Nelson Kobren

Nelson Kobren (Veterans Service) - Inducted 2006

Nelson was a Washington, DC, native who played tennis and football in high school. He continued playing tennis while on active duty in Germany and earned the title of US Army in Europe tennis champion in 1955. The following year, Nelson and seven others co-founded the D.C. Soccer Referees Association, which later became the Metropolitan Washington Soccer Referees Association. During his 40 years with the MWSRA, he served as Commissioner, Treasurer, President, and Executive Board member. In addition to actively serving as a soccer referee, he was a basketball official and softball umpire. After teaching physical education classes at the University of Maryland at College Park for four years, Nelson taught physical education and driver education at Montgomery Blair High School for 35 years. There he coached successful tennis and soccer teams and served as the Athletic Director. Nelson was inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Directors’ Hall of Fame in 1990. The Nelson Kobren Memorial Gymnasium was dedicated at Montgomery Blair High School in 1998.