Positions | Goalie
Terry Harrell has played goalie for decades. When people see a field, the goalie is the exception: trapped in the goal box, allowed to use their hands and held responsible for any goal that happens. What the visual of the field misses is the communication. Goalies start the games, keep the defense in order, maintain a continuous chatter and give a team a sense of confidence. What defines the position for a long-term goalie: “Camaraderie. Been on the same team now for 16 years. And that means a lot, and I think being here, the social network you create, the people you meet you'll probably know forever, simply because you're doing something you have a lot of investment in.”1 Statements like this are why people like Juan Villoro find that “thinkers and eccentrics gravitate to the position … all keepers know the rich interior life their profession entails.”2 For people who carry a team for decades, and weekly face down the possibility of defeat, the position requires regular justifications.
- John Mckiernan-Gonzalez, “Interview with Terry Harrell,” Center for the Study of the Southwest, Texas State University.
- Juan Villoro, God is Round: tackling the Giants, Villains, Triumphs, and Scandals of the World’s Favorite Game, 109. From Laurent Dubois, The Language of the Game, (NY: basic Books, 2016)
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Terry Harrell
Name: Terry Harrell
Age: 68
First Played: Age 28
Years Playing: 40“Camaraderie. Been on the same team now for 16 years. And that means a lot, and I think being here, the social network you create, the people you meet you'll probably know forever, simply because you're doing something you have a lot of investment in.”
Harrell built a life here in Austin. A life that had soccer close to the center. He and his partner Diana Harrell have been playing soccer together ever since their child started playing ball in elementary school. However, his first encounter with soccer came in the 70s while in Dallas, where he saw Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Pele play in the NASL. He started soccer with an idea of what could be done; he has played every position, including goalie, since he started.
Locations Played:
- Dallas, TX
- Onion Creek Soccer Complex | Austin, Texas
Additional Information
- John Mckiernan-González, Interview with Terry Harrell, At Play: Futbol in the Land of Football (pdf file)
- John Mckiernan-González, Interview with Terry Harrell, At Play: Futbol in the Land of Football (interview audio, mp4 file)
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Frank Miller
Name: Frank Miller
Age: 61
First Played: Age 30
Years Playing: 32“We wanted a voice in how the league was run.”
“Seemed like a fun thing to do.”Frank Miller took to soccer on his arrival at Motorola in 1980. The company started sponsoring teams and Frank Miller started playing – that team went on to become the Romulans, one of the longer running teams in the league. As an engineer, he was deeply involved in the decisions shaping the design and watering of the fields. When Austin Parks and Recreation started moving games around, players in the league decided to create an association and rent fields from te city to have a firmer control on the schedule and maintenance. The discussion interweaves water and parks and soccer.
Frank Miller is also one of the best goalies in his division. This might be a cross-over from playing fast-pitch softball in the Roy Guerrero Fields in East Austin since 1980.
Locations Played:
- Detroit, Michigan
- University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, Michigan
- IBM Fields | Austin, Texas
- Zilker park | Austin, Texas
- Northeast metro Fields | Pflugerville, Texas
- Southeast metro Fields | Del valle, Texas
- East Metro Fields | Manor, Texas
- Disch Field | Austin, Texas
- Onion Creek Soccer Complex | Austin, Texas
Additional Information
- John Mckiernan-González, Interview with Frank Miller, At Play: Futbol in the Land of Football (pdf file)
- John Mckiernan-González, Interview with Frank Miller, At Play: Futbol in the Land of Football (interview audio, mp4 file)
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Jose Salgado
Name: Jose Salgado
Age: 47
First Played: Age 10
Years Playing: 37“It’s a beautiful sport, worldwide it is the best sport. I think it is the most famous sport in history”
“porque es un deporte bonito y es un deporte mundialmente major en el mundo. Yo creo que es el deporte mas famoso en las historia de todo”
Most people do not choose to be goalie. Jose Salgado does every time, and as a result, he has a home on many teams. Playing organized and competitive soccer has given him an appreciation for the community he finds in the Austin soccer scene. Jose has played organized soccer since the age of eleven. Today he plays as the goal keeper for Grassy Stains at the Onion Creek Soccer Complex.
Locations Played:
- Celaya, Guanajuato
- Onion Creek Soccer Complex | Austin, Texas
- Wiliam Cannon | Austin, Texas
- East Manor Park | Manor, Texas
Additional Information
- John Mckiernan-González, Interview with Jose Salgado, At Play: Futbol in the Land of Football (pdf file)
- John Mckiernan-González, Interview with Jose Salgado, At Play: Futbol in the Land of Football (interview audio, mp4 file)