The Minnesota soccer community suffered a great loss last Tuesday. Gavin Pugh passed away from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at the far too young age of 37.
In my 40 years involved with soccer in Minnesota, I’ve seen many good coaches. Gavin was one of them. He excelled as a teacher, both to his soccer students of all ages, but to coaches as well. He was clearly a gifted educator, yet Gavin was so much more than just a coach. He touched so many people in his short journey in Minnesota. He had a gentle nature about him and was a man of integrity which became apparent soon after meeting him.
Born in Wales, UK, Gavin attended the University of Wales, Cardiff (UWIC) where he graduated with a Masters in Coaching Science. After a National Championship as Director of Coaching for UWIC, Gavin ventured to the US where he coached youth players for MLS clubs Tampa Bay Mutiny and later Chicago Fire. Gavin eventually moved to Minnesota in the early 2000s after Minnesota Coerver Coaching director Simon Whitehead recruited him.
In 2004 he started his own coaching company, Dragon Soccer, Inc., that operated in multiple states. In a few short years, it was estimated that Dragon Soccer was working with 16,000 players annually. Gavin also worked with many clubs throughout the state and served as a Minnesota Youth Soccer Association Coach Educator and was a MYSA ODP Staff Coach. He was also a Kinesiology Teaching Specialist at the University of Minnesota and was an adviser to a number of youth soccer boards of directors state-wide. Gavin held his USSF “A” License, UEFA “B” License, and NSCAA Premier Diploma.
In the years prior to being diagnosed with ALS, Gavin started and co-founded US Coaches Club, a venture in which he was very excited about.
I first met Gavin around the time he started Dragon Soccer. He was hired by North Suburban Soccer Association to help with many facets of coaching and training. After watching him conduct a clinic, I asked Gavin to put on a coaching session with my U-14s on flat back four defending, something they were struggling with. The session was excellent and in a short time, the boys were not only understanding it but embracing it.
I saw Gavin do many sessions over the years and he had that special ability to break down the most complicated of things into steps that anyone could easily grasp. And he would always tailor the session for age appropriateness.
Gavin and I would occasionally work club tryouts together or run into each other at some event. We eventually had lunch and it was there that I started to understand what drove Gavin: family. I remember how excited he was when he asked his then-girlfriend Crisha to marry him. He thought the world of her. Within a few years, they had their first child Katalina (7) and soon followed Caden (4). Family was everything to Gavin.
Gavin’s parents lived in Wales, so I was surprised one day when he told me he talked to his father daily. I said as much to the Welshman and he answered, by asking why I was surprised. He answered, “My father is my best friend.” That was Gavin. And in reverse, most people left Gavin feeling like they too were his best friend. He always made you feel that way.
Gavin was sadly diagnosed in March of 2013 with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s an ugly neurological disease which was hard to watch in an energetic young man like Gavin who made his living as a coach to athletes. Over the years there had been multiple fundraisers for Gavin. The Dark Clouds supporters group supported it one year and many of the events were gladly promoted by local media who jumped on board to support the man who had added so much to the people he worked with.
On Tuesday, as word circulated around the soccer community, the effect of his passing weighed heavily as my Facebook feed filled up with those who paid tribute to a wonderful coach, husband, and friend.
In a 2014 article, then Century College men’s soccer coach Bret DeGayner, summarized the situation well. “He made an impression in his years that he was here, which, you know, isn’t that many of his life. He connected with more people and left an impression on more people than most… do in a lifetime.”
His obituary read: Gavin was a hero, a true inspiration to all who knew him. He touched everyone with his passion for life and soccer, but most importantly, family. Gavin will be truly missed by all who knew him.
His memorial service was held on Friday. Those who attended wore soccer jerseys and Gavin-related t-shirts to honor him and all he had given us here in Minnesota.
Gavin Pugh is survived by his wife, Crisha; children, Katalina, Caden; parents, Christine and Alan Pugh; brother, Gareth Pugh and his wife Katherine Pugh, and nephews, Joseph and Henry.
The family has asked that all memorials for Gavin go to the ALS Association.
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