Comments on: A Discussion with Roy Messer, Earlham College Soccer Coach of 27 Years

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:12:59 +0000

I too attended Earlham and played soccer there. I was a walk on kid early in Messer’s career. I was a blast of a player, I didn’t fit any mold. And had no business there, but Roy took me in and gave me my shot. I loved every minute of it, starting one varsity game for Roy. And countless other level games for the team.

I came from a high school system in northeastern Ohio where soccer was the sissy sport and wasn’t offered. Probably not offered there for another decade plus … because it might take away too many atheletes from Football or Baseball.

I had played pick up community soccer (20 miles from home) for a whopping four years before joining Earlham soccer. Where I learned some intricacies from an Englishman and his sons like the touch of winning a 50 50 ball when two pairs of right feet get to the ball at the very same moment.

My favorite moment was scoring the ninth goal of a 5-4 win for the JV win over alums on a breakaway chance against the then recently former All Indiana Keeper. Great pass to me inside the box. Head down. Ball on the ground. Keeper fully extended towards my shot, but his finger tips not quite that low yet. Woooo Hoooo. Goooaaall! The first 22.5 minutes of that game I played keeper and kept a clean sheet. Then traded those duties in turn to each of the other three keepers available. Finally, late in the game talked the coach into letting me and another defender back on the field as fowards, where he stole the ball at the half line. After he did the hard work of beating one guy at the start, we broke down field together. He passed it square to me just inside the box where I put it home for glory.

Soccer still burns joy in my soul and I don’t doubt a fun run or two did help me appreciate game day all the more. Have fun finding those tennis balls boys. We sure did.

By the way, my napkin award my freshman year was … General Patton. There wasn’t an obstacle on the field that I was unwilling to go through to get to the ball. Legally through mind you.

By: StephenLK

StephenLK — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:56:12 +0000

Just an introduction. Glad to be here, I’m new. Saying hi to all you all.

SLK

By: Schuyler

Schuyler — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 21:19:51 +0000

I also went to Earlham and was an active member of the “Quaker Army”, the supporters club for the FC. I am glad to see they now have proper scarves to support with and thought I’d also mention that we called the field the “Quaker Dome”.

By: BC

BC — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 19:50:14 +0000

Hats of to you for discussing true student-athletes! I played football (pointy, not round) at Wabash College. Since I studied overseas in Scotland during that time, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for soccer to the point that it is now my favorite sport.

You bring up an interesting point for discussion. Does the collegiate athletic system in the US hurt our soccer development? Would we be better off sending our young players to soccer academies in Europe where they could devote their formative years to the sport? Should we develop such academies here?

It would be difficult to change the college sports dynamic to such a degree, I think. However, that very dynamic may be one reason why we lack behind the European and South American countries in terms of national team success.

By: Barcelona Apartments

Barcelona Apartments — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:26:30 +0000

I’m writing this from Barcelona.
I’ve been to US twice, but I didn’t see any soccer thing there in the street.
Always baseball and NFL.
After reading this, now I’d like to watch some soccer game in US to see how is the “team sprit” in the country that always the individualism is destacated.