Retired San Diego Sockers Player, Murrieta Resident On '24 Semifinalist List With Notables

MURRIETA, CA —Sean Bowers, former Major League Soccer star and current general manager of the Major Arena Soccer League's San Diego Sockers, was named a semifinalist for the National Soccer Hall of Fame Saturday.

The Murrieta resident was named among 21 Veteran Ballot finalists including David Beckham for the Class of 2024 inductees. The Veteran Ballot is reserved for players who have been retired for more than 10 full years. The former Major League Soccer player had a lengthy career, playing for Detroit Rockers, San Diego Sockers, Sacramento Knights, Anaheim Splash, Kansas City Wiz, Kansas City Wizards and Baltimore Blast.

Bowers is a well-known name in the southern California soccer community, though these days his leadership skills are focused on the front office rather than the field.

According to the Sockers website, he is the only person in the National Premier Soccer League/Major Indoor Soccer League history to achieve at least 1,000 blocks and 1,000 points. He was a 2002/2003 Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star and the league's Defender of the Year with the Baltimore Blast, among other accolades. He returned to the Sockers over the 2009/10 season to complete his on-field career.

The 2024 Veteran Ballot Semifinalists include:

• Chris Armas
• David Beckham
• Chico Borja
• Sean Bowers
• Jeff Cunningham
• Lorrie Fair
• Mary Harvey
• Frankie Hejduk
• Lori Henry
• Eddie Lewis
• Carlos Llamosa
• Clint Mathis
• Shep Messing
• Heather Mitts
• John O'Brien
• Emily Pickering
• Tony Sanneh
• Lee Tschantret
• Tisha Venturini-Hoch
• Aly Wagner
• Josh Wolff

The National Soccer Hall of Fame's nine-person Veteran Screening Committee selected the 21 Veteran semifinalists out of the 96 eligible candidates. Next, the Screening Committee will narrow the field to 10 finalists in the next round. The finalist who receives the most votes will be elected, and a second finalist also may be selected if they receive at least 75 percent of the vote.

"It's an honor on my side to be nominated with this award," Bowers said. "What I love about this is that it focuses on the futsal side of my career."

Since retiring from play, Bowers continues to make a difference in the community as well.

He is the Executive Vice President of Sports Management and Business Development for Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. That building, due for completion next year, promises to expand sports to north San Diego County with professional basketball and volleyball games.

Since retiring, he has also developed one of the largest youth futsal groups in southern California, with 619 Futsal in San Diego, where he serves as president and owner. Since 2011, he and the team at 619 Futsal have developed more than 2,000 players annually through leagues, camps, and clinics, which draw players from as far as Orange County and Riverside County.