Vincentian Ezra Hendrickson, newly appointed coach of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, one of the franchised clubs that make up Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA, has been reognised for his accomplishments by a Vincentian family.
Hendrickson, a native of the south Leeward town of Layou on mainland St. Vincent was showered with appreciation for his recent accomplishment, when the Dopwell family, a well-known sporting and cultural family of Layou, presented him with a plaque.
The plaque, a trademark work of local artisan Rowland ‘Scrapie’ Dopwell, is inscribed with the words: “In Appreciation of your accomplishments from the Dopwell Family”.
We caught up with Coach Hendrickson via telephone and he was quick to share that he enjoyed a close relationship with the Dopwells, and expressed his profound appreciation for their show of support.
The 49-year-old Hendrickson comes to the Fire after most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Columbus Crew from 2019-21. He’s also served as an assistant coach with the L.A. Galaxy and Seattle Sounders, while also being the head coach of Sounders 2 in the USL from 2014-18.
In addition to working with the Sounders, Hendrickson served as an assistant coach for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying 2015-18.
As a player, Hendrickson won eight trophies during 12 MLS seasons, including three MLS Cups with three different clubs. He also lifted three Supporters’ Shield trophies, one U.S. Open Cup, and one Concacaf Champions’ Cup.
In his new capacity, he becomes the first Vincentian to serve as a football coach at this level of the sport.