Kim Crabbe, the first African American woman called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team, ironically was given the nickname “Crabby,” considering her infectious charm and being beloved by soccer friends and colleagues alike!

In early 1986, Ms. Crabbe pioneered her way into the national team camp, playing outside back for the eventual World Cup-winning coach and ever-present North Carolina great, Anson Dorrance.

A native of Fairfax County, Virginia, Ms. Crabbe rose through the youth soccer ranks with the Reston Rowdies as a pacey forward and continued to develop through the Virginia Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program (VYSA ODP). While a promising star on the pitch and earning State honors, Ms. Crabbe also lettered in field hockey and track and field at South Lakes High School.

In 1985, Ms. Crabbe and the George Mason Patriots knocked off Coach Dorrance’s Tar Heels to win the National Championship. It would be the moment Coach Dorrance took notice of the trail-blazing player. Ms. Crabbe would go on to play professionally in the W-League, the first Women’s Olympic Festivals, in National Cups, and various amateur teams.

In 1994, Ms. Crabbe joined U.S. women’s national team players Mia Hamm, Carla Werden-Overbeck, Wendy Gebauer, Tisha Venturini, and top players from across North Carolina to assemble the Greensboro Dynamo FC women’s team. The team packed stadiums in matches under the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL).