Who Are Ya!! - Tom Reynolds

Where were you born?
I was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1953. Although Southern and Eastern European immigrants brought soccer to Western Pennsylvania around the turn of the last century, it had practically disappeared by the time I came of age.


If you were not born in the Kansas City area, when did you arrive and what circumstances brought you to KC?
I moved to Kansas City in 1980, after serving a brief stint as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in Guatemala and Venezuela. At the time, we were looking for a place that offered both family support and job prospects. I was reluctant to raise a family in New Jersey where Mary and I attended Rutgers University, but Western Pennsylvanua was not an option.: The steel industry had recently collapsed and the local economy was in a severe crisis.


What team(s) do you support as a fan?
My favorite soccer team of all time is the New York Cosmos. I was living in New Jersey during the late 70's Cosmos heyday and attended many good games against such foes as World Champion Argentina, Bayern Munich, the Peoples Republic of China etc. I also met and briefly chatted with Pele during his second week in the U.S., while he was filming a kids' soccer clinic for network television. (We gained admission to Downing Stadium on Randalls Island when my Dad flashed his police badge.) During that time, I saw many notable players compete either for or against the Cosmos: Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Mueller, Roberto Rivelino, Eusebio, George Best, Carlos Alberto, Giorgio Chinaglia, a 17 year-old Maradona, and of course, Pele.

I currently enjoy watching F.C Barcelona dismember their opponents and continue to root for the two big teams from Medellin, Colombia (Atletico Nacional and DIM).


What is your earliest soccer memory?
One of my earliest soccer memories involves trying to stay awake while watching U.S. based pro soccer when it was first televised regularly in 1967. I actually started playing as a high-school exchange student in Ecuador; then later as a college student in Colombia. Upon returning from South America, I introduced the sport to my hometown friends and later played regular pick-up games in New Brunswick, New Jersey and Pittsburgh.


How did you find the Youngs Park game?
Regarding what would become the Youngs Park game, I first met Troy in 2001 (?) after my sons observed a small group playing in Maple Hill Park. Troy was gracious and welcoming on that occasion and I like to think we have continued in that spirit.


Can you tell us something about yourself that not everyone in the group would know?
One thing people may not know about me are my politics: I consider myself both a Christian and socialist. Subsequently, I have major problems with both U.S. domestic and foreign policy. However, when it comes to soccer, I am proud to be an American player and I avidly support our U.S. National Team.