DUSL History - The Dublin Story

Article taken from CYSA Newsletter "Korner Kicks" - January 1971 (9th edition, 2nd year)

The Dublin Story
The story of how a small community developed one of the most
successful youth soccer programs in the United States.

One man alone cannot develop a great program, but often it is the spirit and drive of one man which propels such efforts.
Ed Hardy, a fiery, red-headed school teacher from Duxbury, Mass., is such a man -- the driving force of human energy that propelled the Dublin, California, soccer program into existence.
"Soccer is the best sport and offers the widest opportunity for all types of boys and girls to compete on an equal basis." Hardy told this reporter.
Hardy went on to point out that even though he was a basketball and baseball nut, soccer provides the elementary classroom teacher with the best opportunity to involve the most kids at any one time in an activity that provides the best type of exercise for their physical fitness. "Basketball only has five at a time playing and in baseball there is too much of just standing around."
"Don't get me wrong," Hardy emphasized, "I don't see the day when soccer will replace any traditional American sport; however, it shouldn't expect to, but it should and will take its place as a respected sport like swimming, track and field, and basketball. Soccer has too much to offer those boys who are not suited for football, basketball, etc. It is the best team sport for the small fellow."
Ed labored in 1964, 1965 and 1966 single-handedly with first one and then two teams in the Alameda-Contra Costa Junior Soccer League.
"In 1967, when seventy boys turned out, I had to do something so I advertised in the newspaper a general meeting of parents and boys." A total of 200 boys and 20 dads signed up to start the V.C.S.D (Valley Community Services District) Dublin Soccer League.
"Our foundation was with the help of such guys as Marvin Inns, Dan Rodrigues, Kelly Walters' dad, and Ray Watkins," Ed recalled.
Hardy is committed to the belief that the cornerstone to Dublin's success is, "We guarentee each boy and his parent that the boy will have an equal share of playing time. We do this by dividing play into quarters and only allowing substitutions in between quarters, we demand in our rules that each boy play at least one full quarter."
"Our basic program is and will continue to be a fall only session; however, in the last two years a few boys and coaches have wanted to play in the spring so we had to look to other leagues to place these teams."
Hardy added that another reason he thought that Dublin had achieved success was that "We organize each team in the Dublin League around a small neighborhood area and they play in that area." This, he pointed out, allows Papa to just go down the street to see his boy play without travelling which means more parents turning out and more enthusiasm which causes a feeling of close unity even though each coach is competing fiercely to improve his team.
Ed Hardy not only started soccer in Dublin; as a student he and a friend started the program at North Adams State Teachers College in Massachusetts after which he "pulled a Bronson" and travelled around the United States. Ed hastens to note that no one should believe all that TV glamour about what fun bumming around can be, "I used to be a shy guy, but I got so lonely, I would deliberately sit with the only other person in a cafe just for some conversation."
Finishing his college work at San Jose State, Ed took his first teaching job in Dublin in 1963 where he has been ever since. Ed's travels and teaching experience have given him a true appreciation for the value of human beings, particularly young people and their need for positive guidance from adults who can help them develop a sense of honest competition without self doubts when they have been beaten by a better team. Ed is not afraid to tell anyone that he doesn't belong in coaching if he can't display these qualities to the players.

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