2007 Men's Soccer Summary

Before the season began, I thought that the men's team might be in for a rough season. We had lost some key players and I was not sure how the recruiting class would work in to our system. There were two factors that I did not consider:

a) The outstanding contribution from our transfers
b) How well this group of young men would learn to work together

We always talk about the strength of team play, but this season the men allowed me to experience it firsthand. I will always be grateful for what the players demonstrated to me. There is no way that our team could be considered “talented”. We have some talented players, but most of the men simply worked hard and played their roles. By the end of the season, I felt like we could match up with anyone and have a reasonable shot at a win. Our leadership was consistent, other key players consistently followed that leadership and everyone tried to help their teammate succeed. At times, the coaching staff felt as if we could throw anyone into the line-up and they would play great.

Offensive MVP: Brett Hollenbeck
Defensive MVP: Bryan Oliver
Most Improved: Everett Callan
Leadership: Timothy Reinert
Jamie O’Dell: Daniel Kaminski

Daniel Kaminski finishes his career 3rd in saves in a single season with 161, 4th in saves per game over a career with 7.77, 2nd all-time in career saves with 397, and 2nd all-time in goalkeeper minutes with 4,562.

These men played in every match:
Kaminski, Riffel, Oliver, Hollenbeck, Board, Reinert, Esgar, Huber

These men started every match:
Kaminski, Riffel, Oliver, Hollenbeck, Board, Reinert

Our four year players are Andrew Swift. Swifty was unable to continue his playing career after 2005, but became a part of our staff and filled a valuable role as our goalkeeper coach. Aaron Hale’s career had some stops and starts, but he eventually worked his way into a strong role on our team. I often wonder if we had had one more player during that last weekend in October. . .

Tim Reinert is a young man whose college career was almost cut short by an ACL tear. Tim showed great determination and discipline in his rehab and returned at full strength by the following season and even played during out trip to Germany, six months after his surgery. Tim as always led by example on the field. He leaves big "boots" to fill.

Daniel Kaminski's work ethic made him one of the greatest goalkeepers in MBBC history. He did not arrive at college with great technique, but he constently drilled himself into a smart soccer player. Many of his saves were nothing short of amazing. No one who was at the game will forget his 23 saves against NBBC in September. . . The most remarkable thing about Dan is his walk with God. His teammates and coach are better men for having played with him.

A Coach to Learn From

John Gagliardi is a football (American style) coach who I have been following for years because of his success and unique style. He coaches at NCAA III St. Johns in Minnesota and his practices are characterized by no-contact, no wearing pads, no compulsory lifting, no bed checks, no curfews and no addressing him as "coach".

I don't endorse all of his techniques, and as far as I can tell, he is not a believer and so does not included biblical discipleship as one of his goals for his student-athletes. However, I did find some parts of the article to be instructive for those who desire to coach. Here are some excerpts:

“He has shown there are many different ways to have success. He’s
innovative, constantly changing to meet the talent of his team,” Stock said.
“His style has worked, his philosphy has worked. He’s proven there are many
different ways to win football games."

Gagliardi says,

“You’ve got to have good players. I coach a lot better with good players,”he
said. “They’re the ones out there doing the job. We’re very good at
graduating people and every year we graduate irreplaceable players. But
fortunately for me, more irreplaceable players show up every year.”

His athletic director states:

“The one key thing that I have observed in him through the years is his
commitment to do the things that he believes are best for the student-athletes,”
Teaff said. “He’s a humble person, he is unassuming. The ‘big time’ for him is
not as important as the time he spends with the players.”

That coaching philosophy fits well within Division III, which strives
to highlight athletics as part of the overall college experience and as an
activity more for the development of the participants than for the entertainment
of onlookers.

This is how I feel, except for the part about bishops. . .

Gagliardi said being a part of Division III has been a rewarding aspect of his career. Many of his former student-athletes have gone on to be surgeons and
bishops and lawyers and create lives of great accomplishment. “(In Division III), you’ve got real, bona fide student-athletes who can’t get in (to the school) or stay in unless they are really good students. They are good guys from
great families,” he said. “I’ve seen guys become college presidents, go into
every field you can think of. It’s amazing what they can do. It’s hard to
believe they go on to do so many different things, and I’m still at the same
job.”

You can read the entire article here. - C

JBoe's Team Advances

One of the objectives of the Maranatha Soccer program is to produce young men and women who can coach soccer and disciple young people at the same time. Whenever possible, we like to highlight alumni who have moved on to the coaching ranks and who are coaching with an eternal mindset.

I did not coach Jason Boe. I was his teammate for a time - you might remember him from the Top 11 Men post from a year or so ago. For several years now, Jason has been the head men's soccer coach in Minooka, IL. Here is a news article about how his team is advancing through the playoffs. It is a good story and we wish Jason and his team all the best. In the article, Jason has an opportunity to reference his faith in Christ in a public way. I am certain that even though Jason is coaching soccer in a secular setting, his players know for Whom he lives:

"This is business for us," Minooka coach Jason Boe said. "We're not surprised by this win. Even though we upset Bloom, it's not a surprise to us. Because we know what type of players we have on our team, the leadership that we have, the ability that God's given us. And it's not a surprise. We're basically telling the world, 'We're here. Welcome to our world.' "

Here is the thing: Jason would not have the opportunity to coach and mentor and disciple in a public school if he did not possess athletic talent and training. The doors of ministry for someone who knows their sport and walks with God are wide open right now.

There are three young men and two young ladies who will be graduating from our soccer program this season. All of them love God and know the game of soccer. Furthermore, a person who can survive the rigors of 4 or 5 years at MBBC, can survive almost anything. Their character has been proven. If you are looking to hire someone for your business or ministry in the coming year, you must consider Daniel Kaminski, Tim Reinert, Andrew Swift, Kristen Kowalcyk or Shasta Miklowski. I can't promise that you will compete for a state title like JBoe, but you will never question their faithfulness or competence.

I'm just trying to get a couple of them to stick around and be my assistants next year. . . -C

Freshmen

Those of you who have been through the soccer program here at MBBC know that I tend to ignore freshmen - at least it seems that way to players in their first year. It isn't a conscious decision on my part that is just how things happen to play out. We like freshmen, we couldn't have a soccer program without freshmen - it's just that they are meant to be seen and not heard. :) Honestly, most freshmen don't know enough about college soccer to offer any suggestions that are worth while. Mostly, they just try to tell me how their high school coach did things. Another part of the reason that this happens is that I want to gauge a player's level of committment to the program before I invest a great deal of trust in him. The Maranatha Soccer program is run for the benefit of the player who is committed over the long haul. The player who has proven his committment - not the flash in the pan freshmen who has one fantastic year and no one ever hears from him again.

However, by the time a player is a junior, he and I are typically very good friends. Sometimes I even consult seniors about tactical decisions. They have been through the wars, they know what is going on. Furthermore, I want each of them to become a coach someday and it is a good opportunity for them to begin to exercise their abilities.

I believe that God rewards faithfulness and I hope that Maranatha Soccer helps to instill this virtue.-C

Recruiting

This was a great class of recruits:I get a lot of questions this time of year that go along the lines of "How's recruiting?" The questions come from alumni, administrators at the college, friends, family, current players and even parents of players. The answer is always a little difficult to pin down for many reasons. I haven't seen all of the new recruits play. I've seen some play at camp, on film or in person, but I don't know how well they will do at the college level. Sometimes recruits who have applied and been accepted, change their mind at the last moment. Sometimes strong recruits who I believed were going to attend elsewhere, change their mind at the last moment and come to Maranatha. I have had players whose credentials look awesome on paper and then they show up and are a bust. Every year we see players who were completely discounted by me and they end up playing a central role in our season. The bottom line is that I don't really know until I see the "whites of their eyes". I always pray that God will bring the right student-athletes to this school.

That said, I love to recruit. I love to get to know a new players and discuss the pros and cons of attending Maranatha and playing soccer. I believe in this school and I love to "sell" it to prospective players and their parents. Maranatha is not for everyone - obviously - but for students and parents who share our values, it can be a tool to mold you into an outstanding individual who places a high priority on the local church and strives for excellence in his profession.

Understand, the process of "molding" is not always pretty and it is not always a good time, but it is always worth it. As we talked in one of my recent coaching soccer classes: success is fun. I believe that learning to do something well provides satisfaction. We live in a culture that promotes passive entertainment. "Fun" that does not require participation. I believe that this type of "fun" is empty and hollow. Kind of like eating a jelly-filled donut: I love it while I am biting into it, but I always regret it later. I appreciate and admire individuals who get up and participate in life. They are the ones who find joy. I don't want tickets for the 50 yard line - I came to play! A favorite saying of mine (actually I probably got it from my dad...) is "What doesn't kill you, will make you stronger" - and I believe it. Maranatha is not always fun - it's college. However, with the right attitude, you can have the time of your life.-C

Is Soccer the Greatest Sport Ever?

I enjoy almost every sport out there. I happen to coach soccer and I love the game. However, when I was younger, I was a baseball fanatic. I am certain that I would have played football if I had gone to a high school that offered it. I played a great deal of basketball as well as coached it for several years. Interestingly enough, probably the sport in which I had the most natural ability was hockey. I am certainly not one of those who make the claim that soccer is the greatest game ever invented and if you don't like it, there is something wrong with you.

As far as Maranatha goes, I try to encourage our players to root for every team on this campus. I have even spent time recruiting for some of the other teams from time to time. We have had several successful multi-sport athletes over the years here at MBBC. Once in a while, an athlete will chose to focus on one sport over the other. This can be a tough situation for the sport that is left out, but it is a test of a coach's ability to respond to exhibit a godly response to a disappointment - and a chance to disciple the athletes who have lost a teammate.

I firmly believe that athletics can help to mold positive habits and characteristics in athletes. I may share some specific examples in some future posts. Can any readers relate a situation in athletics that taught you a life lesson that benefits you today? We would love to hear it - feel free to do so anonymously if you would like. - C