NATIVE HAWAIIAN COLLEGE & MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER (MLS) STAR BRIAN CHING BORN
Brian, born in Haleiwa, Hawaii, started playing soccer at age 7. At Kamehameha Schools, he was Honolulu Interscholastic League soccer MVP in his senior year. Attending Gonzaga University (GU), Brian, in 2000, earned All-West Coast Conference (WCC) & All-Far West Region first-team honors. His 23 career assists are a GU record, his 34 goals rank 3rd and his 91 career points, 2nd. With Ching, GU was WCC Co-champion in 1997 & 1998. Picked 16th by the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2000, Brian was the 1st Native Hawaiian selected in the MLS draft. He played for the Seattle Sounders in 2002, San Jose Earthquakes (2003-05), and Houston Dynamo (2006-13). Ching also was on the U.S. National (2003) & U.S. FIFA World Cup (2006) teams. Retiring in 2013 as the Dynamo’s all-time leading scorer, Brian became managing director for the National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash. His philanthropy effort is his “Ching’s Champs” program. Brian was inducted into the Hawaiian Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
Sources:
“Ching Brian,” Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2/3/2023, Ching Brian (hawaiisportshalloffame.com)
Wikipedia
Photo: Greatness21, 12/13/2013. Permissive Use.
Indigenous America Calendar 