Back in the late 70's, I suggested to the PHARA
Board that we should start a soccer program in Pleasant Hills similar to the one in Peters Township. About a year or two later, in 1978, Allegheny County hired a fellow from England by
the name of Chris Wright to start soccer programs in the county. Chris called PHARA, and PHARA asked me to head up our program, which I began in August of 1978.
Because I was on a leave from my teaching position in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, I had the time to devote to this project. I recruited coaches that had a low-key philosophy focused on teaching rather than
winning.
The first year, we didn't keep score, played on a smaller than regulation field, and with a smaller than regulation ball. Chris Wright held clinics in
our community to teach us the basics of coaching and soccer. We also had clinics to teach us how to be referees. Later we went to school to be
certified and a few of the fellows went on to become full-time refs. The first year we had about 8 to 10 teams with ages ranging from 5 years of age to 11 years old.
Some of the memories that I have from the early years are:
* Lining the fields in the early Saturday morning hours at the Borough Building field and having several older residents of the Pleasant Hills
Apartments coming over to offer to help. Not only did they help, but the next year they took over the whole project of lining the fields.
* Getting free pipe from Hecules Chemical Company to make soccer
goals. We had a low budget the first few years.
* Giving instructions to all the coaches as we were all new to this great sport.
* Being a referee and handing out a yellow card to a parent who was
trying to tell us how to referee ... similar to the way parents try to tell coaches and umpires how to coach and ump baseball.
* The many great friends I made. Phil Reaper was my assistant
commissioner, and he did a tremendous job. When the girls first team was started in 1980, he was the first coach.
* The day the coaches played a soccer game among themselves, and we
really learned how hard the game was to master.
* How the ladies of Pleasant Hills all liked the English accent and the handsome Chris Wright. He eventually became the first general manager
of the Pittsburgh Spirit professional soccer team and married a Pittsburgh girl.
* Taking pictures of the players and making certificates for the players.
* Years later having someone call me to list their home for sale and saying the reason that they called me was because I had coached their child in soccer. (and I thought I didn't get paid for this job)
* Hearing that Thomas Jefferson won a soccer championship and those high school kids were in the first soccer program.
There are probably many more things that I have forgotten, but I hope this
gives you an idea of the beginning history of Pleasant Hills Soccer.
Back in the late 70's, I suggested to the PHARA
Board that we should start a soccer program in Pleasant Hills similar to the one in Peters Township. About a year or two later, in 1978, Allegheny County hired a fellow from England by
the name of Chris Wright to start soccer programs in the county. Chris called PHARA, and PHARA asked me to head up our program, which I began in August of 1978.