How long have you been with the club?
22 years with the club and I had four children go through
the program. I got involved with the
club in 1996, we moved from Virginia, my oldest son Mike who was 9 years old
then, was playing soccer and continued to play through the age of 24 with the
Bolingbrook soccer club, even in the adult league, which I either was the coach
or assisted. At the time there was only
3 boys travel teams and the 4th team was being formed which was a U9
team which he joined that same season. We
signed him up originally for the Rec program in 1996 and the board recruited me
to be a coach. My daughter Deanna who
was 7 at the time started playing on a team and I coached her rec team as well,
she too eventually played travel off and on until she was 17. In 2001, I was fortunate to start the clubs
first ever U8 boys team with my third child Matt, where we were a top team in NISL
for a few years. I was able to coach
him for 6 years. Matt was also in the
very first little kickers program in the club on Friday nights. Then came my youngest daughter (Lexi). I coached her U8 girls’ team in 2004, all the
way through the age of 18. We were able
to enjoy being one of the top five teams in the state and a seven time consecutive
BSC Labor day tournament winner, typically playing a year up.
The club for our family started in Indian boundaries all the
way until 2002, when the Lily Cache East fields where built and we moved to the
wonderful new location that had lights on the fields. Back then, we practiced in open fields like
Ballstrode Park and turned car lights on to get extra playing time in. In Indian Boundaries, parents use to help
drag out and set up the goal posts for the fields weekly. In doing this, we got to work with the board
members closely and this is how I was introduced to the board and in 2002, they
asked me to help as an assistant tournament director for our Labor Day soccer
tournament, which I was able to help until 2010. In 2006, I became tournament director all the
way to 2010. In 2008, we were the pilot
program for a group called “gotsoccer.com” and in 2016 I was again nominated to
the board as a tournament director. We
also started GK camps in 2007 at the club. Which was important as this was the first time
for our clubs goalies to get formal training as a group. In 2012 a couple of parents to help coach
their girls’ team, which was U08 at the time, approached me and now we are
playing at the U12 level. I love the sport,
the kid’s smiles, the excitement of the wins and losses, but mostly the
wonderful families and people. You do
not get this atmosphere in other clubs it is all about the business in those
clubs in my opinion.
What was your
impression of the club before you joined, and you became a board member?
When we moved we just wanted to enroll my son in soccer and
we found out from the Park district that the BSC soccer is a club that we can
enroll our son. My thoughts were that it
was a small-town club and originally was looking at the Galaxy soccer
club. Being from Virginia and Germany,
where I played in bigger clubs I was skeptical of this club. However, because they had the same beliefs in
soccer as I did, which was; it should be a fun family atmosphere, with good
friendships and not just about money, we decided to try it. The people were very friendly in the club; hence,
I got involved and have been for the past 22 years.
What vision do you
have for the club?
I would like to see Raiders climb to become the top club in
the state with its parent volunteer program.
I have seen so many clubs bought by others and/or disappear by going
away from the parent volunteer beliefs.
We are truly one of very few clubs that allow players to play for their
parents and are one of a kind in the Chicagoland soccer family.
What wishes do you
want to see come true for the club?
I would like to see a more rounded program to help improve
the view of our team talents and have the respect our club deserves from other
clubs. To continue to provide a place
where families that cannot afford to pay huge fees can still have a place for
the child to play and compete at top levels with their friends.
Fun Memories to share?
The most fun for me is when I see kids that I have coached
in the past, now are coaches as well; this gives me a great deal of pleasure to
see that we had an impact on these kids.
Along with all the great relationships, we have had, with all the
families that have come through the program.
It has been a great place for my family, our friends, and me. I truly have enjoyed and continue to enjoy
the Club.