Mark Demling
Encyclopedia
Mark Demling is a former U.S. soccer defender
who currently coaches high school soccer. Demling spent seven seasons in the North American Soccer League
and one in Major Indoor Soccer League
.
beginning to play soccer when he was seven at St. Thomas More parish in the C.Y.C. league. He played Junior soccer for St. Philip Neri winning the National Junior Cup title in the 1968-69 season. He attended St. Louis University High School, graduating in 1970. He then entered St. Louis University where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1970 to 1973. He immediately made an impact on the team, becoming a starter his freshman season. That year, the Billikens won the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
. St. Louis U would lose in the NCAA final in 1971. The team repeated as champions in 1972 and 1973, the last season with Demling as team captain. The Billikens have named an annual award after Demling, given to the soccer player who gives his most to the team.http://slubillikens.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/041607aaa.html St. Louis University inducted Demling into its Hall of Fame in 1999.
(NASL) selected Demling with its first draft pick. He played from 1974 to 1978 with the Earthquakes. However, he lost the entire 1975 season due to a broken leg suffered in the 1975 NASL Indoor Final. In 1978, the Earthquakes traded Demling to the San Diego Sockers after only two games. While he then played twelve games with the Sockers through the remainder of the 1978 season, he saw time in only one game in 1979. In 1980, he was back in San Jose where he played a single game with the Earthquakes. In 1980, he left the NASL and signed with the San Francisco Fog
of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Fog lasted only one season before moving to Kansas City
to become the Kansas City Comets
.
and Patrick
sportswear. He has also managed a shoe distribution center in Hayward, California
.
, taking the team to the Valley Junior High School Athletic League championship. On May 9, 2000, St. Francis High School hired Demling as its boy’s soccer coach.
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who currently coaches high school soccer. Demling spent seven seasons in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and one in Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
.
Youth and college
Demling grew up in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
beginning to play soccer when he was seven at St. Thomas More parish in the C.Y.C. league. He played Junior soccer for St. Philip Neri winning the National Junior Cup title in the 1968-69 season. He attended St. Louis University High School, graduating in 1970. He then entered St. Louis University where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1970 to 1973. He immediately made an impact on the team, becoming a starter his freshman season. That year, the Billikens won the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
. St. Louis U would lose in the NCAA final in 1971. The team repeated as champions in 1972 and 1973, the last season with Demling as team captain. The Billikens have named an annual award after Demling, given to the soccer player who gives his most to the team.http://slubillikens.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/041607aaa.html St. Louis University inducted Demling into its Hall of Fame in 1999.
Club career
In 1973, the expansion San Jose Earthquakes of the North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL) selected Demling with its first draft pick. He played from 1974 to 1978 with the Earthquakes. However, he lost the entire 1975 season due to a broken leg suffered in the 1975 NASL Indoor Final. In 1978, the Earthquakes traded Demling to the San Diego Sockers after only two games. While he then played twelve games with the Sockers through the remainder of the 1978 season, he saw time in only one game in 1979. In 1980, he was back in San Jose where he played a single game with the Earthquakes. In 1980, he left the NASL and signed with the San Francisco Fog
San Francisco Fog (MISL)
The San Francisco Fog was a Major Indoor Soccer League franchise which existed for only one season, 1980-1981.-History:The Fog, which played their home games at the Cow Palace, finished their single season of existence at 11-29...
of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Fog lasted only one season before moving to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
to become the Kansas City Comets
Kansas City Comets
The Kansas City Comets were a professional indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. They played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979–1991, when they folded...
.
Sports clothing
After retiring from the Fog, Demling entered the apparel industry. He has sold soccer shoes and clothing for NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and Patrick
Patrick (shoe company)
Patrick is a sportswear company headquartered in Oudenaarde, East Flanders, Belgium.-History:Patrick, originally Patrick-Chaussures Techniques, was founded by Patrice Beneteau in 1892...
sportswear. He has also managed a shoe distribution center in Hayward, California
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
.
Broadcaster
Demling has also served as a radio and television soccer broadcaster. In 1996, he was hired to provide TV commentary for the San Jose Clash.Coaching
In 1999, Demling coached eighth grade soccer at Blach Junior High School in Los Altos, CaliforniaLos Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
, taking the team to the Valley Junior High School Athletic League championship. On May 9, 2000, St. Francis High School hired Demling as its boy’s soccer coach.