Esslie named United Soccer League’s Eastern Exec of the Year
Published on:
August 31, 2026
Hannah Esslie of Cairo founded the Hudson Valley Crusaders, a pre-professional women’s soccer team, at just 16 years old. Photo contributed.
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CAIRO―The United Soccer League has announced the 2026 W League Executives of the Year, recognizing four leaders who played an integral role in the success and growth of their respective clubs throughout the season.
This year, Cairo native Hannah Esslie of the Hudson Valley Crusaders was named Eastern Exec of the Year.
The USL W League, a pre-professional women’s soccer league, featured 44 clubs in its inaugural season in 2022 and has seen a steady increase in clubs in the following years. The 2025 season had 90-plus clubs competing in more than 25 states across the country.
Expanded this year from one recipient to four, the award recognizes one executive from each of the W League’s conferences for their contributions both on and off the field.
Esslie became the youngest founder of a soccer club in the United States after starting the Hudson Valley Crusaders at just 16 years old.
“This year's group fully took on the underdog role and bought into the club’s mission. I founded the club in 2021 with no investors or private funding and we run in the same way today. They’ve bought into our mission, and it’s paid off in the way we’ve been able to compete with many clubs while only having a fraction of the resources,” said Esslie, a member of the Cairo-Durham High School Class of 2022.
“Finally, our sponsors and community partners that allows us to operate free to play and offer free housing. They are pivotal to the success and growth of women’s soccer in the Hudson Valley. In sum, the buy and dedication from this group is unlike any community I've been a part of, and it only continues to grow year after year,” Esslie added.
She and the club are committed to providing opportunities to female athletes, coaches and professionals in athletics, continuing the local and national push for equity for women in sports.
The USL W League strives to develop the next generation of women’s soccer talent both on and off the field. The USL W League employs women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development.
