"We went over to talk to someone, and found out that the team didn't even have a coach," said Angelos, who has taught Youth League soccer for the past 31 years. "I had played a little intramural soccer when I was younger, and right away they offered me the coaching position and the chance to let my son play."
Angelos agreed, starting a career that would expand to triple A state teams, a University of Utah club team, a place on the board for the South Davis Soccer Association, and countless youth teams at pretty much every level of the game. Both sons earned state rings in soccer, with one going on to play for the U.S. National Team.
Though Angelos admits that he initially "probably knew more about football than soccer," over the years he's picked up an entire arsenal of soccer-coaching knowledge that he continues to expand throughout each team and season.
"Coaches want to know it all about their sport, but they never get to because there's always something new to learn that week" said Angelos. "I feel for new coaches especially, because soccer is such a highly academic game."
The combination is quite literal in the world of high school soccer, which Angelos was first asked to join as a boys coach in 1982. From the beginning, he used their time on the field as a learning process.
"You have to make the kids understand why (there's a) need to do certain things, like move as a unit," he said. "Once you get it into their heads, it's kind of neat to see it happen.
"I'm not a screamer coach, but I'm disciplined. If a player lets a ball go through his or her legs, we need to fix that."
Girls soccer entered Angelos's life only a few years ago, after he was asked to help with Woods Cross High's program. Though he quickly grew to love both of his teams, the addition has been an educational process all on its own.
"Girls sometimes listen better, and they definitely tend to be more patient," said Angelos. "They can sit back a little bit and be willing to learn the proper way to do something before applying it. With the boys I sometimes have to show them something three times before they can pick up on it."
"Girls are also more willing to ask questions. Boys are sometimes afraid they'll get pushed down if they ask."
There is, of course, challenges as well.
"One of the hardest things with girls is that you have to watch emotions a bit more," said Angelos. He added with a laugh, "Boys just get mean."
Despite how much he enjoys spending time with his players Angelos admits that he's looking to retire in the next four or five years, probably to go on an LDS mission with his wife. Even when he does, however, that won't be the end of his involvement in his players' lives.
"I get mission and graduation announcements and wedding invitations all the time," said Angelos, who just recently attended the wedding of one of the young men he's coached for years. "It's been really nice to watch the kids all grow into adulthood and see what they've done."
jwardell@davisclipper.com
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