Now that the U.S. Deaf Men’s and Women’s National Teams are officially part of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Extended National Team (ENT) program, USADSA is focused on building scalable models that support participation for both youth and adults. This work is already underway: in the last 12 months, USADSA has hosted over 20 single-day clinics and regional events around the country as they look to make connections with the over 2 million kids 5-18 who are D/HH. In addition, the organization launched its first-ever overnight national camp, bringing together campers from across the United States to train, build friendships, and grow as athletes and individuals.

Looking forward, the vision for USADSA includes a future where grassroots camps and clinics are paired with partner clubs and leagues that actively train coaches, referees, and staff on how to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes alongside their hearing peers.The vision also includes the creation of youth and adult D/HH teams that compete in local and national tournaments, with a focus on developing a youth program that can compete at international youth deaf competitions around the world and feed players into the U.S. Soccer National Team pools. USADSA’s goal is simple but bold: to open the doors of soccer to every deaf and hard-of-hearing individual in the U.S.—whether they are just learning the game, building community through play, or dreaming of wearing red, white, and blue on the world stage.

To get involved as a player, coach, or volunteer sign-up here. 

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