Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Colleges

Departing Saint Leo soccer coach is leaving one love for another

By STEVE LEE
Published December 11, 2005

A warm handshake and wide grin as genuine as his penchant for kicking a soccer ball greet all who meet Tony Paris.

Maybe that's why the man who has helped Tampa Bay area youth, prep and college players hone their skills and intensity received 5,000 e-mails from the professional team he helped snap a 32-year championship drought. Paris coached Klaksivar Itrottarfelag, a European League Division I team in the Faroe Islands, to league and Open Cup titles in 1999.

Team officials and fans alike have since clamored for his return, but Paris wasn't sold on the idea until receiving an offer he couldn't refuse. He signed a four-year, six-figure coaching contract last month.

"There's been a public outcry to get me back," said Paris, who last week resigned as Saint Leo women's soccer coach. "They haven't won anything since I left."

For what Paris termed "a bucketful of money" comes the pressure of winning and the 50-year-old who played professionally in Europe and South Africa from 1970-79 wouldn't have it any other way.

"I love Saint Leo, but I love what I did in 1999," Paris said of his achievements in the Danish-ruled islands of the north Atlantic Ocean, between Iceland and Norway.

Paris' passion for the sport he grew up playing in England was clearly evident upon our first meeting. In 1991, as a sports editor of a Land O'Lakes weekly, I met Paris and a partner pushing a soccer training program for youngsters at the Central Pasco United Soccer Association fields. The glint in his eyes and cheerfulness in his voice reflected Paris' enthusiasm, knowledge of the game and drive to succeed.

As the only coach of Saint Leo's women's team, Paris got that program off the ground in 2000 and led the Lions to three straight winning seasons. In 2003, he was named Sunshine State Conference coach of the year and former Land O'Lakes standout Casie Poyssick, who set or tied eight school scoring records, was the conference freshman of the year.

Paris previously had a two-year stint as the Saint Leo men's team assistant, became executive director of coaching for the Northeast Raiders, a youth soccer program in St. Petersburg, and worked countless hours with high school boys and girls near his family's New Port Richey home.

"I don't know if there's a coach out there who knows as much or as done as much as Tony has," Saint Leo women's assistant Ged O'Connor said.

Paris taught me, a former hockey player from Boston with virtually no prior knowledge of soccer, much about his sport. Yet, as much as I'll miss his wisdom and friendly banter, I realize that he's got to go. An opportunity for a third stint with the K.I. Futbol Club (Paris was a player-coach in the 1970s before coaching the team to dual titles in 1999) proved too enticing to pass up.

No one knows that better than Saint Leo athletic director Fran Reidy, who coached the men's team there for 16 seasons.

"I truly feel his real calling is coming," Reidy said. "Ultimately, where he's headed right now is what he should be doing."

Paris had a tearful goodbye at a women's team meeting last week and said it will be hard leaving his family behind. His wife, Maria, is a prominent real estate agent in Pasco County, and son Jack, 15, is a freshman starter on the River Ridge soccer team. They will not accompany Paris abroad (nor will sons David, 25, and Josh, 23). Family members will, however, get a handful of annual visits paid for by the team. And Paris plans to live with his family in the offseason (mid October through mid February).

Another part of his life that will be put on hold is studying for an undergraduate degree at Saint Leo. Paris has high-ranking national and international coaching licenses, but no degree since he spent most of his life playing and coaching soccer.

"I think a college education is important," Reidy said. "As far as a world's education, Tony Paris got that a long time ago."

Well done, Fran.

And, hey, Tony. Cheers and godspeed.

[Last modified December 11, 2005, 02:15:36]