 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kalamazoo Kangaroos" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
TheKalamazoo Kangaroos were anindoor soccer club based inKalamazoo, Michigan that competed in theAmerican Indoor Soccer Association.
The team was started in 1984 as one of the original members of the AISA. They played their games atWings Stadium[1] which seated 5,000 people and were coached in year one byChris Bartels.[2] The team was composed primarily of young, ex-college players with their first chance at professional play. Player assistant coach Mike Garrett had played in theMajor Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and was named the head coach midway through year two with the team in last place. Garrett led the team to a turnaround as they won most of their remaining games and made the playoffs. Key players were goalkeeperVictor Petroni (formerly of Kansas City in the MISL), leading goal scorerNeil Ridgway,Ted Powers, Dave Pierce (formerly of Wichita in the MISL) and player coach Mike Garrett. At the conclusion of year two, the team went defunct and most of the players moved on.
The top players played on other teams in the league, which had now become theNational Professional Soccer League (NPSL); Victor Petroni andPaul Kato with theLouisville Thunder, Neil Ridgway and Ted Powers with theToledo Pride. Garrett also moved on in mid season to become the head coach of the Toledo Pride. He coached that team to a turnaround from last place to third and into the playoffs. Pierce retired from professional soccer to pursue business interests.
Chris Bartels (1984–85) Mike Garrett (1985–86)| Year | Division | League | Reg. season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–85 | 2 | AISA | 4th | Semifinals | 2,083 | [3] |
| 1985–86 | 2 | AISA | 3rd | Semifinals | 1,734 | [4] |
  | This article about a soccer club from Michigan is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |