The Flame Reignited: Superb Soccer Influences

As you can tell by my absence here, I have been fully immersed in my work during the second year at North Meck SC. In addition to my previous roles, I now oversee an age group in the Youth Academy. This is a huge honor and responsibility- I am now accountable for the development upwards of 40+ players in our U9 boys pool.

As I continue to dig deeper back in the game that I once thought rejected me, I think it's important to take some time to reflect on how my love for the sport was rekindled. I chose these three influences as the most impactful in my first two years back in the game. They are:

Robert Rosario

Kevin Flanagan

Jeff Bilyk

All three of these accomplished and knowledgeable men have helped resuscitate my career in and commitment to the game of soccer. Without them (and many others not listed) I would probably be selling something I didn't believe in- I would certainly be doing some sort of work with a desire and passion dwarfed by that of my current position.

As I mentioned, these are just three main mentors extremely early on in my (hopefully) very long coaching career. They have been nothing short of instrumental in me finding a home back in the game that taught me so much and played such a major role in my life. I pray that I continue to meet more inspiring professionals further down the line such as these three.

In an attempt to thank and honor their contributions to my own personal development, I choose the written word to express my gratitude and genuine appreciation for not only their shared wisdom and experiences, but also their friendship.

Cheers gentlemen, and here’s to many more great times in the future...

Robert Rosario: The Master Motivator, Mentor & Friend

Simply put, Robert “Bobby” Rosario has lived the dream. Having played for his country, competed in Europe’s top league and boasting an illustrious professional playing career that spans nearly two decades, Rosario’s journey to become one of the game’s elite embodies every youth soccer player’s dream.


His ascent to the game’s top level began as a self-proclaimed “blue collar kid from the streets of London” where he worked up the ranks eventually earning trials with the U-19 and U-21 English national teams in the late 1980’s. Coach Bobby spent 14 years in England’s top flight competing for Norwich City, Coventry City and Nottingham Forest.


Rosario signed for the Canaries around Christmas time in 1983 and made his league debut on April 7th 1984 against Watford where his home side welcomed him to the league with a 6-1 victory. His first goal for Norwich City came just two weeks later in the spring 1981 in a 2-2 draw with Stoke City.


Like many former elite athletes Rosario reflects on his professional career with bittersweet memories and is hesitant to rehash his “glory days.” His humility regarding his playing career is endearing especially when it would be easy to flaunt in a country lacking in soccer tradition.

"I don’t really talk about it too much and because it was in a different era you didn’t have the coverage you do nowadays. With the media now you know everything about everyone. I turned pro in 1983 which was a long time ago. The soccer was still great but it was a different time- a different philosophy, a different mentality.


It’s more of a business now. You can’t get near the players, they’re not accessible. Twenty years ago you could have a drink with a David Beckham in the pub. On the way home from the away games our team would order fish n chips and sit in the pub while we were waiting for our food. If there were fans there we would sit with them! We’re talking about an entire professional team! You would not do that now. Especially eat fish and chips after a game. So it’s just a different time.”


With more than a decades’ worth of memories in the world’s most challenging league, naturally Rosario struggles to pinpoint his favorite moments as a professional player.


“I played 250 games in the Premier League and it’s hard to pick one moment out of the whole time. That winter in 1983 when I signed my professional forms was a big moment. Obviously earning my spot to represent my country at U-19 and U-21 is something I am very proud of particularly because only 20 guys out of 65 million make it.”


His first goal of three in a 4-4 draw against Southampton on September 9th 1989 was voted Goal of the Year and can be seen here:

“Goal of the season was awesome because only one person a year wins it. So that was nice, the bad thing is that they didn’t let you keep the trophy. They didn’t even give you a little replica or nothing!"


The various trophies, honors and awards aren’t what Rosario views as his biggest achievement. As the cliché goes, it’s hard to reach the top, but it’s even harder to stay there.


“For me as a player and person it was an achievement to me to become a professional in England. To survive for 14 years demands serious commitment from anyone. If you know any professional sports person, just to make it is an achievement. Even if you play semi-pro or collegiately you are aware of how difficult it is just to get to that level. It gave me a chance to travel the world and meet some fantastic people and for the road to end up here has been great.”


For any aspiring player, the road to the next level is paved with challenges that often require a player to reinvent his or herself.


“As a youth player, I was one of the best players in the country. I was always successful, but never was asked to captain a team. I was the funny guy on the team, but when I was 28 and with Coventry I was made captain for the first time. Doing the coin toss with Mark Lawrenson of Liverpool who was on the England Team at the time, with mom and dad in the crowd was a huge honor. That was one of the most rewarding and most humbling moments for me to lead my team against Liverpool that day for the first time. I didn’t know I had the skills to be a captain in my personality before and I did. I changed from being the funny guy in the dressing room to being the one my teammates turned to when the tough questions were being asked in the heat of battle."


Rosario continues, "Then leading my team out on the pitch at Old Trafford a few weeks later (we were 5th in the table at the time) and the opposition’s captain was Steve Bruce who happened to be my captain when I was with Norwich. It was surreal to walk out in front of 50,000 screaming fans alongside him.”


Rosario retired from Nottingham Forest and spent 18 months rehabbing injuries that “just couldn’t be fixed.” This ultimately led Rosario to the United States for an opportunity to continue his own development in the game for the Carolina Dynamo and Charleston Battery respectively.

Rosario competing in the 1989 FA Cup Semifinal at Villa Park vs Everton

“I came over here for more advanced rehab and then I got embroiled with the Carolina Dynamo thinking I was going help out with coaching and ended up playing. The reason I was able to play was because they allowed me to train only once a week on the Friday, played the game on the weekends and then rehabbed the rest of the time.”


After the time spent with the Dynamo, joining the Charleston Battery opened up a new angle of the game for Coach Bobby as he got his first taste of coaching.


“(Head Coach) Nuno Piteira asked if I could help him out a bit because he was struggling with the personalities on the team. I hadn’t coached a lick in my life and I kind of took over the team from that point. Next year I got my coaching badges done and absolutely loved it. At times I felt like I was a better coach than player, so I continued and got my A and B licenses in one year.”