In the latest edition of 'Where Are They Now', Soccer Banter was able to speak with former Charlton Athletic and MLS goalkeeper Mike Ammann. After retiring in 2002, Ammann took some time away from the game, but recently has started 247GK Academy, training some of the top goalkeepers in Northern Virginia. Besides speaking about his own career, it's refreshing to see all that Ammann is doing for 3-year old Malia Jusczyk who has been diagnosed with a very aggressive childhood cancer known as stage IV neuroblastoma. Though Ammann has never met Malia or her parents, he has started a program called Saves for Malia which raises money to help off-set her growing medical costs. Some great answers from Ammann below and you can follow him on twitter @247GK
Soccer Banter: When you first retired from MLS in 2002 due to injuries, you moved away from the game, but recently you have started 247GK Academy, what brought you back to soccer?
Mike Ammann: Retiring through injury and not going out on your own terms is never easy to deal with. I had some personal reasons for staying away from the game, but I am over that and excited to be involved in soccer again. My oldest son, Arie, decided to start playing in goal and I felt it was my duty to start training him. In doing so I started a goalkeeping academy as I noticed a lack of quality goalkeeper training in our area. We have quickly grown and have now trained about 150 goalkeepers in Northern Virginia alone. I am in some discussions currently to expand things so stay tuned...
SB: After starting 247 GK Academy, this past Spring you spent time working with the U17 US National Team, what are your own professional coaching goals now?
MA: The U17 opportunity was a special time for me. Paul Grafer U17 Assistant and GK Coach, reached out to me and invited me down to help out. I really enjoyed my time with Erik Imler and the staff and players and would welcome the opportunity to do it again in the future. As for my coaching goals now, I am very interested in growing my business and mentoring former players that are interested in coaching. As I said earlier, there is more to come on this soon.
SB: Your first professional club, Charlton Athletic has not had the best of years lately, but are enjoying a great start to the League One season, what was your best memory of your time in London?
Soccer Banter: When you first retired from MLS in 2002 due to injuries, you moved away from the game, but recently you have started 247GK Academy, what brought you back to soccer?
Mike Ammann: Retiring through injury and not going out on your own terms is never easy to deal with. I had some personal reasons for staying away from the game, but I am over that and excited to be involved in soccer again. My oldest son, Arie, decided to start playing in goal and I felt it was my duty to start training him. In doing so I started a goalkeeping academy as I noticed a lack of quality goalkeeper training in our area. We have quickly grown and have now trained about 150 goalkeepers in Northern Virginia alone. I am in some discussions currently to expand things so stay tuned...
SB: After starting 247 GK Academy, this past Spring you spent time working with the U17 US National Team, what are your own professional coaching goals now?
MA: The U17 opportunity was a special time for me. Paul Grafer U17 Assistant and GK Coach, reached out to me and invited me down to help out. I really enjoyed my time with Erik Imler and the staff and players and would welcome the opportunity to do it again in the future. As for my coaching goals now, I am very interested in growing my business and mentoring former players that are interested in coaching. As I said earlier, there is more to come on this soon.
SB: Your first professional club, Charlton Athletic has not had the best of years lately, but are enjoying a great start to the League One season, what was your best memory of your time in London?
MA: I have followed Charlton very closely since leaving and yes there have been plenty of highs and lows since I left. My two years with them were great years and had I been a little more mature during that time and realized the opportunity being presented then I might have stayed a little longer. My best memory would have to be playing in my first game. I was on the bench for the first home game of the season against Barnsley. About 10 minutes in Mike Salmon was injured and had to come off. So there I am thrown in at the deep end and the rest was history. We ended up with a 1-1 draw and my professional career was underway. From there I had the opportunity to play against some great players, great clubs, learn from great coaches in Alan Curbishley, Steve Gritt, Keith Peacock, Les Reed and Bob Bolder, but most importantly learn what it's like to be pro.
SB: You left Charlton to come back to the US for the launch of MLS in 1996, looking back now, what was it like as an American helping with the launch of professional soccer in the United States?
MA: It was strange for sure. I signed with Kansas City and we were constantly answering questions about soccer and explaining how our league was different from Indoor Soccer. I would not exchange my experiences during my playing years in MLS and look back with fond memories. The early days we had the shootout, which was obviously different from anything around the world. As players we went through a lot as we fought to gain an identity and attempt to put the players in a better position. In my years since retirement and working in Corporate America, I have gained a different appreciation for the business side of the game as well as the sport in general. As a player you are only concerned about yourself and doing what you can for your team. When you step away from inside the ropes you see the big picture and start to understand why certain decisions are made. I am sure there are people within the league that would do things different back in those early days but, they were all trying to do what was right for the league. They are making great strides and the league is taking off which is great to see.
SB: MLS is a much different league today than when you left it in 2002. What are your thoughts on the growth of the league, the soccer specific stadiums, the level of players, etc today? Did you think that the league would be able to grow as it has in the past 10 years?
SB: You left Charlton to come back to the US for the launch of MLS in 1996, looking back now, what was it like as an American helping with the launch of professional soccer in the United States?
MA: It was strange for sure. I signed with Kansas City and we were constantly answering questions about soccer and explaining how our league was different from Indoor Soccer. I would not exchange my experiences during my playing years in MLS and look back with fond memories. The early days we had the shootout, which was obviously different from anything around the world. As players we went through a lot as we fought to gain an identity and attempt to put the players in a better position. In my years since retirement and working in Corporate America, I have gained a different appreciation for the business side of the game as well as the sport in general. As a player you are only concerned about yourself and doing what you can for your team. When you step away from inside the ropes you see the big picture and start to understand why certain decisions are made. I am sure there are people within the league that would do things different back in those early days but, they were all trying to do what was right for the league. They are making great strides and the league is taking off which is great to see.
SB: MLS is a much different league today than when you left it in 2002. What are your thoughts on the growth of the league, the soccer specific stadiums, the level of players, etc today? Did you think that the league would be able to grow as it has in the past 10 years?
MA: The league is leaps and bounds better. The soccer specific stadiums are a major contributor to this as we now have a proper atmosphere and the supporters have a place to call home. I played in front of 55,000 in the Rose Bowl against the Galaxy and it felt dead. We played on July 4th weekend in Denver and there was 65,000 and all they cared about was the fireworks show after the game. While the numbers are great, the players and true supporters can now add that extra bit of excitement as the atmosphere helps get things started. Players enjoy that and will give that little bit more as the crowd helps liven things up.
The level of players is better across the board as well. I think in the early days, each team had four or five very good players and the rest were average. Now you have some depth, not a lot due to expansion, but there is better talent across the rosters. This is due to the fact that younger players are getting better coaching at the club level, college programs continue to prepare players and MLS teams are in a better situation to train players. When I was in Kansas City we would show up at the gym in the morning and then be told what field we were training at. Sometimes a park, sometimes a high school, a junior college or the Chiefs practice facility. Times have changed for the better and I hope we continue to see positive changes. I think growth will come with the Academy structure around the country and as MLS teams add younger age groups and start to develop them and invest in their youth setups.
SB: Besides some of the memorable uniforms of the Wizards and Metrostars, what is the most memorable moment of your career in MLS?
MA: I'd say playing in the 2000 All Star game was a great weekend and experience. It was great to have my wife and two boys there. Then there was the infamous Diallo incident, which has had some talk. My first game back after that incident was very memorable due to all the things I went through and to come back in the playoffs was a great rush.
SB: Who was the best teammate you ever played with?
The level of players is better across the board as well. I think in the early days, each team had four or five very good players and the rest were average. Now you have some depth, not a lot due to expansion, but there is better talent across the rosters. This is due to the fact that younger players are getting better coaching at the club level, college programs continue to prepare players and MLS teams are in a better situation to train players. When I was in Kansas City we would show up at the gym in the morning and then be told what field we were training at. Sometimes a park, sometimes a high school, a junior college or the Chiefs practice facility. Times have changed for the better and I hope we continue to see positive changes. I think growth will come with the Academy structure around the country and as MLS teams add younger age groups and start to develop them and invest in their youth setups.
SB: Besides some of the memorable uniforms of the Wizards and Metrostars, what is the most memorable moment of your career in MLS?
MA: I'd say playing in the 2000 All Star game was a great weekend and experience. It was great to have my wife and two boys there. Then there was the infamous Diallo incident, which has had some talk. My first game back after that incident was very memorable due to all the things I went through and to come back in the playoffs was a great rush.
SB: Who was the best teammate you ever played with?
MA: This can be viewed as a loaded question. The best teammate was Billy Walsh. Billy may not have been the best player in the league, but there was no one that knew the game better. We spent a lot of quality time off the field talking about the game and the sport needs more people like him.
SB: Tim Howard has been the answer for the US Men's National team for some time now, which goalkeepers do you see as potential replacement for him in future years?
MA: Timmy has been outstanding for the US and has carried the flag after Brad Friedel. As for potential replacements, there is a big drop which is concerning. Personally I would like to see some of these younger goalkeepers get to play in these friendly matches to gain experience. We don't know what a Bill Hamid can do. We don't know if a Josh Saunders or Dan Kennedy could step into that role. Personally I think Josh and Dan have had breakout years and are fantastic goalkeepers. Bill is very young and has made great strides under Pat Onstad's leadership. He has himself fit and it would be great to see him progress, but we don't know until they are thrown into the fire.
SB: Last question, let's have a little fun with it. You are named as Coach of an MLS team tomorrow...you can have your pick of any players currently in the league. Pick a GK, defender, midfielder, forward...your first four players so to speak to start your team?
MA: Well if I was looking to win straight away or build a team I might do things differently. To win right now I would start with Kevin Hartman in goal, Jeff Larentowicz, Brek Shea and Eric Hassli. Two studs that you can consistently count on to show up and play day in and day out and then two creative players that are not afraid to do something different. Brek and Eric are two players that remind me of Dempsey in that they try to attack the right way. Don't be a robot and try something different.
I'd fill in the rest of the team with hard workers that know their role and don't have an ego. I think we'd do ok...
SB: Tim Howard has been the answer for the US Men's National team for some time now, which goalkeepers do you see as potential replacement for him in future years?
MA: Timmy has been outstanding for the US and has carried the flag after Brad Friedel. As for potential replacements, there is a big drop which is concerning. Personally I would like to see some of these younger goalkeepers get to play in these friendly matches to gain experience. We don't know what a Bill Hamid can do. We don't know if a Josh Saunders or Dan Kennedy could step into that role. Personally I think Josh and Dan have had breakout years and are fantastic goalkeepers. Bill is very young and has made great strides under Pat Onstad's leadership. He has himself fit and it would be great to see him progress, but we don't know until they are thrown into the fire.
SB: Last question, let's have a little fun with it. You are named as Coach of an MLS team tomorrow...you can have your pick of any players currently in the league. Pick a GK, defender, midfielder, forward...your first four players so to speak to start your team?
MA: Well if I was looking to win straight away or build a team I might do things differently. To win right now I would start with Kevin Hartman in goal, Jeff Larentowicz, Brek Shea and Eric Hassli. Two studs that you can consistently count on to show up and play day in and day out and then two creative players that are not afraid to do something different. Brek and Eric are two players that remind me of Dempsey in that they try to attack the right way. Don't be a robot and try something different.
I'd fill in the rest of the team with hard workers that know their role and don't have an ego. I think we'd do ok...
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