By Ron Holzhueter

     Some former 56er stars are on the move. Dean Duerst, former Badger Women's Head Coach, is on the move again. Dean is now working with Next Testing, a company that tests and trains athletes in hockey and is getting into soccer. He is still working with the Women's National Teams program as Head Coach of the U-18's and an assistant with the U-23's. Latest report has Dean and family moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan. There he will become the Associate Head Women's coach at Michigan working with Greg Ryan, and will still be involved with his other part-time jobs. Dean's national team duties will take him to Los Angeles in February, La Manga, Spain, in February and March, Portland and Florida in April, Germany in May, Denmark in June, and Sweden in July. If you are in one of those areas, give Dino a ring at 734-223-1134 and do some catching up!

Greg Ryan is our former Badger Head Women's Coach and our former Women's National Team Coach. Greg is now Michigan's Head Coach. Ian Barker, former UW-Madison Men's Assistant Coach, has made a couple of moves recently. The first one got him married in May of 2007. Congrats to Ian and Tess. The second made Ian the former Coaching Director for the state of Minnesota. As of January first, Ian has stepped down from a position that he has held for ten years. During his tenure, Ian has taken "The Game" to many outposts around the state of Minnesota. Ian also has become quite an author and has shared his soccer expertise writing many articles for the Soccer America newsletter. Carrie Barker (Maier), wife of our beloved Stuart, has been hired as the new Women's Head Coach at Northern Illinois. Carrie is a former UW player and also a UW Assistant Coach under Dean Duerst. She is presently coaching youth teams for the club.

Carrie Barker

Emily Kuhn, a former 56er youth player and midfielder for Madison West, is now a starting sophomore defender for the Ivy League's Cornell University in New York. Emily is studying animal science. Charles Billings, our "long" time club secretary and historian, retired in 2007 and his brother Jim Billings followed Chuck's lead in January 2008. Both were employed by the State of Wisconsin.

Bill Reddan, one of our original 56ers, is enjoying life looking back at 80 years! Frank Schuler, another one of our founding club members, passed away in January at 81. Frank was an outstanding athlete and one of our club's leading scorers in its early years. As he aged, Frank moved into the defense to build a German back line that helped lead our club to many victories. This February, we lost yet again another 56er original in Gray Perrett. Gray was a cat-quick goalkeeper who had great passion for the game. After his playing days, Gray served soccer as a games commissioner, referee commissioner, and a Wisconsin Soccer Association board member. Gray was an Englishman who moved to Madison in his teens. Back in the 1950s, when soccer was just emerging here, it must have been really interesting to watch the English and Germans having to work together to defend the goal! And on some days, one might think that WW II was still on!! Our great friend and club supporter, Willie Brendel, is paralyzed from an apparent staph infection. In recent years, Willie's exercise has been a daily morning swim, which he misses dearly. We wish Willie nothing but the best! Oscar Pedraza, former UW and club player, has recovered well from a mitral value repair last spring.

And wrapping things up, congrats are in order for Ian Davies, as he will be inducted in our Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame in March.

Please send us your news so we can pass it along to other present and ex-club members.

Ron Holzhueter
608-831-8073
rholzhueter@hotmail.com