Samudzi stepping away from Twisters
TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
Cleo Samudzi (center) poses with past and present members of the Maryville Twisters soccer team. Samudzi is taking a step back from the team he started to focus on his work with the Missouri Academy, which will enter it’s final year of operation in August.
In 2005, Maryville got a new soccer team.
After watching the Maryville High School girl’s soccer team put up a disappointing season, Cleo Samudzi determined that there needed to be competitive soccer available to kids before they got to high school in order to foster better play. So, in the midst of a football town, Samudzi founded the Maryville Twisters in March of that year.
Since then, the Twisters program has grown to include several girls teams and a boys team. In that time, Samudzi noted there has been a significant rise in the level of play at Maryville High School.
“The only way to get people ready to play competitive soccer is by getting them playing competitive soccer,” Samudzi said. “We started the Twisters so that we could prepare kids for higher levels of soccer.”
Soccer has been part of Samudzi’s life for a long time, as he played semi-professionally in Zimbabwe before coming to the United States in 1976 and playing at the Division II collegiate level, before becoming a coach. Prior to moving to Maryville, Samudzi coached at various levels in South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and even a stint in Colombia.
In 2004, Samudzi accepted the position of Dean at the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing, which brought him to Maryville. Unfortunately for the Twisters, that’s what will take him away from soccer for the time being.
As the Missouri Academy prepares to close after the coming academic year, Samudzi said his workload is increasing to the point where he has to step away from the Twisters. He said his favorite part about being with the team was watching them excel.
“Nothing beats watching these kids practice and put what I’ve told them into the games they play,” Samudzi said. “I pushed them to be successful, and they took up the challenge and met it.
“When you push them, they respond well, and that creates a successful team. I’m grateful to have seen this program become what it is today.”
The Twisters started as a girls team only. Samudzi credits that to the general atmosphere of Maryville.
“Maryville is a football town,” Samudzi said. “I didn’t think there would be enough interest in a boys team because most of the boys want to play football.”
However, over time, interest in the Twisters program increased enough to start a boys team, with Dale Reuter, now the head coach of both soccer teams at Maryville High School, initially at the helm. Reuter credited Samudzi with bringing him into the sport, and even called Samudzi “the father of competitive soccer in Maryville.”
When he isn’t coaching or working at the Missouri Academy, Samudzi said his life really revolved around the game of soccer. He said he spends his spare time watching soccer from around the world, and has even been to a few World Cup games.
As he prepares to step away from coaching the sport about which he is so passionate, Samudzi had one piece of advice.
“If you have a passion, then take advantage of opportunities to act on that passion in your community,” Samudzi said. “They say that if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life, and it’s true.
“Many people thought that what I was doing with the Twisters was just community service, but it was so much more. I was acting on my passion, spending time doing what I love. If you can do that for your community, you will be helping your community in a significant way.”
Editor’s Note
This story is part of a weekly series highlighting “Everyday Heroes.” In this weekly segment, the Daily Forum takes a look at people who work tirelessly to make Maryville a great place to live. If you have a suggestion for someone who you feel should be featured, please contact us via email at [email protected] or call the Forum at 660-562- 2424.