Garth Pollonais
Encyclopedia
Garth Pollonais is a retired Trinidad and Tobago football (soccer)
forward
who played professionally in both Trinidad and the United States.
in South Carolina
where he played four seasons of men’s soccer. He was a four-time All-American and scored 88 career goals, adding 40 assists. He graduated in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and was inducted into the Erskine Hall of Fame in 2001. In addition to playing collegiate soccer in the U.S., Pollonais also played for the St. Petersburg Kickers during the college off season. In 1989, the Kickers won the 1989 U.S. Open Cup
2-1 over Greek American AA
, with Pollonais scoring the first goal of the game. In 1990, the Kickers won the National Amateur Cup
.
selected Pollonais in the third round of the Major Indoor Soccer League
draft. However, the Atlanta Attack chose him in the first round of the National Professional Soccer League draft and Pollonais chose to sign with Atlanta. Pollonais was forced to wait to play his first game with the Attack as the team had its limit of foreign players. Not until he received his green card in January 1991 was he able to enter a game. In the summer of 1991, he played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the American Professional Soccer League
. In the fall of 1991, the Tulsa Ambush selected Pollonais in the NPSL expansion draft. In 1993, he played for the Malta Carib Alcons where he was the Eastern Region Player of the Year. In 1994, he played for the Charleston Battery
in the USISL. He moved to the Atlanta Magic
for the 1994-1995 indoor season before signing with the Raleigh Flyers in the spring of 1995.
. That year, he also became a coach with the Capital Area Soccer League
. In 2000, he left both Ravenscroft and CASL when Erskine College hired him to coach the school’s men’s soccer team. He was the 2000 Carolinas-Virginia Conference Coach of the Year. In 2001, he became the interim coach for the women’s team, a position he held for one season. In 2002, he was hired as the head coach of the Greenville Lions
of the USL D-3 Pro League. The team folded following the 2003 season.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who played professionally in both Trinidad and the United States.
Early career
Pollonais grew up in Trinidad. He attended St. Augustine Senior Secondary High School where he was captain of the boy’s soccer team in 1981 and the 1981 Trinidad and Tobago National High School Player of the Year. He also played for a variety of amateur teams including the Maple Soccer Club, Tacarigua United and Malt Carib Soccer Academy. In 1986, Pollonais entered Erskine CollegeErskine College
Erskine College is a four year, Christian liberal arts college located in Due West, South Carolina.-Early history:Established in 1839 by the Associate Reformed Synod of the South as an academy for men, Erskine College became the first four year, church-related college in South Carolina...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
where he played four seasons of men’s soccer. He was a four-time All-American and scored 88 career goals, adding 40 assists. He graduated in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and was inducted into the Erskine Hall of Fame in 2001. In addition to playing collegiate soccer in the U.S., Pollonais also played for the St. Petersburg Kickers during the college off season. In 1989, the Kickers won the 1989 U.S. Open Cup
1989 U.S. Open Cup
-Final:Tournament MVP: Joey Valenti-Sources:*St. Petersburg Times*St. Louis Post-Dispatch*Newsday*The Capital Times*Wisconsin State Journal*Daily Breeze*Chicago Sun-Times*Washington Post*The Dallas Morning News*Los Angeles Times...
2-1 over Greek American AA
Greek American AA
Greek American Atlas Astoria, commonly known as New York Greek American, is a soccer team from New York City that formed in 1941 by Tom Laris and went on to win four U.S. Open Cups. The team plays in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. Their reserve team is the Greek-American Atlas Reserves FC. The...
, with Pollonais scoring the first goal of the game. In 1990, the Kickers won the National Amateur Cup
National Amateur Cup
The National Amateur Cup is an American soccer competition open to all amateur teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation...
.
Professional
In July 1990, the Wichita WingsWichita Wings
This article is about the original team. For the current team, see Wichita Wings .The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979...
selected Pollonais in the third round of the 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...
draft. However, the Atlanta Attack chose him in the first round of the National Professional Soccer League draft and Pollonais chose to sign with Atlanta. Pollonais was forced to wait to play his first game with the Attack as the team had its limit of foreign players. Not until he received his green card in January 1991 was he able to enter a game. In the summer of 1991, he played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
. In the fall of 1991, the Tulsa Ambush selected Pollonais in the NPSL expansion draft. In 1993, he played for the Malta Carib Alcons where he was the Eastern Region Player of the Year. In 1994, he played for the Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in the USISL. He moved to the Atlanta Magic
Atlanta Magic
The Atlanta Magic were a soccer club that competed in the USISL from 1991 to 1996. The club originally started in 1991/92 in the indoor USISL league. They played in the 1992 USISL outdoor season as the Atlanta Datagraphic Magic, and the 1993 USISL outdoor season as the Atlanta Lasers...
for the 1994-1995 indoor season before signing with the Raleigh Flyers in the spring of 1995.
National team
Pollonais played for the Trinidad and Tobago U-18 national football team in 1981 and 1982. In 1984, he moved up to the U-21 national team. He later played for the full national team.Coach
Following his graduation from high school in 1981, Pollonais remained at St. Augustine to coach the boys’ soccer team, a position he held from 1982 to 1985. During his tenure, the team won the national championship and was a four-time Eastern Regional champion. In 1993, he returned to Trinidad where he was an assistant coach with the Malta Carib Alcons. In 1996 and 1997, Pollonais served as an assistant coach with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels men’s soccer team. In 1996, Pollonais began coaching at the Ravenscroft SchoolRavenscroft School
Ravenscroft School is an independent, formerly Episcopal, college preparatory school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It enrolls students from pre-school through grade 12...
. That year, he also became a coach with the Capital Area Soccer League
Capital Area Soccer League
The Capital Area Soccer League is an American soccer league located in North Carolina's capital, Raleigh. The league is home to over 800 men's, women's, and youth clubs from the Triangle area...
. In 2000, he left both Ravenscroft and CASL when Erskine College hired him to coach the school’s men’s soccer team. He was the 2000 Carolinas-Virginia Conference Coach of the Year. In 2001, he became the interim coach for the women’s team, a position he held for one season. In 2002, he was hired as the head coach of the Greenville Lions
Greenville Lions
Greenville Lions were an American soccer team, founded in 2001, and was a member of the United Soccer Leagues D-3 Pro League and Premier Development League , the third and fourth tiers of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2003, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The...
of the USL D-3 Pro League. The team folded following the 2003 season.