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Chapter 1 - A Storybook Ending - It was the best of times.
It was the worst of times. What an understatement. In Yeagley's
final season as head coach for the Hoosiers, there were
a lot of factors on the line. Could Yeagley become the all-time
winningest coach? Could the Hoosiers win a sixth NCAA Championship
and a 10th Big Ten Championship? But once the playing began
the questions changed. Everyone stopped focusing on the
big picture and started focusing on what really mattered
- getting the ball into the net and winning a game. IU began
the season 2-3-4 in the worst start in Hoosier history.
Things looked bleak. Everything seemed to be against the
Hoosiers. But with a win against Michigan, things took a
turn for the best. IU did not lose another game, ending
the season 17-3-5, and winning its 10th Big Ten and sixth
NCAA Championship. Yeagley summed up the season with a smile.
"I couldn't have scripted it better myself."
Chapter 2 - It Starts With the Family - Jerry Yeagley took
the IU Soccer Club and turned it into a 41-year success
story. He built the program from a "social" club
to a soccer powerhouse in central Indiana. He may of started
it on his own, but along the way, he began to build the
IU Soccer Family. The family includes his wife Marilyn,
daughter Yvette, son Todd, and thousands of people whose
lives he's touched along the way. It includes the players,
their families, club attendees, fellow coaches and devoted
fans. The family follows the club throughout the country
and roots its team onward to success. There may not be a
more loyal family out there.
Chapter 3 - The Heart of the Hoosier - It begins when prospective
soccer players arrive in Bloomington. They get a sense of
the campus and a feeling that they belong. They are invited
to join the program and strive to take it to the ultimate
level. They put on the red and white adidas uniform, take
the field for their first game at Bill Armstrong Stadium
to the cheers of fans and cheerleaders and tunes from the
Crabb Band. At that moment, the players become part of the
tradition. As time goes on, they understand how things work
for the Hoosiers. They honor and respect the uniform, the
school and showcase their talent for all to see. When things
get tough, they keep their composure. They take things one
game at a time and rely on the heart of the Hoosier for
the unbearable moments.
Chapter 4 - The Pre-Varsity Years - When Jerry Yeagley arrived
in Bloomington Indiana, he became a teacher in the School
of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. His other
task - to coach the men's soccer club team. In coming to
the University, he had the understanding he would be building
the club team into a varsity squad. From the first day he
met with the core of the team, he knew it would be a challenge.
All the team worried about was where they would be traveling
to. They were in it for the social aspect. But Yeagley soon
showed them the bigger picture - winning. They worked together
to promote their team, traveled through the country, stopping
at houses of players families to eat, lined the fields and
much more. They worked hard and after 10 years, they were
granted varsity status.
Chapter 5 - A New Varsity Sport Emerges - Soccer? In Indiana?
You can't be serious. But serious Jerry Yeagley was. He
stuck in there for 10 years when others told him IU soccer
would never be granted varsity status. And once the status
was granted, the winning began. The team began its first
varsity season in fall of 1973. The team started with a
12-2 record in its first year. In 1974, IU received an invitation
to the NCAA Championships. The Hoosiers became one of the
most successful team in IU sports history, winning six NCAA
Championships and 10 Big Ten Championships. Yeagley retired
with a 544-101-45 record.
Chapter 6 - If You Build It, They Will Come - The Hoosiers
had many homes in its first few years as a varsity sport.
But each field it played on, it shared with someone else.
Then came 1981. In that season, IU took the field at Bill
Armstrong Stadium. The newly build stadium sat on the former
football practice fields. It became one of the stellar stadiums
in the country and would showcase talent on an international
and national level. And in 1982 and 1983 it brought the
Hoosiers luck, as the team brought home back-to-back championship
trophies. And in 1988 it brought the Hoosiers extra luck
as they won their third national championship on their home
field.
Chapter 7 - A Nine Year Drought - After the Hoosiers won
their third national title, their post-season success seemed
to fizzle out. The Hoosiers would wait nine years before
winning another championship. But in those nine years, IU
had some of the most talented teams that college soccer
had ever seen. As a matter of fact, the teams went 159-30-16
and outscored opponents 541 goals to 164. IU made an appearance
in the NCAA Tournament in all nine years, including four
Final Fours. In 1994, the Hoosiers fell in the Championship
match 1-0 to Virginia. And in 1997, the team won 23 straight
games, setting a NCAA record, before falling 1-0 to UCLA
in the semifinal round. These nine years may not be full
of NCAA Champions, but they're full of some of the best
talent the soccer community has ever seen.
Chapter 8 - The Last Six Years - In the final six years
under Yeagley, the team had its ups and downs. It made the
tournament all six years, including five College Cup appearances
and three NCAA Championships. In 1998 and 1999 the Hoosiers
won back-to-back National Championships. In 2000 and 2001
IU would make two more runs for the title, falling short
in the semi-finals in 2000 and the finals in 2001. In 2002,
the Hoosiers faced heartbreak, losing in just the third
round of tournament play. And in Yeagley's final season,
IU would become the most talked-about championship team
in IU history, defeating St. John's 2-1.
Chapter 9 - Key Players - They all touched the IU program
in individual ways. Yet all the All-Americans are names
well-known and respected throughout the soccer world. Some
went on to play professional soccer, while others chose
professions of their own. But regardless in their time at
IU, they made their mark on Hoosier history. From the first
club All-American under Yeagley to 2003's Ned Grabavoy,
the key players for IU will go down in Hoosier history as
the best.
Chapter 10 - Defense Wins Championships - Ten Big Ten Championships.
Six NCAA Championships. These two feats were accomplished
in the cornfields in Indiana, led by a head coach named
Jerry Yeagley and a number of assistant coaches. They all
believed in one philosophy - defense wins championships.
The team always concentrated on solidifying its back line.
And once it was unbreakable, they would focus on scoring.
Apparently the philosophy rings true as IU became the first
team to have six NCAA Championships and 10 Big Ten Championships.
And Yeagley became the first coach to win all of them at
one school.
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