The Byki had a long time to savor their first championship, since the club was not scheduled for any more indoor soccer until the fall of 1987. This didn't prevent the team from contemplating roster changes. Even while we were chasing down first place, I was approached by a former teammate from the Duo-Fast Blast, goalkeeper Joe Zachemski. Joe was one of the best indoor keepers I had ever seen and he was a big reason for the Blast's tremendous success during those three sessions in 1986. He became interested in playing with the Byki because of the Polish orientation of the club and because of our own recent success. I eagerly accepted a player of Joe's exceptional talent. His presence also left the Byki with the absolutely delightful dilemma of having to choose between Joe and Tony for the goalie position.
I was excited about the team improving its level of play, but I also contemplated other changes in the club during the summer of 1987. I had been the manager of the club's affairs from the start. It was a position that I did not relish, but I was also aware that every group needs a leader. The long-term benefits were worth the constant hassles. The worst aspect of this arrangement was my role as player-coach. By assuming the dual responsibility, I was not able to do either job to the best of my ability. That was why I enjoyed all of the playing time with the Blast and the Liths. All I had to do was show up with my uniform and play. With the Byki the story was different. I was determined to keep playing as long as I felt I could contribute to the team's success. Based on my knowledge of soccer and my previous coaching experience, I was also most qualified to be the team's coach, and I had a duty to make these players the best they could be.
It wasn't long after our championship victory that I began searching for a way to relieve myself from my coaching duties. In January of 1987 Stef and I participated in a USSF coaching school where we both earned D Licenses. This is the highest state-level license offered and is a precursor to the national coaching program. This was also my second coaching course; Ed and I had earned our E Licenses in August of 1980. Stef and I passed the course with the enthusiastic recommendations of the Illinois State Coaching Staff. I never really knew why Stef was interested in earning a coaching certificate, but I was sure that the license wouldn't be worth much to him if he didn't put it to some use. I approached him in the summer of 1987 with the idea of running the Byki. It really was an ideal fit for everyone involved. He was inheriting a championship-caliber club whose roster was basically intact. The players would benefit by looking at the game from someone else's point of view. I had run the club from its inception, and it was conceivable that my approach may have become stale for some players. The benefit to me was obvious; all I had to do now was play.
Choosing Stef as my successor was actually very easy for me. Although I did not enjoy the duality of the player-coach role, I would never look for a replacement just for the sake of getting out of coaching. Putting my own soccer interests ahead of the needs of the team would be plainly unfair. Stef was a natural choice because he and I are of one mind when it comes to soccer. Our approaches to how the game should be played are virtually identical. Those who have been with us when we were spectators at Sting games can remember the numerous occasions when Stef and I would watch the game unfold and start to predict upcoming strategy. Not only would we agree on what the best play was (the players down on the field agreed with us oftentimes as well), but we frequently came to the same conclusion simultaneously, sometimes even in unison. I was sure that Stef's mind was tuned to the same frequency as my own, which would make the transition between coaches that much smoother for the players.
The only difference between the two of us as coaches would be our personalities. My coaching persona, which is loud and authoritative, is a sharp departure from my normal character, which is slightly shy and introverted. It's easy for me to be assertive and confident when I coach because soccer is something that I know and know well. While I might hesitate to ask a star soccer player for his autograph, I could eagerly engage him in a conversation that related to how the game should be played. My seemingly split personality had not prevented me from achieving success as a soccer coach. I didn't know what kind of a coaching face Stef was going to put on, but I wasn't too concerned. My confidence in his ability to prepare the Byki to play their best soccer was all that mattered to me.
For the time being, news of the the coaching change on the Byki was kept under wraps. Since everyone on the club pretty much goes their separate ways once the season ends, I didn't want word leaking out in the form of rumors and half-truths. (In a group of friends this small, it doesn't take long for word to get around, and it also doesn't take much for the story to get twisted beyond recognition.) We had our annual organizational meeting in August of 1987 where we briefly chatted about our upcoming activities.
The first thing we settled on were new uniforms. Although our blue shirts were still holding up, several players who owned such jerseys were no longer playing with the club and had no intention of surrendering them. We eventually settled on a slick combination: shirts with wide red and white vertical stripes, black numerals and trim, all-black shorts and all-white socks. As always, looking good out on the field was an important consideration for Stare Byki FC.
We also discussed new players. In addition to Joe, original Smartkacz Ted Piotrowski had returned home after completing his undergraduate studies at Indiana University. Ed Kulaga, who had had some experience with the youth teams of AAC Eagles, also would be joining us. The most unexpected addition was that of Frank Primavera, yet another player from the Duo-Fast Blast. I had first encountered Frank in the summer of 1982, in my third year of coaching at the Norridge Park District. At that time, Frank was only a youngster, but even then he was exceptionally talented. Now in his early twenties, Frank's game had progressed rather impressively. His explosive quickness made him nearly impossible to catch once he put his move on an opponent. He had the kind of ability that left observers with their mouths gaping in disbelief. Frank did things during games that other players could only dream about. I was amazed that he actually wanted to play with the Byki. For the first time, we had a player who I believed was truly too good to be playing with us.
A few of my teammates' mouths were left gaping when I announced my resignation as coach of the club. Their initial reaction was one of shock, but I figured they would get used to the idea sooner or later. Unfortunately, it took the guys a long time to accept their new boss. The negative feedback I received after that meeting took me somewhat by surprise. Some of the talk focused on a lack of confidence in Stef, but most of the lads were upset that I would no longer be in charge. Many couldn't understand why I would want to tinker with a successful formula. There were sounds of rejection and betrayal in their voices.
It was only then that I started to realize the kind of respect I had earned from my charges. While I am coaching, I am constantly evaluating every player's strengths and weaknesses, trying to find a system of play that will take advantage of what we do well as a team and what will minimize things we do poorly. Lost in all of this is how each individual player feels. I gauge success by how well a player executes what I ask of him; I don't care much whether he likes what he's being asked to do. I'm not concerned with winning any popularity contests and all of my players know that friendships are put on hold while we're playing. That may sound cold, but it is difficult for me to correct mistakes if I have to worry about whether somebody's feelings are going to get hurt. This arrangement has worked well throughout my coaching career. In the end, I had paid little attention to the team's attitude towards me. When I did finally quit, the attitude of my players was an eye- opening experience.
I was, however, determined to make this coaching change work because I truly believed in Stef's competence. With negative rumblings present, I was more eager than ever to show the players the wisdom of my decision. I also wanted to stay out of Stef's way as much as possible. It was important that the Byki be his team and his team alone. I took great pains to make it clear that Stef was calling the shots, and that he was not simply a mouthpiece for me. We would play his way and his effectiveness would be measured by our success out on the field.
Our preseason training during the fall proceeded as usual. Our big roster would increase the competition for playing time, but our depth would certainly pay off in the long run. It turned out that Tony had signed with another club for Thursday nights, which gave the goalkeeper job to Joe. The player list got reduced further just before the start of the season when Ed Kulaga found out he needed surgery for an infected toe. Ed had looked promising during practice, but the sore digit was limiting his mobility. He played one game before bowing out.
During training, Stef implemented a new style of play. Our normal arrangement was a 2-3, that is, two defenders and three forwards, one of whom played striker, with the other two wide at the wings. Stef changed this to a 1-3-1, which had a defender as last man, three midfielders and a striker. This formation would automatically get four players into the offense, and because three of the players were playing midfield, it would be simple to get three or four players back on defense during a counterattack. While the idea made perfect sense conceptually, executing it during a match was another matter.
We got a chance to unveil our new tactics in our first match, played in November 1987. We were up against a skillful team called Tubscum. We lost by 4-1, but the game wasn't even that close. We played with complete confusion, as the 1-3-1 caused major chaos. The biggest problems affected the midfielders. Instead of thinking as two-way players, they worried too much about attacking and not enough about defending. This resulted in Tubscum using Joe for target practice.
Stef wasted little time making adjustments and transformed the 1-3-1 into a 3-1-1. He essentially took the outside midfielders and turned them into bona fide defenders. The change was little more than minor tinkering, making the players more aware of their defensive responsibilities. The team responded wonderfully with a 19-1 pounding of a hapless bunch called the Mips. The 19 goals set a new Byki record for most goals scored, eclipsing the 18 scored against the Fan Addicts in 1986. Sergio bagged a hat trick in the first period and tallied six for the match. The unsteady play of the Byki had been righted once and for all.
The club played consistently well for the remainder of the session, playing tough against the better clubs and pounding the weak sisters. The Byki finished the session with a record of 7-2-1, good for third place in the Odeum's D League standings. Our playoff opponent was White, a renamed version of the Twinkies, whom we faced in the previous year's title match. The Byki saved their best game for last, blanking White by a score of 3-0. The Byki played sterling defense in the match, as well as they have ever played. The Byki forced White into many backpasses and generally interrupted their offensive rhythm. The Byki were definitely a team on the upswing and hopes were high for the upcoming session. Roster changes were being contemplated even as the current session was in progress. Frank, while a brilliant player, also turned out to be an unreliable player. I believed his problem was related to the level of play demonstrated by some of his teammates. He simply was too good to be playing with us and he and I both knew it. While he was out there, he played splendidly. He simply didn't have enough enthusiasm to want to be around all the time. I didn't try to talk Frank into staying on when he told me he wouldn't play with us the next session. Joe also developed an attitude problem as the session wore on. His play in the nets was generally very good, but he committed some errors that I would not expect from a keeper of his caliber. He wasn't the same goalie that I played with on the Duo-Fast Blast. His and Frank's leaving the club was a case of addition by subtraction. Fortunately, the Byki were able to welcome some old teammates back into the fold when Tony Terraciano returned as our goalkeeper. Many of the players naturally compared Joe to Tony and were relieved to have Tony back. The confidence displayed by the team from the outset of the new session was evident, and many players expressed a feeling of comfort having Tony in goal. Also returning (seemingly from the ashes) was John Starkowski, who had completely recovered from his ruptured Achilles tendon and was eager to play.
Many of the same ball clubs were in the D League once again, including a youthful team called the Blast. They were distinctive with their tie-dye uniforms and their cocky attitude. They were primarily high schoolers who had a lot of soccer talent. They had beaten the Byki 3-1 during the first session and had gone on to the D League championship match, where they eventually fell to Tubscum. We realized that the Blast would be the team to beat.
The Byki momentum from the previous session just kept right on rolling and the club had compiled a 6-2 record going into the final match of the season against Mag's Nads. Even though the Byki had beaten the Nads in the clubs' previous two meetings, the Nads were certainly no slouches. They were coming into this game at 6-2 as well. The battle was essentially for second place in the standings, the Blast having wrapped up the top spot. The winner of this game would earn a spot in the title match, though a tie would send the Byki through.
The Byki were behind the eight ball from the start, forced to use Henry in goal as Tony was still nursing a severely bruised thigh. Hank had been exceptional in the last three games, having given up only five goals. The Nads came ready to play, and bombarded the Byki with five goals in the first 19 minutes of play. The Byki were guilty of some horrendous ball-watching, as the Nads pounded uncontested shots all over Henry. As the second period drew to a close, things looked bleak, though the Byki had pulled to within 5-2.
The Nads had everything going their way and should have put the game away by this time. The Byki offense, however, had a few more aces up its sleeve. After scoring an incredible 100 goals in the last eighteen games, no game was out of reach for the Byki. We were poised for the greatest comeback in club history.
With three minutes left in the second period, Ed purposely instigated an altercation with a Nad, which left the Nad in the penalty box and the Byki with a power play. After only 29 seconds, Sergio found Ted wide open and the gap had closed to 5-3. Sergio then sprang Doug on a length- of-the-field run which made it 5-4 with only 1:12 gone in the third period. Sergio capped off the spree 41 seconds later by taking a long pass from Henry, flicking the bouncing ball over a defender and then over the goalie. With the score at 5-5, momentum had shifted emphatically to the Byki. The Nads went up 6-5 shortly thereafter, but there was no stopping the runaway freight train that was the Byki. Sergio hit another equalizer on a breakaway with six minutes to go. Ed scored the match-winner on a pass from Boo-Boo just 28 seconds into overtime. As we celebrated our improbable entry into this championship game, now for the second time in three sessions, the Nads were left talking to themselves and shaking their heads.
The title match was no less tense, though played with much more discipline. Tony and Tommy returned to the lineup after healing from injuries and their efforts were needed this night. Ed, with his ten goals in nine games, was unfortunately missing. The Byki saved their best play of the session for last. Doug opened the scoring in the first period when he alertly stole a pass in the Blast end and walked in alone on the keeper. As the game wore on, that one goal looked like it just might be enough, as the Byki defense bent and swayed, but refused to break. The constant barrage, however, took its toll, and the Blast took the lead with two well-earned goals during the first six minutes of the third period.
The Byki were far from packing their bags in this game. Doug's tireless effort pretty much summed up the Byki offensive thrust, but the equalizer was left for the other big guns. Both Ted and Sergio, mysteriously silent in this game, combined on a nifty play to tie the match with four minutes to go. Ted blasted a long shot off the back boards, which ricocheted right into the path of Sergio, whose first-time rocket gave the goalie no chance. The game went to sudden-death overtime, where the Blast scored the winner midway through the extra period.
The second-place finish earned the Byki their third trophy in as many sessions, an accomplishment any club would be proud of. A patchwork lineup somehow managed to win seven games out of ten and took the title game to overtime before losing. Although no one likes to go home on the losing end, we had good reason to hold our heads high. The Byki signed up for an unprecedented third consecutive session. The team had everything going their way, so the continuation only seemed natural. The roster changed very little; Tommy left to play outdoor soccer with another club and was replaced by one-time Byki defender Bobby Kikos, who had played with us during a short session in 1986. Chris Zadlo, back for summer vacation, joined the team midway through the session. The club also found a new sponsor and post-game gathering spot called Sidelines. Although the Apple had treated us well, some of the players and most of the female fans had grown tired of the place. The joint's best qualities were its excellent beer selection and its unpretentious atmosphere. It was a terrific place to unwind after a match. The complaints that were voiced were certainly valid; the place is dingy and the lewd slogans, posters of naked women and tasteless contests (Several Byki players were judges for the women's banana-eating contest. Predictably, it ended in a tie.) are definitely disgusting. But our allegiance to Leo and his bar went only as far as the sponsorship money he gave us would take it. When Sergio, Chuck Dzieciol and Ysi Wiecek convinced Sidelines that the Byki were worth sponsoring, the decision for us to change was easy. Sidelines had a decent beer selection, a nicer atmosphere than that of the Apple and ladies' night on our game nights. The most important factor was that Billy Wolf, co-owner of the establishment, provided us with a full sponsorship and a check for the entire amount up front. Leo normally gave us a two-thirds sponsorship with the money paid in installments.
The third session saw the Byki stumble out of the starting blocks. The club played down to the level of the competition and no end to the ineptitude appeared in sight. Perhaps playing another session was not such a good idea after all. By midseason, the Byki were stuck in the middle of the pack and even a spot for the third place trophy looked uncertain. Then, almost without warning, the Byki offense kicked into gear. The shellackings of the lesser teams that were seen in previous sessions became commonplace once again. The Byki started to move up in the standings as the teams at the top started to do some stumbling of their own. When the dust had settled, the Byki finished the regular season at 5-3-2, which was good enough for first place in the division. The record may not have looked very impressive, but our late-season surge convinced us that we were for real. Our opponents in the title match would be the Express, the team that had handed us two of our three losses. The Express had only a couple of good players, so our goal was to avoid foolish mistakes. We didn't want to give the game away because we knew the Express couldn't beat us with their talent.
The championship game was almost anticlimactic, as our pinpoint passing tore the Express to shreds. By the third period, the Byki were leading 3-0. Better accuracy on our finishing shots might have swelled that score even further. The Express made things interesting with two quick goals, but the Byki scored three more of their own, one following a nifty run by Doug. The game was clearly out of reach as the Byki brought home their second championship within 15 months.
As I looked back on the recent past, I saw a ball club which proved itself to be equal to the challenges put before it on the field. The overachieving nature of this team never ceased to amaze me. I thought I had seen everything following our first championship in 1987; a good team accomplished great things by going undefeated. The surge continued through the next three sessions. The Byki lost only nine times in a span of 41 games and brought home some kind of trophy for four consecutive sessions. The players finally came together as a unit and played with the confidence of winners. That winning attitude didn't emerge from thin air, either. Like any other soccer technique, winning must be learned. Although it was a long time in coming, the Byki had become certifiable winners. Winning, like losing, is a tough habit to break. Once we got accustomed to winning, there would be no going back to our fumblebum days. That's why I was so sure that success was easily within our grasp even if we changed coaches. A team that maintains the kind of confidence that we displayed is destined to succeed. All it needs is a coach to push the right buttons. After our first game with Stef in charge, an embarrassing loss to Tubscum, we were a team in disarray. It only took until the next game for Stef to find the right place for every player. Things returned to normal after that, with the Byki administering crushing defeats to the patsies of the D League and playing on even terms with the better clubs.
It was then rather bittersweet for me to grudgingly accept Stef's resignation as coach following this latest championship. The sad part was that his decision didn't much surprise me. On the surface, one would think that Stef had everything going for him. The team was winning and was playing the most consistent soccer in the club's history. And he could justifiably take a good portion of the credit for that success. He obviously would have received the blame had the team floundered. On a deeper level, I don't believe Stef was really enjoying himself. The soccer-related portion of the job was easy. Stef knows the game and he skillfully applied what he learned at coaches' training to prepare the Byki. The real difficulty came in earning the respect of the players. That respect was not automatic when Stef took over, because the players were reluctant to accept the change in the team's structure. Although it took some time before the boys could get comfortable with their new coach, the initial disdain never completely disappeared. Now matter how much good Stef did (and there was a considerable amount), he was always being compared to me. This was grossly unfair to Stef because I had a lot more coaching experience, and not just with the Byki. It was unfortunate that Stef could not be judged on his own merits; his numbers were pretty impressive. Over three sessions, the Byki compiled a record of 20-8-3 and brought home first-, second- and third-place trophies. If the statistics alone are not enough, I should add that Stef managed to extract top-notch performances out of what was many times a patchwork lineup. It is the mark of a good coach when his team can still perform well while missing key players. None of this was enough for the players to give Stef his due.
The effect on Stef finally became apparent at the post-game celebration following the championship session. As we reveled and basked in the special feeling that only first place can provide, I noticed that Stef was somewhat subdued in his reaction. Although I have never known Stef to wear his emotions on his sleeve, I thought that on this night he would show the pride and satisfaction in a job well done. When Billy, the owner of Sidelines, chose not to display our championship trophy, I offered the trophy to Stef, thinking that he would want a keepsake of his first coaching success. He politely declined, saying he thought I should keep it on behalf of the club. It all became very clear to me at that point: Stef didn't want mementos of these three sessions, he was trying simply to forget.