Peter Aradi arrived in the United States after fleeing from his native Hungary during the 1956 revolution. Staying with relatives living in the United States, Peter began learning the English language and continuing his college studies.
While stationed in Japan as a member of the U.S. Air Force, Peter met and married his wife, Shigemi. After his tour with the Air Force, Peter’s career brought him to Tulsa through his employment with American Airlines.
In 1974 at a tournament at Boulder Park his teammates convinced him to referee the match because no one else would. Soon his reputation and knowledge spread to organizers of both adult and youth soccer.
Peter organized and taught the state’s first referee courses and eventually achieved the position of United States Soccer’s National Instructor and National Assessor. Shortly thereafter he was named USSF’s National Director of Assessment and he continued assessing, instructing, and assigning referees until his retirement.
He now focuses on his bonsai collection and enjoying his family that includes his older son, Roger and his wife Teresa, and their twins Tristan and Genieve; and his younger son, Eddie.
Marypat Bell may hold the longest service to OSA among all its members. Since 1975 when her daughter, Jennifer, began playing for South Tulsa Soccer Club until today when her grandson, Greyson, plays U6 soccer, Marypat has been involved in soccer and OSA.
Marypat’s record of service begins with coaching duties in South Tulsa, a stint as registrar for that club, and then Secretary of Green Country Soccer Association. For a short time, Marypat served as GCSA’s president but her next stop was OSA’s Executive Board Chair – a position she held twice. The first term was from 1984-1987. The second term began in late 1987 and ran until 1996.
By 1996, Marypat was moving on to serve the adults in OSA and was elected as Deputy Director of Region III, a position she still holds. She also serves on USSF’s Board of Directors and the USSF Rules Committee.
Marypat now spends time traveling, reading, playing bridge, and seeing family that includes Jennifer’s daughter, Delanie and son Greyson; daughter Gretchen and husband Chris Clark, and their son, Ford. Jeff Zachary and Emily (Bell) live in Tulsa. Stephen, Marypat’s son, lives in Casper, Wyoming.
Earnest Brown is best known to OSA as the state’s first head coach. Like many unsuspecting parents, he checked a box marked "helper" at a soccer sign-up and was drafted as a coach when his son, Blake, was in elementary school.
In 1977 Earnest attended the first USSF coaching school held in Oklahoma. He received a "C" license and followed that with a "B" national license. by 1980 Earnest and his staff had licensed over 800 Oklahoma coaches in the USSF schools. The curriculum that Earnest devised was used by Oklahoma coaches for decades.
Earnest’s coaching career continued throughout his son’s high school career and into the 1980’s when teams he coached won two state championships. Assisted by his wife, Sandra, daughters Mendee and Kristi, and son Blake, the Brown’s became the state’s coaching family.
Earnest use his education background as Minister of Education at Frink Baptist Church in McAlester where he continues his philosophy of "every student can achieve."
Father Paul Zahler came to St. Gregory’s in 1950 as a student athlete. He returned in the 1960’s to teach physical education and became attracted to a different form of "football" being played by his international students. By 1967 Father Paul was setting up matches between international students at colleges and universities around the state and coaching a game he had never played. Within three years a loosely organized soccer program was developed under his leadership.
At Casady High School in 1967 the Oklahoma Soccer League was born bringing adult, junior college, university, and high school teams together to provide a structure for soccer development. Father Paul was elected president of the fledgling league and would serve in that position for the next nine years.
By 1975 youth soccer was growing in several cities and Father Paul recognized that organization was needed to develop the game. Meeting with representatives from Green Country and others, a new organization was created – Oklahoma Soccer Association.
Today, Father Paul is Director/Founder of the National Institute on Developmental Delays, an internationally recognized training center based at St. Gregory’s, author of Experience Quotient and Human Development, and continued supporter of a game he adopted nearly forty years ago.
