ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Jeff Dybdahl is the club director for the WASA Eagles FC. He is responsible for giving direction for the club, selecting and mentoring coaches and helping the individual teams attain their goals. In addition, he is head coach of at least one of the teams within the club at any given time, leads various camps and clinics and offers goalkeeper training sessions to the club during outdoor seasons.
Jeff played varsity soccer all three years in high school on a perennial top 10 team in the state of Minnesota. In college he was the goalkeeper for the University of Wisconsin Platteville, where he was his team's captain, won his team's most valuable defender and most valuable player awards, and was named to district and regional teams.
Since moving to Ohio, Jeff has coached at the youth, middle school and high school levels. Teams he has coached have won numerous league and tournament championships. However, his greatest desire is to help boys and girls develop to their maximum potential as players and persons.
Jeff is married to Cathy, and has four children, Jeremy, Michael, Daniel and Mary. The boys are all soccer players and Mary has followed Cathy's path into gymnastics. As one who is living through the select soccer experience as parent, Jeff is sensitive to the importance of family factors in our philosophy as a select soccer club.
A MESSAGE FROM JEFF DYBDAHL
Greetings! As you get to know the WASA Eagles as one who has become a part of the club, or if you are just checking it out, I would like you to know a little bit of how and why the WASA Eagles came to be.
My oldest son was coming off of three difficult years of select soccer. He had considered quitting numerous times. My second son was ready to begin playing select soccer. I did not want him to have the same negative experiences as my first son. I wanted my son to play on a team where they developed skills and did not just play kick and run soccer. I wanted a situation where players were built up and encouraged. Where they had fun. Where there was no way coaches were motivated by money. Where parents had the final say in decisions about tournaments and travel. I looked around and did not find a good option for my son. I decided to start a select team.
In the fall of 1997, we started with two teams because of the large number of select level players at tryouts. As time went on, my third son was ready for select, so I added a team for his age group. Simultaneously, people began to approach me to start additional teams, and finally I was urged to start a club. In 2002, we added girls teams to the club. What a surprise and joy that we now have so many girls' teams.
I share this background to help you understand two things. First, I never intended to start a soccer club. So the WASA Eagles FC is not about me or any other coach. Second, the WASA Eagles FC began as an effort to help young soccer players have fun in a safe and encouraging environment while being given the opportunity to maximize their soccer potential and learn important lessons in how to be a winner in life. Every year I want the WASA Eagles to get better at these things.
Time passes quickly. Not too long from now, our WASA Eagles will be adults looking back on formative years with the WASA Eagles. I think a lot about how I want them to remember their experience, how I want them to remember me and our coaches and our parents. I want to give my best to making those memories to be filled with joy and fun and positive, life shaping influences. Lets go for it!
Jeff Dybdahl
