Dushawne Simpson

Being recognized as an All-State performer in each of the 3 sports he competed in, it might be suggested that the summer school break was the only thing that prevented Dushawne Simpson from adding more to his impressive resume at Avon High School.

Like many of his Hall of Fame classmates, Dushawne invested his talent in each season. Fall provided him the time to pursue his passion for soccer, with his senior season especially notable. Dushawne scored 19 goals that season, earning him All-State recognition. When the leaves fell, his focus moved indoors and onto the basketball court. In his final season, he was again recognized as an All-State performer averaging 19ppg while the team found enough success to advance to the State Tournament quarterfinals. During the spring, Dushawne spent his time on the track and in doing so, became a 2-time State Champion in the 200m and 400m races while placing second in the high jump. Dushawne still shares the school record in the 100m (11.04 seconds), and in 1991 he set the mark in the high jump (6-4), a record only eclipsed once since clearing that lofty height. Additionally, his 400m time of (49.2 seconds) is the second fastest in AHS history.

Dushawne continued his soccer career at Southern Connecticut State University, where he led the team— and the entire conference—in scoring as a Freshman, resulting in him receiving All-Conference and Freshman of the year awards from the league. Choosing to move to Salem State after his first year, he went on to earn All-Conference recognition multiple times and earned the opportunity to play professionally after completing college. He enjoyed multiple stints in the USL that kept him playing in New England, and his talents also took him overseas where he had the chance to play professional soccer in Italy.

Given all of the opportunities athletics have presented him with, it should be no surprise that he has continued to find ways to compete and help others achieve their goals. Dushawne translated his collection of experiences that started as a Falcon, becoming a soccer coach for both men and women. He worked for years as a coach at Pingree while also coaching other notable programs including the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Professional League, Aztec Soccer for both the men and women, and with his alma mater where he was an assistant with the Salem State Men’s Soccer program.