(March 27, 2009) Every year the former soccer players of Armstrong State College (now Armstrong Atlantic State University) try to get together and have a soccer reunion, where the former players and families get together, hang out with each other, and perhaps get together and kick the ball around. Armstrong had a men's soccer program from 1980-1986, and with today's technology, some of the players have reconnected and stay in constant contact through emails, and recently Facebook. I attended my first one 2 years ago and it was so much fun seeing the guys after 22 years. I had many fond memories at Armstrong, so many that Rhian finds it hard to believe that I only attend Armstrong for 1 year, and really looked forward to this one. It's tough getting all the guys together, since lots of us have spread out across the country, and not all have the fond memories I had, but we usually get a dozen or so players together, usually the same ones, and have lots of fun.This year was special, because our soccer coach, Eddie Aenchbacher, who went on to be Athletic Director at Armstrong, was now retiring. I had taken it upon myself to organize the reunion, along with putting together a video slide show of Eddie's career as soccer coach. Having only played there for the '84 season, I had a limited amount of pictures in which to use, but lots of fond memories. Fortunately, with the help of a couple of players, and a lot of help from a good friend of the soccer alumni and recent graduate of Armstrong, Steve Chaffee, I was able to get a decent selection of pictures in which to use and put together a nice 30 minute slide show.
We would leave early Friday in hopes of getting into Savannah early, so that the organizers of the retirement ceremony could have the video in hand, and be assured that everything would work properly in time for the ceremony, which began at five that day. We would get to the hotel around 2, get checked in, and head to Armstrong, where everything checked out, then for lunch. Rhian and I for our last several visits would always visit a nice vegetarian restaurant called the metro deli. We reached there at four, but unfortunately it had closed at three, and was now nearly four, and being VERY HUNGRY, spotted what looked to be a Chinese restaurant close by called Super Buffet, and decided to eat there. Well everybody got to eat what they wanted, Christian got his favorite, macaroni and cheese, and I would load up on one of my favorites, shrimp. (Yes, shrimp is vegetarian). We would leave there with full bellies and head back to Armstrong.
The first half hour of the ceremony was a social. When I got to ceremony, I got to meet the president of Armstrong along with the registrar, with whom I had been in close contact for the previous month coordinating the video for the retirement. To my surprise, the president had invited me to sit at the front and be a guest of honor for all of the work had done on the video. I was very honored, but I wish I would have known this ahead of time! I would have dressed better, as I had been told this was going to be a VERY casual event, since a lot of athletes from the school would be attending. I would still dress casual in polo shirt and a new pair of jeans, but hardly the dress of a guest of honor! I almost wore a pair of shorts! lol Thankfully, they didn't ask me to speak, as I had nothing prepared, which means that I would have ad-libbed, and would probably still be there rambling on. lol
The social would be lots of fun, as I would get to see a couple of guys whom I hadn't since since I graduated. The ceremony would be great as well, as I got sit next to Coach Aenchbacher. As the president was touting his accomplishments as Athletic Director, one being the percentage of athletes graduating with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, Eddie would lean over and say to me "Didn't you graduate with a 3.0?"
See, this is funny for a couple of reasons (funny now, isn't it dad?). Long story short, I went to Armstrong on a soccer scholarship after high school, and would lose it a year later by falling 4 quarter hours short of maintaining my scholarship, leave with a 1.8 GPA, end up in the Air Force 6 months later, and wouldn't graduate college until 2005. All the former soccer players who were in attendance would come to the front, and former player and graduate Alan Shepard would share a few words about Eddie as coach. Eddie would give a great speech, with tears welling up inside, as he had been a student, coach, and AD at Armstrong for 30 years.
We would all pose for pictures, finish conversations, and finalize plans for the weekend.
Most of the guys would get together for indoor soccer at The Super Goose later that evening, as well as the following evening. Rhian and I would take the kids to Tybee Island, as Christian loves it at the ocean and Reagan and never been.
We also took the kids swimming in the indoor pool at the hotel. Christian is still a little shy about swimming; he hates getting water in his eyes. Reagan doesn't care, and both had lots of fun.
Later, we would also meet some of the guys and their families for dinner at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown on Saturday night and enjoy some beer and pizza before our indoor scrimmage at the Super Goose.
On Sunday, some of us got together for breakfast at a small place in a town outside of Savannah called Pooler before head back from whence we came.
Overall, the trip would be lots of fun, as it's always fun for me to reminisce about the old times as it is to catch up with what everybody is up to.
to see all the pictures of the retirement
to see all the pictures of the family @ Tybee Island, swimming in the pool, and dinner @ Mellow Mushroom.
to see all the pictures of the Sunday breakfast.
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