Mike Garrett (soccer)

Mike Garrett (born April 14, 1961 in Washington, DC) is a retired American soccer player and current businessman.

Mike Garrett
Personal information
Full name Michael Garrett
Date of birth (1961-04-14) April 14, 1961
Place of birth Washington, D.C., United States
Height 5 ft 09 in (1.75 m)
Playing position(s) Forward / Midfielder
Youth career
1979–1981 George Mason Patriots
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1983 Memphis Americans (indoor) 57 (5)
1984 Buffalo Storm
1984–1986 Kalamazoo Kangaroos (indoor)
1987–1988 Toledo Pride (indoor)
Teams managed
1984–1985 Kalamazoo Kangaroos (assistant)
1985–1986 Kalamazoo Kangaroos
1987–1988 Toledo Pride
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

In 1979, Garrett graduated in from McLean High School. He then attended George Mason University where he played soccer for two and a half seasons. He turned professional in October 1981 after the Memphis Americans of the Major Indoor Soccer League drafted him in the first round of the 1981 collegiate draft.[1] In the summer of 1984, he played outdoor soccer with the Buffalo Storm of the United Soccer League.[2]

In 1984, he moved to the Kalamazoo Kangaroos of the American Indoor Soccer Association as a player and assistant coach. He was elevated to head coach midway through the 1985-1986 season. The team folded at the end of the season and in 1987 Garrett moved to the Toledo Pride as a player-coach.[3] Garrett was known as a player for his exceptional skill, ball control and dribbling. As a coach, he led both franchises he coached from a last place position to the playoffs.

He is the founder and of SoccerZone, a company that develops and operates indoor soccer facilities in Michigan and Indiana. The company had locations in Kalamazoo (Portage and Oshtemo), Lansing, Grand Rapids (Jenison) and Grand Blanc, Michigan and South Bend (Granger), Indiana.

In 2010, Garrett merged six of the SoccerZone locations into Let's Play (www.letsplaysoccer.com ) and the combined company currently has 25 locations across the country. Garrett is one of the owners, serves on the board for the company and focuses on expansion and finance.

He has also coached for TKO Premier Soccer (www.tkosoccer.org), a Kalamazoo, Michigan, youth soccer club, since 1985. He is married to Tina (Blount) Garrett, formerly of Gordonsville, Va. They have 2 children.

Garret is also the owner of the NPSL expansion team Kalamazoo FC in Kalamazoo, MI.

References
  1. Mason Soccer Player Picked by Memphis Washington Post, The (DC) - Tuesday, October 27, 1981
  2. SUN SINKS ON FIELD AND AT GATE Miami Herald, The (FL) - Thursday, May 24, 1984
  3. Businessmen Kick Up Interest in Toledo Pride
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