LAMGA By David Kubissa Golf was not Al Miller’s main sport. Well, not at first. No, it was soccer. Big time. The 89-year-old LAMGA member spent the better part of four decades as a college player, collegiate coach and professional coach and general manager of soccer teams all over the U.S and Canada. He built a reputation throughout soccer circles that earned him inductions into six halls of fame, the most recent coming in January at the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame in Philadelphia. These days, if you don’t spot Al on Lake Ashton’s golf courses, he’s possibly putting the finishing touches on a book. Here is more about Al in his own words. How did you get interested in soccer? I was introduced to soccer at recess when I was 9 years old. My father gave me a ball for Christmas when I was in sixth grade, and we had games in my backyard. The first real game I played in was as a high school junior. You coached two New York college teams early in your career. How did that prepare you for the pro ranks? It gave me 12 years of experience in highlevel competition and excellent exposure. It also enhanced my skills as a coach and manager of a nationally ranked program. How does soccer today in the U.S. compare with when you played and coached? The two biggest changes from my time in the game are the addition of soccer-specific stadiums and 40 years of growing and exposure to the American public. The soccer landscape today has better training facilities, larger staffs, and big money. You also got involved in coaching college golf. How did that come about? My first college coaching offer was baseball at Albright College in Reading, Pa. I had an impressive baseball career in high school and college and always thought I would coach collegiately in baseball and soccer. But the coach I was to replace came back to Albright before the season started, and I was given a golf coaching position. I knew very little about golf, but with help from a local pro, I learned to concentrate on shortgame practice and course management. We had a great season, and I learned how to play golf. At the pro soccer level, I got invited to golf in a lot of celebrity tournaments and events. What were your core messages to the athletes you coached and managed? 1. I made them better physically and mentally by giving them a pathway to success. 2. I convinced them they had to sacrifice and dedicate themselves to be winners/champions, and I guided them in the process. 3. I taught them how to function as a team. The process of incrementally improving every practice and game was a new experience for many of them. You’re working on a book. What is it about? It will be my second book and will chronicle my life and experiences in soccer as a player, coach and general manager/president. The plan is to have it on the market prior to the soccer World Cup this summer. The title will be “My Search For Greatness.” Sponsor salute: Thanks to these businesses and individuals for supporting LAMGA this year: AD Baynard Plumbing, AIS Shower Doors, Inc., All Star Grill, Ann & Todd McCarthy, Azul Tequila, Bargain Carts, Bob Dupuis & Ed Miller. Pictured: Al Miller’s office wall and awards tell the story of his years coaching college, Olympic and pro soccer. The large photos are of his professional teams in Philadelphia and Dallas. That is the U.S. Olympic team upper right.
43 Publizr Home