Springfield College Alumnus at the Center of the World Cup with U.S. Soccer
Springfield College alumnus Sam Zapatka '13 is in the middle of his second World Cup experience as the team manager for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
By: Damon Markiewicz
Springfield College alumnus Sam Zapatka '13 has spent the last 11 years of his career dedicated to the U.S. Soccer Federation, and he is in the middle of his second World Cup experience as the team manager for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
The 2026 World Cup officially begins on June 11, but for Zapatka, the preparations for this year’s event started a long time ago. All of the planning is about to come to fruition as the games inch closer to beginning.
“I handle all of the logistics for the hotel contracting for the places the team will stay, planning out the training grounds where the team will train and practice, handle all of the charter flights and travel plans, oversee all of the player and coaches’ requests. It’s a lot of planning and organizing,” explained Zapatka. “I was fortunate to be in this role for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and be a part of the Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France. This year, the logistics are very different with the United States being a host with Canada and Mexico.”
For Zapatka, even when the group stage matches start for the United States on June 12, the planning and organizing never stop, and it only continues as the game results get finalized during the tournament.
“To start the tournament, the three group stage matches will be on the West Coast. We are in Los Angeles starting on June 12, in Seattle June 19, and back in L.A. on June 25,” explained Zapatka. “Now, what happens after the group stage, that is where things get interesting. There are multiple scenarios we have to prepare for. Depending on where the team finishes after the three games in the group stage, we have each scenario all planned out, and each scenario consists of different travel plans. All of the potential cities we might stay in, myself and our staff have toured the hotels and training sites ahead of time. It’s a lot of prep work, but you have to visit every potential site to make sure the team is in the best possible environment to succeed.”
On May 26, the U.S. team gathered in New York City for a roster-reveal celebration, which marked another checkpoint in starting their World Cup journey. Following their trip to New York, Zapatka and the team headed to Atlanta, Ga. to train at their brand-new Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center. As the home to all of U.S. Soccer’s 27 national teams, the National Training Center creates a player-first environment built for performance, accessibility, and long-term development.
“It’s exciting times for U.S. Soccer as the new training center in Atlanta just recently opened,” explained Zapatka. “It will be a great atmosphere training in Atlanta before our pre-tournament game against Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte, N.C. By June 4, we will transition to Chicago, Ill., and prepare for a second pre-tournament game against Germany on June 6 at Soldier Field. After that, we head to California to start the World Cup.”
For Zapatka, all of the hard work it takes to have a successful World Cup comes naturally because he is someone who always knew that he wanted to work in sports. Zapatka grew up in Thailand, and while attending the International School of Bangkok, it was actually a proud Springfield College graduate who recommended Zapatka to check out Springfield College.
“The athletic director at the International School of Bangkok, Bob Connor '75, came up to me and said I needed to consider Springfield College,” explained Zapatka. “My two older brothers were living in the New York area, and I wanted to be a little bit closer to them. I started looking up Springfield College, and I could tell right away it was for me, and I wanted to enroll in the Sport Management program. I played volleyball in high school and when I was applying, I remember I had to include in the application a memorable leadership moment. As part of my high school volleyball experience at the International School of Bangkok, we beat the Singapore America School, and as the captain of the team, I used this experience as my leadership moment. I ended up getting accepted as part of the early decision process, and I was on my way to Springfield College.”
Once enrolled at the College, Zapatka was able to take advantage of opportunities both in Athletics, and also in his chosen major. Shortly after his arrival, Zapatka met Springfield College Men’s Volleyball Head Coach Charlie Sullivan '91, G'97, and earned his way to be a part of Sullivan’s coaching staff for two years. This experience allowed Zapatka to travel with the team to the World University Games in Kazan, Russia in 2013. He also interned with BlazeSports America, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to change the lives of children and veterans with physical disabilities through adaptive sports, which motivated him to become a Certified Disability Sports Specialist.
“As a result of a conversation I had with Professor Bob Accorsi, G'80, he recommended me to do an internship with the Paralympics in Atlanta,” explained Zapatka. “Accorsi’s experience with the Paralympics, and listening to how hands-on it was and how impactful it was, that really inspired me to join the Paralympic experience. The internship eventually led to a full-time job, and through that experience, I made contact with the individual who would become the head coach for the Paralympic soccer team. These experiences helped me land a job with the U.S. Soccer Federation in 2015.”
Since that time, hard work, dedication, and earning new opportunities with U.S. Soccer have been at the center of Zapatka’s experiences.
“I always knew I wanted to work in sports and work internationally,” explained Zapatka. “I connected with Stuart Sharp, who has been the head coach of the U.S. Men’s Paralympic National Team since 2014. He helped me get an interview with U.S. Soccer, and I started in a part-time equipment manager role. I worked with the Paralympic team and also all of the youth national teams. I grinded it out and climbed that ladder. Eventually, I ended up with a full-time position as a youth national team administrator.”
Zapatka would next move from Los Angeles to the U.S. Soccer offices in Chicago, where he would transition from the sporting side of U.S. Soccer to the commercial side. He would serve as stadium operations manager for all domestic U.S. Soccer men’s and women’s national team games. It was this experience over the next two years that led to another door opening in his career.
“I remember being in the office and the Men’s National Head Coach Gregg Berhalter called me into his office,” explained Zapatka. “I had worked with him when planning the men’s games in my stadium operations role. He asked me if I was interested in being his team manager, and I couldn’t say yes fast enough.”
Starting in January 2020, Zapatka nestled into his new role for the Men’s National Team, and since that time, it has provided six years of great experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
“When we qualified for the World Cup in 2022, we were coming out of COVID and the way we had to adjust the entire qualifying schedule, it just provided a very special feeling for the team,” expressed Zapatka. “That journey to get to that moment and persevere above the challenges, it felt so rewarding.”
The 2022 World Cup run in Qatar was highlighted by the United States’ victory over Iran, which secured a second-place finish in the group stage and earned a trip to the Round of 16.
“When we beat Iran in the group stage in 2022, and when we got back to the Kempinski Hotel, the staff of the hotel was there lining the lobby to greet us as we got off the bus,” explained Zapatka. “It was such a special moment because we spent 40 days at the hotel, and developed such close relationships with the staff there. It’s moments like that when you realize how much the World Cup brings people together and people are unified through the sport of soccer.”
As the 2026 World Cup begins, Zapatka will once again cherish the life he is living, and he will appreciate the people who have been a part of such a successful career path. Family, friends, his wife and newborn baby, colleagues, and the Springfield College community will always play a special role in Zapatka’s life.
“When that American national anthem hits, it’s an unreal feeling,” explained Zapatka. “I love U.S. soccer, and I have been able to meet so many special people from all over the world. I wouldn’t be experiencing these U.S. Soccer moments without my educational experiences at Springfield College. What really stands out the most about my time at SC are the strong relationships I was able to build. Being able to have such memorable connections with Coach Sullivan and the men’s volleyball team. I had the best professors in the world in Professor Accorsi, Kevin McAllister, and Ken Wall, G’73, DPE’75, to name a few. They knew everyone’s name, and you could tell the culture at Springfield College is one where faculty really get invested in their students’ experiences, and they give everything they have to make sure the students are successful. I am so grateful to have experienced a Springfield College education.”
