Soccer Memories Part II

Today's post is a continuation of this announcement and this article. It is a list of events and opportunities that I remember when I reflect on the last 11 years that the Lord allowed me to be a part of the soccer program at Maranatha. If you think I missed one, feel free to share it in the comment thread.

• Our trip to UW Stout when Coach Carrie locked the keys in a running van.


• Our trip to Benedictine when Coach Jen locked the keys in our van and Kristen pulled the window open just enough for Elise to reach her arm in an unlock it. No one else had arms that were skinny enough.
  
• Our return trip from Lakeland in 1998, when I missed Hwy 26 and took Hwy 23. It was the first of many "missed turns" - usually because I was having a fascinating conversation with one of the players. . .


• Running out of gas on Main St. in Watertown.


• Our trip to Camp Chetek to help with fall clean-up and Monica (our goalkeeper) broke her finger and then broke her leg a week later. . .


• Our trip to Camp Chetek in late September - the men's team had to help to get the docks out of the water. One of the coldest swims that I have ever had.


• Our trip to Finlandia when Eloe played the whole match and missed a point-blank goal.


• Our 7 hour drive, play a match and drive 7 hours back in the same day to play GLCC.


• O'Morrow's flip throw assist to Spencer v Edgewood.


• O'Morrow's own goal on Swifty v CUC.


• Stueb's playing a whole match with a separated shoulder.


• Roby's goal with his left from 35 yds v Marian to cost them the conference championship.


• All of the four-year players.


• The adidas jacket that the 2005 team gave me - still wear it.


• The framed verse (Job 23:10) signed by the 1998 team.
  
• Autumn's height.


• Shasta's goal against Alverno.

More to come. . .

Women's Team Memories Part 1

After the annoucement of my resignation, I will be writing a series of posts that include many events that stick in my mind from the last 11 years. There is no way that I will get them all written down, but I will post as many as I can think off and maybe some of you can add a couple in the comment thread.

• The first pair of team shorts that we bought for the women. The length was fine, but the material did not respond well to washing and drying. If you ever wore a pair, you will never forget them. The next pair were far better soccer shorts, until someone (not me this time) washed them with something red and the white adidas stripes turned pink. We still wore them for another three years.


• Kelly Smith's accidential "rainbow" that led to our first goal ever against Mt. Mary.


• Tsunami's do' rag.


• That game against Concordia University -Wisconsin in 1998. We had only one girl who had played high school soccer on our team - Colleen (Schultz) Keppley. On Saturday, we played CUW in our last regular season match and lost 14-0 (might have been worse, I can't remember). Unfortunately we were matched up against CUW for the first round of the playoffs on the following Monday. We ended up losing 1-0 in the 82nd minute. One of the greatest displays of hustle that I have ever witnessed as a coach. I think I can just about name that entire starting line-up off the top of my head: Jacqui, Kelly, Melissa, Michelle, Jaime, Colleen, Vianne, Andrea, Carrie, Jessica, Angela.


• KJ (Kowalcyk) McCuistion (still not sure if I am spelling her new name correctly). There are a million stories about KJ and I think she continues to add to her stack of unforgettable moments. . . there was that time she fell down and everyone stopped playing, her incessant talk about penguins, her toughness . . . and off course, who could forget that van ride back from Lakeland her freshman year? But I won't embarrass her.


• When the freshman class that included Jen and Sommer beat all the returners plus me during a preseason scrimmage. That's when we knew they were good.


• 2003: We won 13 games and had one of our greatest years ever.


• Fenster and the post.


• Beardslee's goal in OT against MSOE.


• Endless games of "kill the coach". I don't think I ever lost. . . :)


• Lindsey's goal in the 97th minute of Parent's Day in her senior year.


• Mrs. Skrade at Parent's Day.


• Steph (Ujvary) Johnson's 23 goals in 2003.


• Frazee's moves, Gavitt's wit, Sommer's gallop, Julie's temper, Shasta's lack of talent, Melissa's free kicks, Sandy's volunteering.


• Our first soccer camp when only three girls showed up. KJ, Jen and I were the staff - we had the same number of staff as campers.


• Our second soccer camp when six girls attended. I think that 4 out of the 6 ended up enrolling at MBBC.


• Lenny's nickname, Skrade's ankle, Kel Mel and Smel, Susies' durability, Christine's perfection, Lisa's knee.


• Eating at Chi-Chi's after our last game.

More to come. . .

Some News

I have not been looking forward to this post.

You may have seen this article or this one or this announcement or read this post over the past few days. My resignation as head men's and women's soccer coach has been public for some time, but the official announcement was made this week.

When I finished my last season of eligibility as a player at Maranatha in the fall of 1996, I never thought that I would be involved in coaching to any great extent. Little did I know how difficult the following fall would be for me without team involvement. Little did I know that when Coach Morris offered to let me help with the new women's club team in the fall of 1997, that I would find what has been my life's calling for the past 11 years.

I don't know exactly what our future plans hold (do we ever?), but I am confident that God will continue to direct our path. There is potential that God may lead us away from Maranatha, He may even lead us away from Watertown, on the other hand, we might just remain right here for the rest of our lives. I am confident that the college will find a great replacement for me and I look forward to helping them to understand the tradition that is Maranatha soccer.

I want to thank all of the players who have contributed positively to this program and to my experience as a coach. I have enjoyed cultivating relationships with all of you and many of you have earned my respect as godly young people. We have always tried to cultivate an atmosphere of gratitude for the opportunity to play college soccer, an atmosphere oriented toward solutions to challenges and an ethos that encouraged leaders to stand up and act in a positive manner. I been witness to a hundred acts of humility, sacrifice, courage, and thoughtfulness. Another goal was balance. Soccer was not the most important thing in any of our lives, but when you stepped between the lines, the game was on! Today, Maranatha soccer alums are successful in all walks of life, I hope that some of you learned something from your soccer experience that you can apply to real life in ministry, family and vocation.

I possess a thousand memories from the last decade, some of them occupy pictures on my wall, some exist in little notes, some are just memories that resurrect when I hear from former players. Over the next few days, please humor me and allow me to list a few memories off the top of my head. I think that I could fill an entire year's worth of posts if I tried.

If I miss your favorite memory - feel free to add it to the comments on this page.

Plays, Choir, Soccer?

Maranatha women's soccer player, Jennifer Harley just received a feature on the MBBC website. Jenny has been a three year starter on the women's team and a key member of our defense for the last three years.

It isn't mentioned in the article, but Jenny is also one of the toughest and most physical players on the team. Even though I originally thought she was too small for college soccer. . . She never lets me forget that. As you read the article, you realize that Jenny has done a lot more than just play soccer at MBBC.

If you are in the area, stop by and see her in Pygmalian this spring!

Award for Joe Harding

One of my coaching friends and mentors received a much deserved award at the annual NSCAA convention in Baltimore last month. You can read about it here on the NCCAA website, scroll to the bottom of the page. Joe has always done a good job in promoting a balance view of athletics, especially in a Christian context. He has also been a great resource for me as I seek to improve my ability to work with Christian young people through the medium of soccer.

The other reason that makes it easier for me to like Joe is that Maranatha defeated Moody two times this year in men's soccer. . . Of course Maranatha's all-time record against Moody is 7-23. . . but we won't dwell on that. Joe and I are 3-3 against each other over the last four years, but beyond that, he is always willing to respond to an email or take my call and give me his perspective on the challenges of life and soccer.

Congratulations, Joe!