Volunteers are the heart and soul of every soccer organization in the state. They do all the work that allows the games to proceed. The next time you visit a soccer match, consider who provided all the support for the match to take place. The parents on the opposing team may well have spent hours working on field preparation or your own team’s parents may assist in registration. Oklahoma Soccer recognizes its volunteers each year with a Volunteer of the Year Award. For 2011, the recognition goes to Michael Naumann of Broken Arrow.
Michael’s contributions began while he worked in Muskogee as a hospital administrator. From 1995 to 2003 he held a variety of offices for the Muskogee Soccer Club. “I was coach and assistant coach for my son Bradley, daughters Grace and Kelsey,” says Michael. As with most volunteers, agreeing to help coach led to other requests for his time. Soon he was taking referee training and officiating matches. That led to becoming the Muskogee Area Referee and Assignor. As the children became involved in competitive soccer, Michael became a team manager. The next step completed the full package of a volunteer – he was named tournament director and then club president.
In 2003, Michael and wife Kathy, whom he met while they attended Oral Roberts University, moved to Broken Arrow. Within two years, he was named Games Commissioner, and then elected 1st Vice President/Tournament Director in 2006, followed by election to club president in 2007. Kathy Naumann operates the Broken Arrow concession stand so a regular weekend at Indian Springs means the Naumann family is there from early morning to late evening. “My normal week day routine,” says Michael, “is to awake each morning and prepare my special needs son, Matthew, for school and then wheel him to the bus. I support Kathy in anything that needs to be done before we leave together for work, which is about a 40 minute drive one way.”
Perhaps Michael didn’t envision a life centered on family and soccer while growing up in St. Louis. Not even his interest in track, ice hockey, and baseball would affect him as much as soccer. “I played soccer as a kid at the local Catholic Church,” he says. “I even played while at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. I also continued to play ice hockey, but soccer drew me because everyone played. Better than baseball where you stand and wait for play to involve you.”
Reflecting on his youth playing days, Michael shares an incident that amuses him because it includes both his player status and the position of referee. “We played 11 v 11 at all ages in those days,” he says. “I took a hard kick right on the forehead. It knocked me off my feet backwards. Landing on my back, I jumped to my feet, but the referee blew the whistle even though play was continuing on. He was very concerned but I was okay. That incident crosses my mind every time I consider an injury stoppage as a referee.”
Currently, Michael is the OSA Youth Board 1st VP in charge of ODP. During the past year he was co-chair of the League Operating Committee, served on the US Youth Region Three, and assisted in the operation of the Regional President’s Cup held in Broken Arrow last summer.
“I do it all for the children,” says Michael. “We need to volunteer so the kids can focus on playing the game. I loved coaching my kids in the U9 and U10 girls and there is no doubt that the best reward is watching the children develop as players – that is indescribable.”
Oklahoma Soccer is rewarded, too, by volunteers such as Michael and his family. With two children remaining in the home requiring scheduling of activities, Michael and Kathy still find time for each other. And as every volunteer will tell you, that is an important part of remaining a volunteer. Congratulations, Michael Naumann!