Glory Taylor
July 2010
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How long have you been coaching with Elite Soccer?
Since 2007
What other job do you currently hold?
Personal Trainer /Instructor and work some at an atrium
What is your favorite part of coaching with Elite Soccer?
Hearing from parents and players about the having a positive impact. Feeling like I make a difference with families and players through coaching is just awesome. Having relationships with good peeps is important in life.
What is your favorite part of coaching youth players?
Planting seeds of motivation and getting player to push themselves, realize their potential and to know every time they walk onto the field they can be the best player they have ever been.
Where were you born?
Des Plaines, IL
Where did you grow up and what high school did you attend?
I grew up in Des Plaines, IL and attended Elk Grove HS
Where did you go to college, and what was your degree in?
Robert Morris University BA in Business Management/Administration
Soccer playing experience-
Youth- Arsenal, Sidekicks, Eclipse, ODP
High School- Elk Grove HS, All-Conference, All-Sectional
College- Robert Morris University, All Conference, Top 5 Goal Scorer for the league, Team attended NAIA National Tournament 3 years in a row with 4th place as our best team result.
What position did you play?
I played forward, once in a while I played outside/center mid
What other coaching experience do you have?
Coached for Arsenal, sports r us and Kids 1st: Coached basketball, softball/baseball and soccer
What is your best soccer memory?
More than anything my best memories are from showing up and pushing myself at practice everyday downtown at UIC (our home field) with the Chicago skyline in the background. We had Italian ice on Taylor St on hot days.
My first appearance at the NAIA National Tournament in Santa Barbara, CA, We played along the shoreline on a beautiful field. At one of our night games an extremely thick fog rolled in and we could barely see 10 feet in front of us. We had tough competition and I somehow played an outstanding game despite playing into the unknown fog.
What is the best soccer game you've ever seen?
Well the best game for me was South Korea vs USA Womens Team. Mia Hamm knocked down a goal kick from S Korea with her head put the ball a few feet in front of her and rocked the ball in the net. They scored a lot of goals, played as a team and I remember being so proud to see women with such good skill and toughness and a huge crowd. Maybe not the best level but definitely the most motivational game I’ve ever seen.
If you couldn't play soccer, what sport would you like to be good at?
Basketball or hockey
What is your favorite pro soccer team or player?
My favorite player is Pele (Dico). He is really the person to put soccer on the map in the USA. He brought a tenacious, aggressive and creative style that had people tuning the World Cup on t.v. in black and white in 1958.
What made you get into coaching?
Soccer is such a big part of my life, I feel very passionate about what it takes to improve, to be an athlete and the dynamics of teamwork. It is the most natural thing I could do and it allows me to give back to the sport I love. Plus I like having fun and I working with the kids because it keeps me youthful, so coaching has been perfect for me.
What is your favorite:
Movie? Three way tie between Back to the Future, Sleeping Beauty and The Golden Child
Food? Seafood and fruit
Book? Leviathan, The Myths of Art and I really like a lot of collective Poetry books with authors like Erza Pound, Walk Whitman, Pablo Neruda, E.E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, etc.
Restaurant? Tsu Kasa in Vernon Hills or Le Vichyssois in Lakemoor, IL
Sports Team? My favorite team is any Chicago team Da Bears, Da Fire, Da Hawks, Da Bulls and Da White Sox (Da Cubs are ok too!)
What is the most interesting place you have ever lived?
Well I haven’t lived any place super interesting but I spent 2 ½ wks in Puerto Rico. It was the first time I ever experienced bioluminescence (green and yellow glowing algae in the water ).
What is the coolest place you have ever visited?
Jamaica or Hawaii, they both have beautiful natural vegetation and amazing snorkeling.
What is one place you want to visit?
Australia and New Zealand
Do you have any pets?
I have 2 dogs. Taco a super fluffy white male Pomeranian, he is 7months old. I also have Gunny a 11week old sable male Pomeranian. I love my boys!
What other jobs have you held?
I worked at a hospital in the heart and oncology centers as a Patient Care Ambassador
I was great in sales for a few years and I still love singing/performing.
If you could be any superhero, which superhero would you be and why?
I think I would have to make a new one. Ace Kickster, A person in an Aces uniform with skeleton face paint who is super strong, sonic fast, fly’s through the air and bicycle kicks soccer balls at evil doers.
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
I like Motown, Rock n Roll, Hip hop, R&b, Reggae, Classic rock, Alternative, Rap and Oldies
If you could make up a team name and/or mascot, what would it be and why?
Chicago Glory, with a comet or shooting star as a mascot and logo
What was your favorite subject in school?
Physical or Social Science
Tell us about your family:
I grew up with a family of five. I have an older sister Heather, a younger brother George and my parents George and Gloria. My family has always been very close, athletic and competitive. My sister is married to Dan Klaus who is head coach at Elk Grove HS and they have two children my niece Camden 2, and my nephew Karsten 5. The family all kicks the ball around and I have nicknamed us Team Awesome!
Did anything funny and/or embarrassing ever happen to you while playing soccer?
I scored a really sweet diving header but seconds after went face first into the goal post, and knocked myself out cold. When I came to, I was missing some of my teeth.
If you could be another Elite Soccer trainer for a day, who would you be and why?
That is a hard question, maybe Stein or Brendan because they are very accomplished coaches. Otherwise coach Wes, so I can say I’m the Jamaican coach or John Fox so I can be as smart as a fox for a day.
What is your best Elite Soccer memory?
Another hard question because I have so many. I remember how proud I was of the U11G Team for winning 1st place in the Rockford Tournament, Matt Meyer and Coach Chrissy always making me laugh, U14G taking 2nd place, watching a pre k player Aiden score his first goal, summer camp playing Tails, so many players that make it to the next level of play. I could write a book with thousands of “the best” memories with Elite players and staff.
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