Buzz Lagos is the face of Minnesota soccer. He was the head coach of the Minnesota Thunder for sixteen seasons, and the Thunder have only been around for twenty years. Lagos is passionate, determined, and spirited about the game of soccer. He was part of a soccer organization that was around longer than most soccer clubs in North America. The Minnesota Thunder dissolved away in 2009.
In 2005, Buzz Lagos stepped down as the Thunder coach in order to lead young, immigrant players (mainly from Somalia) at Higher Ground Academy in St. Paul. Most of the players are eighteen or nineteen years old from Africa who know little English. Most of these players come to Minnesota from East African refugee camps.
Why would Lagos give up the Thunder to coach an under nineteen soccer team? Some might consider him crazy, but Lagos thinks of it as a promotion and a great opportunity to challenge, to help, and to inspire these young boys. Some of the players have said that they would have never attended college without the assistance of coach Buzz Lagos on and off the field.
He is a very humble, generous person. He washes the team uniforms. Plus, after the games, he gives each player a ride home, which can take up to a couple of hours. He does whatever it takes to help his players on the soccer field improve their abilities. Also, Lagos knows the players have other responsibilities besides soccer, so he tries to be flexible and assist them in any way he can.
These immigrant players come from one of the most dangerous countries in the world (Somalia), and Buzz Lagos is giving his time to provide these athletes with a safe, friendly environment to play soccer. All the players love their coach for what he has done for them. Buzz Lagos gave up his professional coaching career in order to give hope and brighter futures to young, teenage athletes.
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