As a young boy, Tommy Adams attended boys' soccer games at Osborn Park High School, coached by Ken Krieger. He did so not as a fan, but as a forward in training.
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As a young boy, Tommy Adams attended boys' soccer games at Osborn Park High School, coached by Ken Krieger. He did so not as a fan, but as a forward in training.
When Adams got his turn to play for Krieger in high school, he wanted to learn the intricacies of the position. To that end, Adams turned his attention to Skip Skipwith, who will be a scoring threat up front for the Yellow Jackets. The tall, lean and fast All-State selection overpowered opponents in his senior season, scoring an area-high 24 goals and helping Osborn Park advance to the 1990 Group AAA state finals.
Adams, who modeled his game after Skipwith, believed Krieger knew what he wanted when they teamed up at Hilton. he didn't. His real education awaited him.
Like everyone who played for Krieger, talent alone was never enough, even with a large roster of players.
He wanted you to understand the game within the game to always stay one step ahead of your opponents. And no boys soccer coach in the history of Prince William County athletics has taught that to his players more.
Krieger passed away on March 4 at the age of 69 after a long battle with dementia. His celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. May 5 at the Howison Homestead Soccer Complex.
Krieger saw soccer as something to be played with poise and grace. His team has no kicks or chases.
His team ran at a fast and efficient pace with good spacing. One Touch's style was methodical and disciplined, with the right blend of deception and speed.
In general, Northern Virginia high school teams didn't play like that when Krieger was coaching. So he took it upon himself to teach players how to improve their games and play at a level that wows and creates something to emulate.
Using European teams as inspiration, as well as his time as an assistant at American University and George Mason University under Hall of Fame coaches Pete Mehlert and Gordon Bradley, Krieger teaches his players how to play the field. He demanded that everyone perform to their fullest potential.
It all started with proper positioning. He handles the ball from the back with patience and vision, exploiting multiple angles in an instant to attack the goal with mastery.
In Adams' case, Krieger communicated his aspirations with the help of basketball. He thought Krieger wanted Adams to see the field like a point guard on the court. When he received the ball, Adams considered his options. Go left. Go to the right. Go straight in the middle.
A standout guard on Hilton's basketball team, the 6-foot-3 Adams saw the soccer field in a new light. As a senior, he scored an area-high 28 goals and earned All-State honors in 1998 as the Bulldogs won their fourth and final state title under Coach Krieger.
Adams had a chance to play football at UVA or William & Mary, but instead signed with Hampton University for basketball. Adams felt he still had room to grow and that basketball would help him further develop, and he enjoyed his stellar career at the MEAC school.
He won the conference Player of the Year award and led the Pirates to two NCAA Tournament championships, including an upset win in 2001 when the No. 15 seed Pirates defeated No. 2 seed Iowa State in the first round. Ta.
Adams then attended preseason camps with three NBA teams (Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks) before beginning a seven-year professional career overseas.
But despite all his success, Adams never forgot what he learned under Krieger. It was more than just football. It was about trust. It was about humility. Most of all, it was about being open to new possibilities.
“His biggest influence on me was that he took natural athletes and taught them a completely different style of soccer,” Adams said.
impressive heritage
Krieger was a serious coach. With a deep voice and staccato delivery, Krieger got to the point quickly. He didn't mince words.
What he did was connect the dots the way any good teacher does, no matter the subject or sport. They take something foreign and turn it into a coherent story that any student can understand.
Yes, he was talented enough to do the job. The list includes Hilton graduate David Stokes, the 5th overall pick in the 2003 MLS Draft, Forest Park graduate CJ Sapong, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 MLS Draft, and Hilton alumni and parade oars Grover Gibson and Kyle. Contains Rakou. -American.
But having great players is another thing. It's another thing to know how to use these abilities to their fullest effect and consistently. Krieger easily managed the high expectations and personality challenges.
“He was the Phil Jackson of football,” Adams said of the head coach who won NBA titles with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's Los Angeles Lakers. “All egos [Ken] had to be dealt with. He had his own ego. But he took all those egos away and created something special. ”
Krieger compiled a 386-184-37 record in 30 seasons at three different high schools (Osborn Park, Hilton and Forest Park). His career wins rank fourth all-time among Virginia boys soccer coaches. He was the first boys soccer coach in Virginia history to lead three different programs to the state championship.
Overall, Krieger's three teams advanced to 11 state tournaments and won nine regional titles and 14 district titles.
Mr. Krieger began his coaching career at Osborn Park, then started programs after Hilton Park and Forest Park opened.
But Krieger's most successful career came during his nine seasons at Hilton. From 1992 to 2000, the Bulldogs won four Group AAA state titles (1993, '94, '98, '99) and two national championships (1993, '98). He was named the NSCAA/Adidas Division I High School Coach of the Year in 1999.
“I learned life lessons as a player from Coach Krieger,” Stokes said. “He was able to break down complex scenarios into understandable and actionable processes. For example, all of his players learned the importance of 'attention to detail' and when to 'keep it simple'.” I knew that. The vision and path he was able to create through coaching resulted in the only reasonable outcome: success. ”
To this day, Stokes can hear Krieger's advice in his head when he plays recreational soccer.
“I still remember the defensive principle: 'Watch the man and the ball,'” Stokes said. “He taught his players how to be effective individuals within an effective team. Above all, his influence has had a positive impact on the lives of many young people, including myself, and has made a positive impact on the lives of many young people, including myself. I think it gave us a sense of purpose and direction throughout our lives.”
Brian Albrecht agrees. Albrecht played for Krieger at Osborn Park and went on to star at James Madison University.
“He was always trying to learn new tactics and details to pass on to the players and the team to improve,” Albrecht said. “His love for the game was contagious as a player as he taught us new skills, ideas and tactics that made us all better. He is a legend.”
Coaches also learned a lot from Krieger.
When the Woodbridge school opened in 1991 and Hilton hired Krieger to start the program, Larry Nemerow replaced Krieger as head soccer coach at Osborn Park.
Nemerow saw Coach Krieger in person whenever possible, even if it meant going to Hilton games instead of scouting his next opponent. To absorb as many nuggets as he could, Nemerow took up a spot near Hilton's bench and listened to what Krieger said to his players.
Nemerow had a successful coaching career at OP, winning 299 games in 23 seasons. But when Krieger was coaching there, he always had trouble beating Hilton.
“Metaphorically speaking, he was probably the highest mountain in my 40 years of coaching, and I was always climbing to get to the top and compete with him,” Nemerow said. .
keep in touch
Krieger tried to keep an eye on his former players.
Albrecht recalled Krieger attending college games when JMU played at William & Mary in Williamsburg. Albrecht didn't know Krieger was there until after the game.
When the two caught up later, Albrecht told his former coach that he wished he had played at Krieger's standard. Krieger said nothing. He smiled and nodded in typical fashion, chuckling under his breath.
“Ken had a huge impact on my life because he made me, my peers, and my teammates accountable to each other, to the school, to him, and to ourselves,” Albrecht said. said. “In high school, there are a lot of decisions you have to make at a young age, but Ken always reminded us that he saw us no matter where we were. That mentality and leadership helped us It continued as we laced up our cleats and played the game Ken loved and we loved. When we were on the field, we fought for Krieger and played to Ken's level of expectation. did.”
Two days before Christmas, Albrecht and his wife visited Krieger at Poet's Walk, a memory care facility in Warrenton.
They laughed together for about an hour. Albrecht thanked Krieger for everything he had done for him. Albrecht once brought up a goal he scored with a bicycle kick against Woodbridge in his senior season, but the referee ruled the high kick was dangerous and disallowed it.
Albrecht thought Krieger recognized him as he spoke. But even if it doesn't, the memories will remain the same. So was the bond. Krieger remains a beloved coach. And Albrecht is an eternally grateful student.