Hall of Famer

KIM CRABBE, a respected pioneer in the soccer world, will be honored as a member of The Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 at the eighteenth annual induction banquet this month.

Crabbe, now outreach program director for the Wilmington Hammerhead Youth Football Club, joins four other sports figures with Wilmington ties for the ceremony May 18 at the Wilmington Convention Center.

Crabbe grew up in Reston, Virginia, to an athletic family whose focus was on soccer, though she admits to being somewhat of a late bloomer who didn’t play on an organized level until eight or nine years old.

“I am the oldest of three and though we were natural athletes, playing several sports – all of us chose soccer and excelled within this sport,” she says.

Her mother, a single mom working three jobs, supported their talents leading two of the three to play collegiate soccer. In her earlier years, Crabbe’s skill was apparent, and she quickly rose to the highest levels of competition. She played at the state and regional levels before being chosen for the Olympic Development Team.

Even though she was surrounded by other talented players, Crabbe did not have many African American role models in soccer to look up to, so she saw her potential in others who performed at the highest levels in their own sports.

“I feel like I had role models to look up to as a young athlete … some male, some female,” she says. “Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Flo Jo were big inspirations in the track and field world…Being that they were African American, I could really relate to them on a more comfortable level. Especially in soccer, as there were not many that played on the elitist platforms.”

Crabbe’s favorite position on the field was forward, however, she trained in midfield and distance as well and was recruited to play right back in college where she made a name for herself.

“I personally feel as though soccer and sports, in general, are very beneficial for young girls/women,” she says. “Not only does it serve as a great exercise component that betters our health, but being part of a team can truly enrich your life forever. Teammates become more than friends, they become family.”

In 1986, Crabbe became the first African American woman to play for the United States Women’s National Team.

“I guess I exceeded my own expectations,” she says. “To have been called up to the USWNT in 1986 serves as one of my most honorable accolades – it showed that my commitment, dedication, and resilience all paid off. Being ‘the first’ is, respectfully, another level! It made me think of the greats – Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, and Wilma Rudolph and how they paved the way for so many Black athletes.”

Perhaps her greatest honor came in 2016 when she was inducted into the Virginia-D.C. Soccer Hall of Fame due to the full circle moment of returning to where it all began.

In her current role as outreach program director for the Wilmington Hammerhead Youth Football Club, Crabbe “… coaches and mentors youth players in underserved communities and has made a lasting impact on the groups she works with.”

“The work that I do in the community, is very important as it serves many underrepresented youths, allowing them an opportunity to play ‘free’ of all the barriers that may otherwise prevent them from such an experience,” she says. “I believe in doing my part to make our community better. Serving through outreach absolutely fulfills that mission so much that I’ve started a newly formed nonprofit Outreach of Cape Fear, and I plan to broaden the vision of the program, all while continuing to mentor, impact, and better the lives of many of our youth both on and off of the pitch/field.”

To view more of photographer Malcolm Little’s work, go to malcolmlittlephotography.com.

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