Acknowledgements

To my Dad, who taught me how to run, and how to teach myself. That everything is a skill you can work on. To my grandfather, Grandpa Gerhard C. Assenheimer - Who gave of his time and showed a little guy patience. To my first coaches, Coach Fumo & Coach Wilmot (Milwaukee Kickers Desperados, Strikers?) - Who took a chance on a kid with no skills and zero knowhow.

Coach Jim Nelson (Milwaukee Kickers) - [Who showed me that Hustle was something that can help you play with the big boys and that conditioning could become an asset]

Coach Hubert [Vogelsinger] (Vogelsinger Soccer Academy) - Who showed me that there was more to Soccer than kicking.

Coach Bob Gansler (UW-Milwaukee) - Who showed me camp could be something to look forward to.

Ken Voigt (Brookfield Soccer Association) - Who deservedly cut me from each of his teams I tried out for, but never failed me when I needed another place to play. Phone calls to the Voigt house kept my soccer dream alive, my kids play soccer on a field deservedly named in his honor. Coach Ian Favel (Brookfield Central) - Who taught me the value of good training, and importantly that fouls were only fouls, not sins (except in the box!), and that they could be used to one's advantage. Coach Bob Fiskum (Whitewater) - Who's efforts underscored what level of skills I did or didn't have, the effort I was or wasn't giving, how I was or was not prepared with conditioning, and the extent to which it was in my control. Lastly, to my Mom, Barbara Assenheimer, for all the games she attended rain or shine, for driving me to practice hundreds of times, for all the uniforms she washed and her "You Can Do It" attitude. And lastly, for encouraging me to write.