By Mike Woitalla
Executive Editor, Soccer America Magazine
Despite daily training and weekly games, some MLS players find time to pursue ventures outside the pro game.
Troy Perkins (D.C. United)
A FULL, INTERESTING DAY
He spends half his day in front of the goal and the other half behind a desk.
D.C. United goalkeeper Troy Perkins, 24, began his job as loan processor for the First National Bank of Arizona in McLean, Va., last January.
''MLS players don't make enough money,'' says Perkins, ''that when we're finished playing we can say, 'Sweet, I'm done. Time to retire.'''
Also, Perkins' wife, Elizabeth, is in the middle of a four-year pharmaceutical school program in Alabama and he is hoping to save up so they can get a home of their own when she graduates.
Perkins leaves his Falls Church, Va., residence at 8:30, arrives at RFK Stadium shortly after 9:00. He breakfasts at the stadium, then heads to the practice field, where the team trains for a bit over two hours. After post-practice treatment, he gets to the office at about 2:00 and works until about 6:00.
''I usually chat with my co-workers for about five minutes,'' he says. ''They give me some stick if I made a bad play, and then I get to work.''
Perkins verifies the credit background of loan applicants and prepares the application for the underwriters.
''I find it fascinating,'' he says. ''You see what kinds of different jobs people have and what kind of homes they're able to acquire.''
Before a friend hooked him up with the bank, Perkins, who in 2005 drew a $28,000 salary, earned extra money through youth coaching.
''Dealing with parents was miserable,'' says Perkins. ''Besides, I like taking a break from the sport instead of leaving one field and getting back on another.''
Diego Gutierrez (Chicago)
THE AMERICAN DREAM
He's an 11-year MLS veteran who has reached MLS Cup three times and logged more than 200 games. Diego Gutierrez (photo above, right) has also, during that time, completed his undergraduate college degree and become part owner of two businesses: Midwest Mutual in Chicago and Midwest Financial in Kansas City.
''I think it's smart to get a few years experience in the business world so you can hit the ground running when you actually get done playing,'' says Gutierrez, 33.
While with the Kansas City Wizards, Gutierrez roomed with veteran keeper Tony Meola, who had started a mortgage business.
''I'm truly thankful to Tony,'' Gutierrez says, ''because he introduced me to the business, gave me a chance to learn.
''I started doing refinancing for my in-laws, my brother, anybody I could help save money. They were happy because they were getting lower rates and I was learning the business.''
Gutierrez got broker and loan officer licenses, then hooked up with a neighbor, Kurt Pycior, a home builder, and launched Midwest Financial.
When he returned to Chicago, where he played in 1998-2001, Gutierrez acquired an ownership stake in Midwest Mutual, run by his close friend, Mike Leiva. Gutierrez is well-suited to connect with a key customer base.
''There are so many Hispanic immigrants in Chicago,'' he says. ''A lot of them have what we in the industry call mattress money. They might not have a bank account, but they save money. They don't know how to go about the loan process, which can be daunting even if you're perfectly fluent in English. We provide them with a chance to buy something of their own and stop renting.''
Not too long ago, Gutierrez was a stranger in a new land. In his late teens, he emigrated from Colombia with his family and enrolled as a senior in a Kansas City high school without knowing English. Now he's a college graduate, soccer star and businessman.
''Ultimately, the American dream is to own a business,'' he says. ''If a guy like me can make it, and I came from pretty adverse conditions, anybody can.''
Francisco Palencia (Chivas USA)
BUEN PROVECHO!
He has helped Mexico win three Gold Cups, the Confederation Cup, and has played in two World Cups, three Copa Americas and the Olympics.
Francisco Palencia also captained Cruz Azul when it became the first Mexican team to reach the final of the Libertadores Cup, and shortly before joining Chivas USA late last season, he helped Chivas Guadalajara reach the Libertadores Cup semifinals.
No doubt, he has helped raise respect for Mexican soccer around the world. Lately, he's been trying to do the same for Mexican cuisine.
''I think Mexican food is among the most delicious in the world,'' he says. ''But a lot of times when you're in other countries, the Mexican food you get isn't the real, traditional Mexican food.''
While playing for Barcelona club Espanyol in 2001-02, Palencia found plenty of Mexican eateries. ''But they were mostly Tex-Mex and chain restaurants,'' he said.
Palencia decided to open a restaurant and teamed up with Chef Humberto Bermudez. Last October, Palencia returned to Barcelona for the grand opening of La Coronela.
FC Barcelona's Mexican defender Rafael Marquez is a regular, but La Coronela is not adorned with Palencia's soccer mementos.
''It's a classy place,'' Palencia says. ''No sombreros on the wall or cactus decorations.''
La Coronela specializes in seafood dishes, serving up such delicacies as lobster tacos, several kinds of ceviche (fish or shellfish ''cooked'' in lime juice) and one of Palencia's favorites, Camarones en Aguachile, a spicy shrimp dish.
Meat dishes include thinly sliced steak sabana. Of the six margaritas, Palencia says the Margarita Tamarindo is tops.
''I love good food and always have,'' says Palencia, who doesn't rule out opening a restaurant in Los Angeles, ''but right now I'm concentrating on soccer.''
Greg Vanney (FC Dallas)
'Creating good soccer minds'
During a vacation break in his senior year at UCLA, Greg Vanney drove home to Arizona with Bruin teammate Nick Theslof, who had spent time with PSV Eindhoven's youth team. They started talking player development.
By the time they reached Tempe, Vanney was seriously considering starting a youth club.
Back at UCLA, a class assignment required Vanney to write a paper about starting a business. He wrote about launching a soccer club.
''It turned into something real,'' said Vanney, who founded Arizona Futbol Club (AZFC) with Mike Rabasca in 1997.
By then Vanney was starting for the Los Angeles Galaxy. After six seasons with the Galaxy, Vanney spent four seasons in the French First Division. Since returning to MLS in 2005 he has been able to spend more time with AZFC and recently hired Robin Fraser as Director of Coaching.
Vanney and Fraser, both players who rely more on brain and skill than brawn, have a combined 53 U.S. national team caps, five MLS Cup appearances and more than two decades of pro experience.
''Our focus is on developing players, not on winning at all costs,'' says Vanney, warning that striving to fill the trophy case often comes at the expense of nurturing talent. ''We want our kids to be very comfortable with the ball, to be able to keep possession. Everybody on the field needs to be a soccer player. We're trying to create good soccer minds.''
Vanney emphasizes creating an environment so that the kids ''are always wanting to play,'' because often youngsters are pushed too hard and lose interest. ''We have some sessions,'' he says, ''where the coaches are present, but not there to tell them what to do. They set up the field and say, 'Go ahead and play, guys.'
''You don't want to sap the creativity out of the players. That's one thing you can't coach. You don't want to make robots out of them. You want them to be creative and express themselves, and sometimes that means stepping back.''
(This article originally appeared in the may 2006 issue of Soccer America Magazine.)