Kris Kelderman
Encyclopedia
Kris Kelderman was a U.S. soccer defender
who is currently the head coach for the UW–Green Bay Phoenix men's soccer team. Kelderman was a member of the U.S. team at the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
. He played professionally both indoors and out, including four seasons in Major League Soccer
and was an assistant coach for D.C. United
.
soccer team, eventually playing for his father at Neenah from 1983 to 1987. While still in high school, Kelderman was selected for the U.S. U-16 national team
which played in the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
. The U.S. went 1-2 in group play and did not qualify for the second round. Kelderman then attended the University of Virginia
where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1987 to 1990. In 1989, Kelderman and his team mates won the NCAA Division I championship
. He was also a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1991 World University Games.
of the National Professional Soccer League and the Baltimore Blast
of Major Soccer League
drafted Kelderman. He signed with the Blast, but the team and league collapsed at the end of the 1991-1992 season. In 1992, he signed with the expansion Buffalo Blizzard
of the National Professional Soccer League. He remained with the team through the end of the 1994-1995 season. In 1994, he signed with the Milwaukee Rampage
of USISL, playing two seasons with them. In the fall of 1995, he moved to the Tampa Bay Terror
of the NPSL before moving to the St. Louis Ambush
for the end of the season. On February 7, 1996, D.C. United
selected Kelderman in the 8th round (80th overall) in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
. Kelderman played forty-two games over two seasons with United, winning the 1996
and 1997 MLS Cup
as well as the 1996 U.S. Open Cup
. On November 6, 1997, the Miami Fusion
selected Kelderman with the sixth pick in the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft
. He played twenty-one games with the Fusion, but was waived on November 2, 1998. He then signed with the New England Revolution
for the 1999 season. The Revs waived him on December 2, 1999. In February 2000, Kelderman signed a three year contract with the Milwaukee Rampage
and Milwaukee Wave
. He played four games with the Wave at the end of the season, then four more at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season. In the summer of 2000, he played for the Rampage. He retired from playing professionally in the fall of 2000.
. In 2000, he coached the Wisconsin Rebels
of the Premier Development League. In 2004, he was hired by D.C. United
as head coach of the team’s U-17 program. That same year, he was hired as the Technical Director of the Vienna Youth Soccer Club in Vienna, Virginia. In October 2005, he also became the assistant coach with the George Mason
men’s soccer coach. On December 21, 2007, he became an assistant coach with the Kansas City Wizards
. In 2010, he followed coach Curt Onalfo
to D.C. United
, serving as an assistant coach for the 2010 season. New coach Ben Olsen
did not retain Kelderman as a part of his staff.
In May 2011, he was named the head coach of the UW–Green Bay Phoenix men's soccer team.
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 is currently the head coach for the UW–Green Bay Phoenix men's soccer team. Kelderman was a member of the U.S. team at the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
The 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship was held in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Dalian in People's Republic of China from July 31, 1985 to August 11, 1985...
. He played professionally both indoors and out, including four seasons in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
and was an assistant coach for D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
.
Youth
Kelderman learned the game from his father, Harry Kelderman, who was the head coach of Neenah High SchoolNeenah High School
Neenah High School is a public secondary school located in Neenah, Wisconsin. It is part of the Neenah Joint School District. As of fall 2008, approximately 2250 students were enrolled in grades 9 through 12, making it one of the largest schools in the state...
soccer team, eventually playing for his father at Neenah from 1983 to 1987. While still in high school, Kelderman was selected for the U.S. U-16 national team
United States U-17 men's national soccer team
The United States U-17 men's national soccer team is the national under-17 association football team of the United States and is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation...
which played in the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship
The 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship was held in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Dalian in People's Republic of China from July 31, 1985 to August 11, 1985...
. The U.S. went 1-2 in group play and did not qualify for the second round. Kelderman then attended the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1987 to 1990. In 1989, Kelderman and his team mates won the NCAA Division I 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...
. He was also a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1991 World University Games.
Professional
In 1991, both the Milwaukee WaveMilwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the National Professional Soccer League and the Baltimore Blast
Baltimore Blast (1980-92)
Baltimore Blast were a longtime member of the Major Indoor Soccer League. From 1978 to 1980, the team was played as Houston Summit but moved prior to the 1980-81 season. The team won the league's championship in 1984. The team folded when the MISL ceased operation in the summer of 1992.-History:The...
of Major 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...
drafted Kelderman. He signed with the Blast, but the team and league collapsed at the end of the 1991-1992 season. In 1992, he signed with the expansion Buffalo Blizzard
Buffalo Blizzard
The Buffalo Blizzard was an indoor soccer team based in Buffalo, New York. The team was a member of the now defunct NPSL from 1992 to 2001. From 1992-1996, the team played at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, and they moved to HSBC Arena in 1996 where they played until 2001.The team was originally...
of the National Professional Soccer League. He remained with the team through the end of the 1994-1995 season. In 1994, he signed with the Milwaukee Rampage
Milwaukee Rampage
The Milwaukee Rampage is a defunct American soccer franchise, which played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the A-League. The Rampage folded in 2002 because of financial problems, despite winning the A-league championship that year, as well as in 1997. The Rampage was founded in 1994 as a member of the...
of USISL, playing two seasons with them. In the fall of 1995, he moved to the Tampa Bay Terror
Tampa Bay Terror
The Tampa Bay Terror were an indoor soccer team based in Tampa Bay, Florida that competed in the defunct National Professional Soccer League . The team existed for two seasons before folding: 1995-1996 and 1996-1997. The team's home games were held at the Bayfront Center. The two season that the...
of the NPSL before moving to the St. Louis Ambush
St. Louis Ambush
The St. Louis Ambush was a professional indoor soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. Originally located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the team played one season at the Tulsas Pavilion Expo Square. Vernon Riggs was the General Manager. Keith Dial was the Managing General Partner. Former Tulsa Roughneck...
for the end of the season. On February 7, 1996, D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
selected Kelderman in the 8th round (80th overall) in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996...
. Kelderman played forty-two games over two seasons with United, winning the 1996
MLS Cup 1996
The 1996 MLS Cup was the first championship match in Major League Soccer history. The game was played in very heavy rain on October 20, 1996, at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. D.C. United beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 in extra-time, after trailing 2-0, with 17 minutes remaining.D.C...
and 1997 MLS Cup
MLS Cup 1997
Lineups:'COLORADO RAPIDSMarcus Hahnemann, Chris Martinez , Steve Trittschuh, Peter Vermes, Matt Kmosko, Marcelo Balboa,Sean Henderson , Chris Henderson, Paul Bravo , David Patino, Steve Rammel...
as well as the 1996 U.S. Open Cup
1996 U.S. Open Cup
- First Round :* El Paso Patriots 3-0 RWB Adria * Carolina Dynamo 5-0 Mo's Sport Shop * Fort Myers Manatees 6-0 St...
. On November 6, 1997, the Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
selected Kelderman with the sixth pick in the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft
1997 MLS Expansion Draft
The 1997 MLS Expansion Draft was held November 6, 1997. Two teams participated, the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion F.C., both expansion Major League Soccer clubs planned for the 1998 season.-Format:...
. He played twenty-one games with the Fusion, but was waived on November 2, 1998. He then signed with the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
for the 1999 season. The Revs waived him on December 2, 1999. In February 2000, Kelderman signed a three year contract with the Milwaukee Rampage
Milwaukee Rampage
The Milwaukee Rampage is a defunct American soccer franchise, which played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the A-League. The Rampage folded in 2002 because of financial problems, despite winning the A-league championship that year, as well as in 1997. The Rampage was founded in 1994 as a member of the...
and Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
. He played four games with the Wave at the end of the season, then four more at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season. In the summer of 2000, he played for the Rampage. He retired from playing professionally in the fall of 2000.
Coach
Following his playing career, Kelderman has forged a successful coaching career. In 1995, he served as an assistant with his father at Neenah High SchoolNeenah High School
Neenah High School is a public secondary school located in Neenah, Wisconsin. It is part of the Neenah Joint School District. As of fall 2008, approximately 2250 students were enrolled in grades 9 through 12, making it one of the largest schools in the state...
. In 2000, he coached the Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels
Wisconsin Rebels were an American soccer team, founded in 1998, originally as the Fox River Rebels. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was...
of the Premier Development League. In 2004, he was hired by D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
as head coach of the team’s U-17 program. That same year, he was hired as the Technical Director of the Vienna Youth Soccer Club in Vienna, Virginia. In October 2005, he also became the assistant coach with the George Mason
George Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
men’s soccer coach. On December 21, 2007, he became an assistant coach with the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. In 2010, he followed coach Curt Onalfo
Curt Onalfo
Curt Onalfo is an American former soccer player.As a player, he played two seasons in France, two in the USISL, one in Mexico and four in Major League Soccer, achieving his most success with Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United. He earned also earned one caps with the United States national team...
to D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, serving as an assistant coach for the 2010 season. New coach Ben Olsen
Ben Olsen
Benjamin Robert "Ben" Olsen is a former American professional soccer player and the current manager of D.C. United. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Olsen grew up playing for FC Delco, an elite club program near Philadelphia...
did not retain Kelderman as a part of his staff.
In May 2011, he was named the head coach of the UW–Green Bay Phoenix men's soccer team.