John Burrill profiled on Topdrawer
From Topdrawer soccer-
One person really can make a difference.
The FC Greater Boston Bolts was founded in 1986 by John Burrill. As the oldest soccer club in Massachusetts, it boasts a striking history of top level coaches and a reputable staff. John Burrill passed away on Sunday March 19, 2009, but his fingerprints remain on youth soccer in Massachusetts. It's undeniable that what club soccer is in Boston today can in large part be attributed to this one man's passion for club soccer.
At the time it was founded, the Greater Boston Bolts was amongst the very few youth soccer clubs in the state. It started out with just a couple of girls teams. The club was working in an infrastructure replete with an exceptional recreational set-up. The Greater Boston Bolts was born under much interaction, negotiations and diplomacy with these recreational programs. Burrill's notion was to take the quality of play and opportunities for coaching, competition and out-of-state travel to a higher level.
Recruiting players away from the town recreational programs was problematic. There existed a possessiveness of players that isn't uncommon for soccer programs. John Burrill worked tirelessly to put together an all-star staff that would draw these players to his club and spent hours talking to potential club players and recruiting coaches.
As a result of his persistence, the FC Greater Boston Bolts have been led by respected soccer figures such as Ed Kelly, head men's coach at Boston College, John Kerr, head men's coach at Duke University, and Brian Ainscough, head men's coach of Northeastern University. The club also attracted an impressive pedigree of staff coaches – former National Team Star Bruce Murray, England and Ipswich legend Paul Mariner and Former New England Revolution defensive Player of the Year, Francis Okaroh, among many others.
John Burrill also acted as a coach during his time with the FC Greater Boston Bolts. In 1994, the U19 team he had been leading since they were U11 won the US Youth Soccer national championship. That was be the first time a Massachusetts youth soccer team would accomplish that feat.
John Willett, past president and current board member of the FC Greater Boston Bolts, commented, "John was persuasive, had a good thing and was committed. One of the things John promoted was simplicity in the organization that allowed most of the attention to be placed on soccer." Burrill's focus was on the game of soccer and not the bureaucracy of the club organization, but there's no doubt that he considered the details of running the club capably and vigorously of no little importance.
Burrill left the FC Greater Boston Bolts to be the executive director for the Massachusetts State Association for youth soccer. He took his leadership skills and did for the MYSA what he so enthusiastically did for the club. Burrill tightened the budget, he put organization into the system, he began a registration system and made a video about sideline behavior for parents, that was distributed nationwide.
One of his most notable accomplishments was the overseeing of design, development and opening of the Progin Park Soccer Complex in Lancaster, Mass., where the 2009 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships will be held this coming July. Developments at the club level were sought at the state level. The MYSA is now one of the best and largest in the country, second only to California in size.
The FC Greater Boston Bolts established a scholarship in the name of John Burrill. The scholarship, which will provide full tuition, will awarded to one deserving player.
John Burrill's charisma and passion for elite youth club soccer in the state of Massachusetts will be sorely missed and we will surely reap from this one man's titanic efforts to create opportunities and esteem for Massachusetts club soccer.
From Topdrawer soccer-
One person really can make a difference.
The FC Greater Boston Bolts was founded in 1986 by John Burrill. As the oldest soccer club in Massachusetts, it boasts a striking history of top level coaches and a reputable staff. John Burrill passed away on Sunday March 19, 2009, but his fingerprints remain on youth soccer in Massachusetts. It's undeniable that what club soccer is in Boston today can in large part be attributed to this one man's passion for club soccer.
At the time it was founded, the Greater Boston Bolts was amongst the very few youth soccer clubs in the state. It started out with just a couple of girls teams. The club was working in an infrastructure replete with an exceptional recreational set-up. The Greater Boston Bolts was born under much interaction, negotiations and diplomacy with these recreational programs. Burrill's notion was to take the quality of play and opportunities for coaching, competition and out-of-state travel to a higher level.
Recruiting players away from the town recreational programs was problematic. There existed a possessiveness of players that isn't uncommon for soccer programs. John Burrill worked tirelessly to put together an all-star staff that would draw these players to his club and spent hours talking to potential club players and recruiting coaches.
As a result of his persistence, the FC Greater Boston Bolts have been led by respected soccer figures such as Ed Kelly, head men's coach at Boston College, John Kerr, head men's coach at Duke University, and Brian Ainscough, head men's coach of Northeastern University. The club also attracted an impressive pedigree of staff coaches – former National Team Star Bruce Murray, England and Ipswich legend Paul Mariner and Former New England Revolution defensive Player of the Year, Francis Okaroh, among many others.
John Burrill also acted as a coach during his time with the FC Greater Boston Bolts. In 1994, the U19 team he had been leading since they were U11 won the US Youth Soccer national championship. That was be the first time a Massachusetts youth soccer team would accomplish that feat.
John Willett, past president and current board member of the FC Greater Boston Bolts, commented, "John was persuasive, had a good thing and was committed. One of the things John promoted was simplicity in the organization that allowed most of the attention to be placed on soccer." Burrill's focus was on the game of soccer and not the bureaucracy of the club organization, but there's no doubt that he considered the details of running the club capably and vigorously of no little importance.
Burrill left the FC Greater Boston Bolts to be the executive director for the Massachusetts State Association for youth soccer. He took his leadership skills and did for the MYSA what he so enthusiastically did for the club. Burrill tightened the budget, he put organization into the system, he began a registration system and made a video about sideline behavior for parents, that was distributed nationwide.
One of his most notable accomplishments was the overseeing of design, development and opening of the Progin Park Soccer Complex in Lancaster, Mass., where the 2009 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships will be held this coming July. Developments at the club level were sought at the state level. The MYSA is now one of the best and largest in the country, second only to California in size.
The FC Greater Boston Bolts established a scholarship in the name of John Burrill. The scholarship, which will provide full tuition, will awarded to one deserving player.
John Burrill's charisma and passion for elite youth club soccer in the state of Massachusetts will be sorely missed and we will surely reap from this one man's titanic efforts to create opportunities and esteem for Massachusetts club soccer.
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