Former soccer great coaches Quakers goalkeeper

For the past three years, goalkeepers coach and soccer legend Bob Rigby has devoted his fall afternoons to the Penn men's and women's soccer teams. After spending years playing with some of soccer's greatest, Rigby now uses his all-star background to improve the Quakers' keepers. Rigby played collegiate soccer at East Stroudsburg where he earned All-American honors as a senior and was selected to the inaugural Senior Bowl. A year later in 1973, the Philadelphia Atoms of the then upstart North American Soccer League drafted Rigby with their first round selection. Playing alongside current Penn men's soccer coach George O'Neill, a former professional in Scotland, Rigby earned national recognition when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated after Philadelphia defeated Dallas in the Soccer Bowl his rookie year. "We pulled a big upset, and I was surprised as everybody else to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated," Rigby said. "You don't realize the impact of being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Even 25 years later, I get 10 or 15 of those sent to me a year to sign and send back to people." In his 13-year professional career in the NASL, Rigby played with and against soccer's greatest, including PelZ. From 1974 to 1982, Rigby traveled around the world as a member of the U.S. National Team. Rigby was also one of the first Americans to be offered a professional soccer job overseas. When the NASL folded in the mid-1980s, Rigby ended his professional career and opted to coach high school soccer. A year later, Rigby got out of soccer all together. "I was burned out and did not want to be around the game at all," Rigby said. "I missed it, and I enjoyed teaching and training goalkeepers. I wanted to do it on my terms. I didn't enjoy the other aspects of a coach's life." O'Neill had kept in contact with Rigby and admired his character, and a few years later, he offered Rigby the position as goalkeeping coach. "I can't say enough about him," O'Neill said. "He is a magnificent human being. He is a perfect athlete. The leadership, character and integrity that he has as a human being he takes to the training field. He is a great person to be around." Rigby credits his success through his hard work. His coaching style mimics his philosophy. Using on-field demonstrations as well as working out with the players he coaches, Rigby works hard to get the most out of the players. "As a goalkeeper I always went at it very intensely," Rigby said. "The kids work real hard. One of the tenets for me is that you have to train your butt off. The position demands that." The players respect Rigby and are aware of the difficulty of his practices. "You want to die afterwards," Penn sophomore goalkeeper Mike O'Connor said. "A couple of guys have thrown up afterwards. It is crazy, but it is worth it. After that you are ready for anything. He pushes you to your limit." Rigby's style has created a large impact on Penn's soccer programs. Quakers women's soccer coach Patrick Baker credits much of the development of the women goalkeepers to Rigby. "He treats every goalkeeper the same. From our standpoint, having our girls train with the guys is great, because he pushes our group just as he does the men's team," Baker said. "I think that has been a huge reason why two out of the last three years the most improved player on our team has been the goalkeeper." As for the men's team, O'Connor became the first Quaker to receive Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors as well as being selected to the All-Mid-Atlantic Team. The sophomore goalkeeper credits Rigby for part of his success last season and as being one of the main factors in his decision to come to Penn. "He mentally prepares you," O'Connor said. "Division I soccer is a lot different than high school. From day one, he works you to the brink of exhaustion. By game time, you are ready for anything. He was very instrumental in getting me ready for the next level." Rigby not only spends time motivating young soccer players but also young adults. During the day, Rigby works at a high school crisis center for kids affected by addiction, depression and abuse. "When I looked around and there were a lot of kids in school that were struggling academically, behaviorally, and every which way," Rigby said. "The schools were pretty brain dead when it came to the issues that were precluding these kids for doing well." Rigby has enjoyed his time helping the Penn goalkeepers and is impressed with the improvement of both teams. As person who understands first-hand the popularity of soccer, Rigby urges the students to endorse the Quakers' soccer teams by coming to Rhodes Field, tucked next to the expressway. "I think that they are both moving in a positive direction," Rigby said. "I would really like to see the students come down and support these teams. I think the kids deserve it and it is like a 12th player on the field. Even if your are not into soccer, it is about as rural of a setting that you are going to get in West Philadelphia."

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