January 31, 2010
Soccer lost a good friend today as Brian Hill passed away after a long hard fought battle. It is very hard for me to write this as Brian was a very good friend and I will miss him very much. There are so many ways to describe Brian and I will probably not do him justice as I try to tell you about him. Brian loved his family, loved the game of soccer, loved competition and loved to see children achieve more than what they thought they could. He was a tough competitor with heart of a lion and if you were on his side, you knew that he would always stand with you. His players will tell you that while he was tough on them, they knew he cared a lot for them and they loved him very much. Brian would always be able to find those diamond in the rough type of players and mold them into a very good and sometimes great soccer player. He loved to teach the game of soccer to anyone who wanted to learn. As Brian lay in the hospital during his last days, many friends, coaches, teammates and former players came to see him to let him know how much they cared for him. Brian was one of a kind, he had a tough exterior with a heart as big as a mountain and I know that he will never be forgotten. His family will miss him dearly and I know that they will need our prayers in the coming days and beyond. As for me I have lost a dear friend and I will never forget the times we spent together discussing life and the game that he so dearly loved. Goodbye my friend until I see you again someday.
Yours in Soccer,
Phil Dillon
Remembering Micky Holmes
Jun 13 2008 - Mike DePriest
Soccer legend Micky Holmes has passed away after a year-long fight against cancer.
This is a hard story for me to write, because it addresses something that nobody wants to think about: mortality. It's hard for us to admit that we'll all eventually move on from this life, and in many ways it's harder to accept that everyone we know and love is going to do likewise. It's particularly tough to do it here, because this is a website for youth soccer, and as parents we would do anything to spare our children from the harsh realities of life.
I have known Micky and Donna for many, many years. I first became acquainted with them when I became president of the American Soccer Club (lo those many years ago). During my acquaintance with Micky, we agreed on a great many things, and disagreed on some, but it never once occurred to me that he had anything driving him other than an unswerving belief that the game was good and that children deserved a fair and honest chance at playing it.
In my opinion, there has never been an advocate for the player in our state more genuine than Micky. He devoted his life, in his roles as educator, coach, and referee, to the principle that the maturation, development and enjoyment of the player represented the fundamental goals toward which all of us should focus our efforts. Micky wasn't concerned about which club had the most State Cup wins or had the most players picked for ODP - he wanted each player to have the opportunity to play and achieve to the level of his or her ability, regardless of the venue. It's a lesson we all struggle to internalize every day.
I was with a group of people who visited Micky near the end. We were happy to have the opportunity to see him and Donna, and we passed the time with her while Micky went in and out of a shallow sleep. During our time together, one of Micky's players from Tuscaloosa County High School came to visit. I was struck by the respect that this player and his parents had for Micky. It was clear that Coach Holmes was a very significant figure in the young man's life, and during the visit, Micky was able to set aside the difficulties of his condition and focus his attention on the player, the student, the child seeking to become a man. (I have to admit that during this exchange, I just about lost my composure.)
Each of us owes a debt of gratitude to Micky Holmes. Whether you're an elite player seeking an opportunity to play college soccer, a coach or club administrator trying to create the "next big program", or you're just in it to play a game that you know and love, every time you step onto the pitch you're inheriting something from Micky's legacy. Quietly and without any thought for himself, he worked to create a framework for youth soccer that we all can follow. His influence extends across the lives of every soccer player at Birmingham United and the state at large.
Rest in peace, Micky. Your players and friends will attest that you have earned it. As one of those friends, I am glad to have known you, and I can only hope that in my life I can be as positive a force in the lives of young people as you were.