WE ARE THE KICKERS! The Milwaukee Kickers Story Chapter 1: “Realizing a Dream” The Wisconsin Soccer Association began a youth soccer program in 1962 with the Milwaukee County Parks & Recreation Department, which, by 1968, had become the third largest participation sport in the park system. In 1970, it moved up to second largest. Because the league program was basically ethnic-oriented, it became evident in 1968 to several people deeply involved in Milwaukee area soccer clubs that a new club needed to be formed to accommodate the growing number of American kids enjoying the game. Recognizing the lack of opportunity for the American player in an almost totally ethnic controlled sport, the 12 initiators wanted to develop the sport in a unique way to become a “traditional American” sport: to give everyone a place and a chance to play, boys and girls alike; to provide good coaching and stable administration; and, most importantly, to develop FAMILY INVOLVEMENT, which, in turn, would provide a strong volunteer base from which to operate the club. After much soul searching, these people left their respective clubs and founded the Milwaukee Kickers in November, 1968. Using the slogan, “American Soccer is Our Goal”, and choosing red and gray as club colors, the twelve Founders were: Carol and Lorenzo Draghicchio, Lew and Louise Dray, Dorothy and Frank Kral, Aleks and Helga Nikolic, Irene and Milan Nikolic, Elfriede and Sirous Samy . The fledgling club operated literally on a shoestring, relying almost entirely on car washes, rummage sales, newspaper drives and merchandise sales to finance the operation. The first adult squads competed in January, 1969, in the Indoor Season of the WSA at the Milwaukee Auditorium. Seven teams (five youth and two adult) were fielded in the 1969 outdoor season: PeeWee (U10), Bantam (U12), Midget (U14), Intermediate(U16) and Junior (U18); two First Division adult teams. The teams exceeded all expectations – and the club timetable – by garnering two championships and one tournament Cup. One Senior team, with a record of 14-0-2, was promoted from the minor First Division to the Major Division of the Wisconsin State League. The PeeWees (U10) won the State League crown with an 8-2-0 record, while the Midgets (U12) won the annual Leo Gabrich Memorial Cup. Success had come quickly, and the teams on the field had caught the club administration four to five years ahead of its timetable, both financially and administratively. An all-out effort was mounted to solidify the newly gained position of the club. Chapter 2: “1970’s - Bigger and Better” America, coming off of the chaotic events of the 60’s, enhanced its awareness politically, historically, environmentally and culturally. Increased immigration, “All the President’s Men”, the women’s movement, affirmative action, “Earth Day”, pop art, Fleetwood Mac, “The Godfather”, “All in the Family”, and sports on TV—these were representative of the “household terms” which combined to make this decade poised to create and expand into new areas. And so it was with the expansion explosion of the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club in its first full decade. It seemed that the Kickers philosophy, mission and structure appealed to the public in the Milwaukee area with a resounding upsurge in membership and teams fielded. The Club had to respond to the ever-growing demand with a well thought out plan for expansion on a proactive rather than reactive level. Financial support, “Kicnic”, Kickers’ Awards Banquets, girls’/women’s soccer, sports medicine emphasis, grievance/complaint procedures, complex scheduling issues, soccer as a cohesive force in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park Community Assn., Kickers Soccer Camps, environmental experiment with Kickers Sports Center: these were the issues that drove expansion in the 70’s. The first task was to design an efficient administration base as well as to apply for and receive status as a not-for-profit Wisconsin Foundation (June, 1970). Second, the Club provided soccer training to area youth, assisted in establishing high school varsity teams in the Milwaukee area, and lead players toward scholarships in colleges. The Kickers chose to make soccer the No. 1 sport in the Milwaukee recreation field. On this foundation, the first full decade, the 1970’s, made inroads in all areas of soccer and the sports community, and the achievements reflected those efforts: • Grew from 7 to over 280 teams by 1979 • Created an income-producing venture, “Kickers Foosball of Wisconsin” in 1972 • Licensed USSF coaches; effective administration • Presented scholarships to UW-M • Involved in development of Milwaukee Public Schools High School League and programs, as well as Whitefish Bay and Wauwatosa High School varsity teams • Helped develop the Milwaukee County Women’s League in 1976; Kicker Women won the League championship in 1978 • Formed Milwaukee County Old-Timers’ League • Travelled internationally (to England) in 1974: Detoro Kickers youth team • Increased popularity of family activities: by 1977, our annual Awards Banquet grew to 11 banquets (in different regions) to handle the approximately 1,800 players and their families. The annual Kicnic had to move to Uihlein Polo Field to accommodate the games, skill projects and food and refreshments offered. • KICKS, the monthly news magazine and “lifeline” with the Kickers membership, earned the record of “oldest continuing soccer publication” in the United States by the end of the 70’s • Organized the first youth girls’ league in the state • Organized the first boys’ “Squirt” (U8) teams; Kickers ran the league • Established own Kickers’ youth indoor program • Operated first Summer Soccer Day Camp program for youth in the state in 1976; 417 participants by 1978; 11 locations hosting 534 participants in 1979. • Organized the first club-only, continuing program clinics for players, coaches and club officials • Established in 1977 own Kicker PeeWee and Bantam Leagues to complement the Squirt League • Established its own staff of referees from junior and senior club personnel to whistle games in the three Kickers leagues, plus the youth girls league • Changed its corporate name to reflect the growth in the four county metropolitan area to make it Metropolitan Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club • Established regional subsidiaries to more efficiently handle administration, scheduling and transportation problems • Utilized the land for the “Kickers Sports Center” complex on N. 124th & W. Brown Deer Rd. as a partner with Waste Management in 1978, as an experiment in the recreational use of landfill. Through the efforts of countless volunteers and the vision and leadership of those who took on the challenges of guiding this first major expansion, the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club adjusted and honed the structure and opportunities that a major sports organization must provide…an on-going process in an exciting, ever changing venture! Chapter 3: “And the ‘Kick’ Goes on…/ New Horizons and Reinforcing Progress” By 1982, the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club was firmly entrenched in the metro area sports scene, and a dominating force in Wisconsin soccer. The Club was comprised of seven “Areas”: Senior Division; Girls; North Shore; Metro; Tosa; Waukesha and Ozaukee. Within each of these main areas, “Regions” were the workable, “day-to-day” operations. For example, the GIRLS AREA (Brookfield, Wauwatosa, North Shore, Metro, Shorewood, Elm Grove, Ozaukee ) administration was the “umbrella” for seven Regions, each responsible for running teams in whatever age levels were necessary. Regions had a Regional Director and the group of Regional Directors comprised the Area administration, led by the Area Director, who represented them at the Club administrative level in policy and procedural matters. The other six Areas and their Regions were: SENIORS: Adult Men’s and Women’s competitive teams, Old-Timers; NORTH SHORE: Bay, Santa Monica; Richards, Fox Point; Henry Clay; Brown Deer; Cumberland; METRO: Milw. East-Lloyd; Sherman Park-North; Sherman Park- South; Northwest; Mid-City; Milw. Southeast; Milw. South; Shorewood U8, U10, U12 & U14; TOSA: Tosa East I; Tosa East II, Tosa North, Tosa Village I; Tosa Village II; Tosa West; WAUKESHA: Elm Grove; Lakes; Brookfield; Menomonee Falls; OZAUKEE: Cedarburg; Grafton; Mequon; Port Washington ...approximately 366 teams! With growth come “growing pains”...and the Kickers felt those in the loss of a large part of the Brookfield Region in 1981, which decided to become an independent club. However, other Kicker programs and projects were being designed to meet the ever-increasing demand for excellence in soccer preparation while, at the same time, meeting the needs of all levels of players, from recreational to competitive. With so many other activities vying for a child’s time and interest, the challenge was to keep the “fun factor” while still providing the learning, competition, and experience that gave value to the time invested in the sport. Trained coaches and travel increased the level of the game and gave a sense of competency to teams’ accomplishments. A common denominator in most people’s involvement in those years was their children’s desire to play soccer. Responding to a child’s request after moving to a new “uncharted” area: “Dad, my friends want to learn how to play soccer. Do you think we can start a team here?” or seeing the success that soccer brought to the community building and breaking down racial barriers in other areas and wanting to replicate that...this was part of the initial motivation that carried the Club’s mission to ever greater levels. Recognizing the need for a confirmation of soccer as a solid community sport, many parents and club officials were involved in the formation of varsity high school programs in their communities: MPS, Wauwatosa, Whitefish Bay, Ozaukee, Brookfield/Elm Grove, as well as private high schools. Their vision and efforts included the future of collegiate soccer, and influenced many colleges and universities to upgrade or actually form school soccer programs, recruiting the new available talent coming through club soccer like the Kickers.