David Grimaldi (soccer)

Last updated
David Grimaldi
Personal information
Date of birth (1954-12-19) December 19, 1954 (age 69)
Place of birth Fort Eustis, Virginia, United States
Position(s) Defender
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1973–1977 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1977 Dallas Tornado 0 (0)
1978–1979 Memphis Rogues 7 (0)
1979–1982 Cleveland Force (indoor) 110 (5)
1981 Cleveland Cobras
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

David Grimaldi (born December 19, 1954) is a retired American professional soccer defender who spent three seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League and at least one in the American Soccer League. He later served as Deputy Commissioner of MISL and the Commissioner of the National Indoor Soccer League which later became the Major Indoor Soccer League.

Grimaldi attended John F. Kennedy High School in Willingboro Township, New Jersey [1] before entering Rutgers University. He was a four-year soccer player at Rutgers and team captain his junior and senior seasons during which time he was selected as a reserve pool player for the US Olympic Soccer team. In 1977, Grimaldi became the 1st Rutgers soccer player drafted into the professional ranks by Coach Al Miller of the Dallas Tornado who selected him in the first round (fourth overall) of the North American Soccer League college draft. After seeing no first team time during his rookie season with the exception of two international matches against Zenith Leningrad and Monterrey, the Tornado traded Grimaldi to the Memphis Rogues where he played sparingly over two seasons due to multiple knee injuries/surgeries In 1979, Grimaldi moved to indoor soccer with the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He spent three seasons with the Force serving as co-captain and captain. In 1981, he returned to outdoor soccer briefly with the Cleveland Cobras of the American Soccer League before retiring in 1982 following his third knee surgery. In 1990 Grimaldi was honored with the retirement of his Rutgers soccer jersey and later named to the Rutgers All Legacy Team.

Grimaldi then entered the business world. Over the years, he worked in various management positions for People Express Airlines, American Express and 10 years with FedEx. He later became Deputy Commissioner of the MISL. In 2009, he was appointed Commissioner of the National Indoor Soccer League. [2] which later was renamed the MISL,

He is now general manager and managing partner of the Harrisburg Heat in the Professional Arena Soccer League. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita Wings</span> Soccer club

The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979. They played in the Kansas Coliseum, a venue that featured a 200-by-85-foot field and seating for 9,681 fans.

David Bascome MBE is a retired association football forward who is currently the head coach of the Baltimore Blast in the Major Arena Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kai Haaskivi</span> Finnish footballer and coach (born 1955)

Kai Haaskivi is a retired Finnish soccer player. He starred in the North American Soccer League, playing outdoor as well as indoor soccer. He also played for the Finland national football team. He now coaches in the United States.

Willingboro High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Willingboro Township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Willingboro Public Schools.

Arthur "Tony" Bellinger is an American former soccer defender who played both in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played seven games with the United States men's national soccer team.

Matt Knowles is a former U.S. soccer defender who spent most of his career playing indoor soccer. However, he also spent time in the American Professional Soccer League in the early 1990s and Major League Soccer.

Vojislav "Scoop" Stanisic is a retired soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He was most recently the goalkeeping coach for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer. He spent most of his career playing indoor soccer in the United States, but also played five outdoor seasons in the American Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and USISL. He earned one cap with the US national team in 1993.

Gino DiFlorio is an Italian-Canadian former professional soccer player who had an extensive indoor career in North America during the 1990s. Since 2020 he is the Technical Director at the Capital Area Soccer Association (CASA) in Harrisburg, PA. From 2001 to 2020, he was the director of coaching at the youth soccer club in Eastern Pennsylvania called HMMS.

Zoran Karić is a retired Yugoslavian soccer forward who began his career with FK Partizan before spending seventeen seasons playing indoor soccer in the United States. He was the 1988 MISL Rookie of the Year, 1992 MISL leading scorer, 1994 NPSL MVP, and a nine time, first team All Star.

Doug Miller is an American youth soccer coach and retired soccer player. He spent one season in Major Indoor Soccer League and nine in the National Professional Soccer League as a forward, winning two championships and leading the league in scoring in 1998–99. Miller also played ten seasons of outdoor soccer in the USISL and A-League. He was the 1996 and 1997 USISL A-League leading scorer and 1997 league MVP. He also won one U.S. Open Cup.

Richard Chinapoo is a former footballer from Trinidad who had an extensive career, primarily in the United States. Chinapoo spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League, eight in the National Professional Soccer League and at least eight in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played with the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

John F. Kennedy High School is a defunct public high school in Willingboro Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States that operated from 1962 to 1989, as part of the Willingboro Township Public Schools. It operated first as Levittown High School, and was renamed in 1964 following the president's death.

Bernie Lilavois is an American soccer forward who played two seasons in the American Professional Soccer League, one in the USISL, one in the USL A-League, four in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, six in the National Professional Soccer League, and four in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was the head coach of the Stockton Cougars in the Professional Arena Soccer League and the head coach of the US National Arena Soccer Team. He is currently the head coach and a managing partner for the Ontario Fury. In 2024 Lilavois became the MLIS commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Dobson</span> English footballer

Stuart Dobson is an English retired footballer who played in various indoor soccer leagues in the United States. He currently serves as the goalkeeping coach for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship.

David Vaudreuil is an American former professional soccer player whose career spanned fifteen teams in over six leagues including seven seasons in Major League Soccer, winning two MLS Cups with DC United and a Mexican Pro Indoor championship with Puebla FC. He is the former head coach of the Atlanta Silverbacks and the Tulsa Roughnecks, and was an assistant coach with the New England Revolution. Vaudreuil is the owner and Head Coach of the UPSL Conquistadores in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

Charles Duccilli is an American former soccer forward who played in the North American Soccer League and American Soccer League who led the ASL in scoring in 1971 and 1972. He later coached at the professional, collegiate and youth levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochester Lancers (MASL)</span> Professional indoor soccer team in Rochester, New York

The Rochester Lancers are a professional indoor soccer team in the Major Arena Soccer League 2. The team is named in honor of the Rochester Lancers of the North American Soccer League. The team was active from November 2011 through March 2015. A new version of the team contested the 2018–19 Major Arena Soccer League 2 season; for 2019–20 the team moved back up to the MASL. After another two year hiatus the Lancers are in M2 for the 2022-23 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012–13 Harrisburg Heat season</span> Harrisburg Heat , 2012–13 PASL football season

The 2012–13 Harrisburg Heat season was the first season of the new Harrisburg Heat indoor soccer club. The Heat, an Eastern Division team in the Professional Arena Soccer League, played their home games in the Farm Show Arena at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, owned by Harrisburg Heat Sports Group, LLC, was led by general manager David Grimaldi, head coach Richard Chinapoo, and assistant coach Gino DiFlorio.

Denison Cabral is a retired Brazilian-American soccer forward /midfielder who played professionally in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League and USISL. He played three games for the United States national futsal team at the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup, scoring one goal for the American team. In 2007 the Brazilian-American participated in his first official FIFA event as a member of the US Futsal Men's team in the 2007 Pan American games in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Denison served as the captain of the United States national futsal Team in the world cup qualifying tournament CONCACAF in Guatemala 2008.

The 2013–14 Harrisburg Heat season was the second season of the new Harrisburg Heat indoor soccer club. The Heat, an Eastern Division team in the Professional Arena Soccer League, played their home games in the 2,200 seat Equine Arena at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

References

  1. Cuneo, Ed. "Duccilli, Lewis, Grimaldi relive time when Kennedy was king", Courier-Post , March 17, 1990. Accessed January 27, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Yes, the Kennedy High School boys' soccer team in the mid-1970s was something special. And last night three members of that team relived that time when, from 1972 to 1974, Kennedy had no peer in South Jersey and few in the state. Former Kennedy coach Charlie Duccilli, forward Cleve Lewis and midfielder David Grimaldi were inducted last night along with former Cinnaminson coach Jay Phillips, former Willingboro youth coach Al Caseiro, Pine Hill youth coach Charlie Kellogg, former Millville goalie Trey Beck, former Sterling forward Dave Rauer and South Jersey Amateur Men's Soccer League commissioner Jim Moyer."
  2. NISL Appoinst David Grimaldi as Commissioner
  3. "HEAT TO BRING BACK PROFESSIONAL INDOOR SOCCER TO HARRISBURG". Harrisburg Heat Sports Group, LLC. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.