Amherst coach Peter Gooding, who has served the NSCAA and NCAA soccer in myriad ways, won the 60th NSCAA Honor Award. An excerpt of C. Clifford McCrathÆs speech from the Jan. 19 ceremony appeared in the Feb. 12 issue of Soccer America. Here is the full version: The 60th Annual NSCAA HONOR AWARD BY C. CLIFFORD MCCRATH Through the years the Honor Award has been given to men from every walk of life. They have represented every size, shape, style of coaching and type of personality. There have been quiet ones, loud ones, solemn ones and funny ones. Some were flamboyant, some a little scary, some a bit crazy, a couple really crazy and some who defy description. Some have been dignified. A few glorified and, on occasion, nearly sanctified. There have been tall ones, short ones, skinny ones and portly ones — that is, weight-challenged ones. Many were heroes. Almost all were classy. A couple were pure legend. Only the character has been constant. The Honor Award winner for the year 2000 is a mysterious blend of many of the attributes of his predecessors. But gaining a proper perspective has been elusive — like a dog chasing his tail. Knowing just how to describe him has been perplexing. Trying to find one word, one picture or a metaphor to provide insight into who, and what this man is, has been a challenge of somewhat monumental proportions. Perhaps he stands alone as the one most difficult to extol because he shuns attention and is suspicious, if not scornful, of praise. He is thoughtful. And thought-provoking. He is precise. He is a thinker. An incisive thinker. Maybe even a brooder. He is appears to be a quiet man. Quiet, like the funnel of a twister in the distance. One who utters soft precepts that sneak up on its listeners and become thunderous commands and calls to action. He is a leader. A special kind of leader. Like an executive. ThatÆs it: He is an Executive! Peter Drucker must have known our award winner when he wrote his book ôThe Effective Executive.ö He describes the effective executive, or leader, as one who gets ôright things done through people.ö Indeed, whether he works in a business or in a hospital, in a government agency or in a labor union, in a university or in the army, the executive is, first of all, expected to get the right things done. Drucker further notes that ôhigh intelligence is common enough among great leaders and executives. Imagination is far from rare. The level of knowledge tends to be high. Conversely, in every organization there are some highly effective plodders. While others rush around in the frenzy and busyness which very bright people so often confuse with creativity, ôthe plodder puts one foot in front of the other and gets there first, like the tortoise in the old fable.ö Oddly, but not surprisingly, the man we honor tonight is a walking compendium of both. Brilliance and ironclad work ethic. He is propriety in leather boots — with a whistle and whit instead of a whip. Like effective executives he has accomplished much. Oh, his trophy cases may not bulge with plaques and awards and certificates and citations of valor and magnanimous achievements. But his pilgrimage has produced lasting monuments to those he serves and his imprint has been deep and lasting in the lives he has touched and the organizations he has served. He is an eloquent man. A teacher. An administrator. A mentor. But it was not always that way. He was born in Islington, England, Dec. 2, 1938 on the brink of the Second World War. His father went away to war and his mother was needed to work in the factories. He was evacuated from his home — against his will — and taken away from the inner city he had learned to love. By age 5 he had perfected his pitching arm to the point that he became the lead ôgunner,ö tossing bricks at enemy prisoners in passing dories being transported to various sites in the country. ThatÆs where the story might have ended — or at least a different story would unfold — but for The Great Game! Some say soccer was his savior. And although he was beginning to surface as one of those marvelous street kids with the instincts and language to match, he was soon heralded as a promising young ôfootballer.ö He found himself at LondonÆs prestigious William Ellis Grammar School known, for its educational quality and its great sports programs. Not bad for a cockney kid from the ôother side of the tracks!ö By age 15 he was singled out as one of the premier youth players in England and represented his country in a variety of international contests. It was while playing for the England national schoolboy team in France that he sustained a serious shoulder injury and spent the next several weeks in an American hospital in France. His injury — and subsequent treatment — was so unique, it became part of medical history and was given special attention in the medical journals of the day. The injury might have had an impact on whether he would pursue professional soccer as a career. If not that, then for certain, his proclivity for fun and folly would. It was the night before an important match when, along with his childhood friend Paddy Cardarelli, he visited a pub to partake of his favorite, liquid training ômealö for the next dayÆs international match. They stayed too late and were slow to arrive at the stadium the next day. As they neared the grounds, he saw the England team — in full dress — filing out of the locker room. Knowing he was to play, and knowing only 11 would dress, he began shouting to Paddy: ôCount æem! Count æem! Are there 11? There were 11 and England never called him again. To this day the pain is eased some whenever Paddy calls out ôCount æem! Count æem!ö Upon his return from France, he made one of the most important decisions of his young life. He had been offered a professional apprentice contract but instead decided to continue his education. Later, he was invited to attend Oxford — perhaps more for his soccer skill than his educational achievements, albeit there was no question about his intellectual acumen. It was at the very doorstep of his decision to attend Oxford that the headmaster of William Ellis School insisted he consider Loughborough College — a school similar to Springfield College — and more suited to athletes. In those days, adults made the decisions for the young, so he passed up the Oxford opportunity and enrolled at Loughborough College. It was there he met three other young men, Ollie Owen, Barry Hines and Alan Rees, who also had spurned professional contracts to pursue their education. They immersed themselves in their educational pursuits and upon graduation from Loughborough, the four of them moved to London where they began teaching at various comprehensive schools. But they did not forsake their love of the game. Unable to give up their playing time together, they joined a Sunday league team called Tavistock, which was equivalent to the modern day A-League in this country. They were known as ôThe Four Sirsö to their teammates, most of whom, were working-class Cockneys, who were more than a little impressed to be playing with teachers. Here he would acquire a nickname ôLoose Gravel,ö which, until this historic night, has been used — affectionately –but only behind closed doors — and only by his family and close friends. It appears it was a cup final in the Sunday league. Alan Rees passed the ball to our hero who, with an open net , shot wide leading to a crushing 1-0 defeat to the dreaded Lithgo Eleven — and not a little razzing from his teammates. His response was, that at the magic moment, he lost his footing on ôloose gravel!ö ôLoose Gravelö and the other ôSirsö were firmly ensconced in a flat in LondonÆs Hempstead section where four young women also resided. One night, the four women, properly attired in the utmost of LondonÆs finery, were about to embark on a journey to the famed ClaridgeÆs Hotel for an evening of dining and dancing. Their transportation failed to arrive and Loose Gravel offered to hail them a cab. One of the four was an uncommonly beautiful farm girl named Myra Elizabeth Davis from Eardisley in Herefordshire. Although she claims it was not love at first sight — or even at second or third viewing — it wasnÆt long before Myra Elizabeth Davis pledged her troth to Loose Gravel and on August 18, 1962 married Peter John Gooding. More good things began to happen quickly. On New YearÆs Day 1964, Peter and Myra immigrated to Canada where Peter accepted a position teaching geography, physical education — and a little English — at Glenlyon Preparatory School in Victoria, British Columbia. And, oh, by the way, was immediately drafted to play soccer for the famed Victoria United Football Club. Peter felt the need to advance his education so took leave with his pregnant wife and traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts where he obtained a Masters of Science degree at The University of Massachusetts and, surprise, surprise, became the graduate assistant to Hall of Famer –and former Honor Award winner, Larry Briggs, for the universityÆs soccer team. It was also the beginning of a lifelong friendship with team captain, Mike Russo of Williams College fame and fellow graduate student, Jeff Vennell, past president of NSCAA. On Oct. 9, 1966, Peter and Myra welcomed into the world Milton Peter Gooding, their first child — and PeterÆs future assistant coach. (More on that later.) Legend has it that Mike and Jeff took up collections — from teammates and fellow grad students respectively — to buy Milton a U.S. Savings Bond — which is still under NCAA investigation. On January 9, 1970, MiltonÆs sister Zoe — now Zoe Gooding Wilmot — arrived. At last word research was not able to determine the granting of a second savings bond — which is still under review by the NCAA Committee on Gender Equity. After a brief stint as teacher and soccer coach at Barnstable High School in nearby Cape Cod, the Goodings prepared to return to Victoria. Prior to departure, Peter received a call from Calvin Plimpton, the President of Amherst College. It seems that when Amherst had scrimmaged the University of Massachusetts, the Amherst Coach, Steve Rostas, was so impressed with the young assistant from UMass, that he implored the Amherst president to call Peter Gooding. He did. And in 1968 Amherst College welcomed IslingtonÆs best as its new soccer coach. Since that special day, the Amherst Lord and Lady Jeffs, under the leadership of Peter John Gooding, have become one of the great stories in intercollegiate athletics. On the administrative level, Peter served Amherst as Dean of Freshmen — including his appointment as the Dean of Freshmen of the first, fully co-educational class — and from 1977 to the present has been the Chairman of the Department of Physical Education as well as Director of Athletics. From 1969 to 1977 he served as MenÆs Varsity Lacrosse Coach and from 1977-80 he added the WomenÆs Varsity Squash team to his list. Along the way he served on numerous local and national boards including the Board of Directors of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association which he served as vice president. He was a member of the executive board of the E.C.A.C. from 1980 to 1985 and in 1984 he was Coordinator for Team Coaches at the Harvard site for the Summer Olympics. He has served as President of the Eastern College Soccer Association, Chairman of the Ethics Committee for the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League and in 1990 was the 43rd President of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. It may be puzzling, but not necessarily surprising, that he also served from 1985-91 as a member of the Development Committee of the United States Figure Skating Association. He is the founder of the Amherst Youth Soccer Association and has served as member of the board of directors for both the Amherst Youth Hockey Association and the Little Red School House. In 1991 the NCAA appointed him a member of the Committee on WomenÆs US Athletics. He has been a member of the NCAA MenÆs and WomenÆs Soccer Rules Committee and a member and Chair of the MenÆs Soccer Championship Committee. He was a consultant to the USLÆs A-League, which he helped create and sustain through his efforts to bring severalfranchises into being. Perhaps his most notable achievement is the NSCAA Academy Program. Peter is largely responsible for the creation and development of the NSCAA Academy Program. He served as its third Director of Coaching and has continued to serve as a Senior Staff Coach to this day. In 1989 he stepped down from coaching the Lord Jeffs and devoted his time to many of the aforementioned administrative tasks. In 1997 he returned as head coach at Amherst on the condition that Milton join him as assistant coach. Milton, previously served as assistant coach at Kenyon College in Ohio, where he aided KenyonÆs drive to an undefeated 16-0 season and a No. 1 ranking in 1993. Milton agreed, and the father-son combination promptly led the Lord Jeffs to the Division III final four and a No. 4 national ranking. Amherst returned to the NCAA playoffs the next year and with an 11-3-1 record in 1999 finished 12th in the national rankings. PeterÆs record of wins and losses at Amherst is 170 wins, 102 losses and 35 ties. For those preoccupied with statistics, it might help to know that during the first 15 years of AmherstÆs history under PeterÆs tutelage, the majority of the teamÆs games were against Ivy League teams. It also is of special interest that the Super Bowl of College Soccer in New England continues to be The Little Three Championship — fierce competition between Amherst, Mike RussoÆs Williams College and Connecticut Wesleyan, home of longtime former coach and 1993 Honor Award winner Terry Jackson. Amherst has won the title several times spurred on by the knowledge that if they donÆt get to heaven — or win the national championship — at least let them win The Little Three! In 1989, Peter received the New England Intercollegiate Soccer Leagues Service Award as well as the NSCAA Letter of Commendation. Further, he was named New Englandfs NCAA MenÆs Division III Coach of the Year. In 1990 he received the esteemed Merit Award from both the NSCAA and the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association. And the list goes on. But the real essence of Peter John Gooding is not in the awards won, the tributes given, the statistics — or even the achievements on the playing fields. His real legacy is living in the lives of all he has touched. ItÆs in the minds of the players and colleagues who oft heard him say: ôManners Maketh Man,ö uttered when any of them misspoke or acted unseemly. ItÆs in the minds and hearts of a loving wife and adoring children — who smile and exult when his name is called. ItÆs in the words of his assistant coach and son, who states that the man who has never had a losing season in his career is more interested in the athletes that walk across the dais at graduation than he is in wins and losses. ItÆs in step with the all the Honor Award winners before him. After all is said and done, we honor one of the NSCAAÆs true gentlemen. One with pinstripes and a clipboard. A man of knowledge. A man of honor. A man of compassion. A man whose manners have made a difference — for all of us. It is a sacred privilege to present the first Honor Award of the new millennium to an elegant, articulate man. Peter John Gooding.