Alan Anderson was born October 29th, 1965 in London, England. The nephew of former Rowdies player Peter Anderson.
Alan joined the Rowdies in 1988 after a standout four year career with the University of South Florida, an honors graduate. Where he was named All-Sun Belt Conference and All- South. He led the team in scoring as a junior with 10 goals and 21 points. Scored three goals in a game during his sophomore season. During 1988, he scored 3 goals and 2 assists. Mark Lawrenson, the Rowdies Assistant player/coach said of him that year, "a unified player with a good engine, who likes to attack and get into the opponent's penalty area."
In 1989, Alan appeared in 12 games, starting in 10, and scoring 3 goals with 4 assists. The midfielder fractured the right side of his right foot in December 1989 in an indoor exhibition game. Alan, then had to make a choice - undergo surgery and have a screw placed in his foot or sit out the season and let the the broken bone heal. He opted for the three-inch screw.
He missed the whole of the 1990 pre-season training, which was his, "biggest disappointment," Peter said. He faced a battle to get his spot back on the team, he had to prove himself all over again. The 3-3 home win over New Jersey on June 23rd, 1990 was proof enough for most of the Rowdies fans. Peter scored two goals and came close to scoring a hat-trick with a diving header.
He finished as the Rowdies fourth-leading scorer in 1990, with 3 goals and 2 assists in 14 games.
His final season with the Rowdies, he appeared in 12 games, without scoring but had two assists.
Today, Coach Alan Anderson has coached youth soccer for over 18 years, guiding teams to win multiple State Cups, as well as regional and national titles. Alan has a great rapport with his group of girls, and has been coaching some of them since they were 9 years old. His focus is to continue to develop each player's skills and technical ability, and to teach them the tactical aspects of the game. Coach Anderson's goal for the team is to continue working with these players through high school, guiding them to a level of play where many of the players will be capable of earning college soccer scholarships.
Hey Rowdies fans! This is Alan's son, Derek. My dad has always had an incredible passion for soccer, and over twenty years after his departure from the Rowdies, he's still playing as a midfielder in a local league. He coached a girls' youth team that included my younger sister for nearly ten years, and is a die-hard Chelsea fan.
ReplyDeleteI'm now a junior at the University of South Florida, and I'm so proud to have a father who brought so much talent to the soccer team here.
P.S. Not a major detail but Alan's date of birth is actually on October 29, 1965.
Thanks for the info Derek. I am in touch with your Dad via facebook. I have updated his bio. Thanks!!
ReplyDelete