In 1980, Stan Callahan and Robin Webb coached a talented group of 9-year old boys and one girl in the recreational league at Indian Boundary YMCA. The coaches decided to challenge the young players by entering a team in the traveling soccer league against team from neighboring communities. The Downers Grove Roadrunners Soccer Club was founded the next year by these individuals.
Stan Callahan named the team the "Roadrunners" based on his fascination, while leaving in Texas, with the speed and grace of the bird and his enjoyment of the "Roadrunner" cartoon. Tim O'Brien, a Downers Grove businessman, donated three sets of uniforms and a game ball for the team which started at the U10 level. Since Mr. O'Brien was a Notre Dame alum and avid Irish supporter, the first Roadrunner uniform colors were green and gold. A picture of the first team is shown below with Coach Callahan wearing the sun glasses.
The first Roadrunners team worked with the Park District to mow a field on the North side of Downers Grove for use as a game field. That first field was rather hilly in that one visiting team refused to play at the site. Also, several of the competitors frowned upon a girl Abby, playing for the Roadrunners.
Despite those initial struggles, that first Roadrunners team, and the Roadrunners Club itself flourished and grew to its present day size of over 30 teams. The Roadrunners have a Director of Coaching for both boys and girls teams. Among its achievements, Roadrunners teams have won 4 Illinois State Cup Championships and 3 National 3v3 Championships. Many players have starred at the high school and college levels.
Printed from the ActivMindz website (www.ActivMindz.com).