Fee Recipient of Community Service Award For Blair County Sports Hall of Fame

The Blair County Sports Hall of Fame will recognize Jim Fee as the Community Service Award winner at its banquet to be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Fee is receiving the award as a result of his 50-year involvement as an ambassador for soccer in Blair County.

Fee’s start in soccer began by playing on the first Altoona Area High School Soccer team in 1967. He played four years on varsity from 1967-70. In the armed forces, he played soccer and began refereeing games while stationed in Germany. He came back home and began coaching and doing soccer clinics for players and coaches in the Altoona Recreation Commission Clinic. Fee also served as a coach, referee, and Commissioner for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). He then became the Altoona High School head soccer coach and produced the first all state player from this area in Steve Johns.

Fee had an excellent relationship with Penn State coaches Walter Barr and Barry Gorman, which led him to begin travel soccer with the Altoona Soccer Club. Fee was also the founder of the Altoona Soccer Club. He became further involved with competitive and travel soccer with the NorCenPenn League, which he started; PA West District out of Pittsburgh; and the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA). He served as District Director to the PA West travel soccer organization for 15 years while growing travel soccer in the county and still coaching and refereeing. This required him to travel to Pittsburgh monthly during these years. He served as president of the Altoona Soccer Club for several decades and went on to earn his United States Youth National C Coaching License, the first one in this area and did countless clinics for coaches and players.

Fee went on to form and coach the Penn State Altoona club soccer team. He also served for 33 years as a PIAA referee and 32 years as a PA West referee. Earlier this year he was recognized for refereeing his 6,000th game. This includes his games with AYSO, Altoona Rec. Commission, PIAA, PA West, indoor soccer, and even games worked for penitentiary soccer. He has worked PIAA State Championship games and PA West State Championship games.

Now in his late 60s, Fee is still active in the Altoona Soccer Club and continues to referee with the PA West and PIAA, even following a hip replacement.

He will be recognized by the hall of fame for his lifetime of love for the beautiful game. His half century as an ambassador for area soccer and the many roles he has played in the growth of Blair County soccer have made him a deserving candidate for this Community Service Award with the Sports Hall of Fame.

Fee’s award will be the first time the hall has recognized anyone from the sport of soccer.