Proud Member of:
Sponsored by:
Greg Gidman
Director of Coaching
Phone Number: 574.386.5427
As a player, Greg won two National Championships (one in club and one in college); he was named NCCAA National Player of the Year; NCCAA National Defensive Player of the Year; NAIA and NCCAA All-American; and All-Canadian Scholar-Athlete. He grew up playing for two of the best clubs in Canada (Beaconsfield and Toronto Italia). At U8, Greg competed in the Eastern Canadian National Club Championships, falling to the Woburn Wolves 1-0, and at U10 his team went on to win the Canadian Club National Championships with Beaconsfield, Quebec, flying to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the game.Coach Gidman played 3 years in collegiate soccerat Houghton College, NY, and was named Team MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. During those three years, he was named both NAIA and NCCAA All-American, led his team to an NCCAA National Championship, and was named National Player of the Year.
Greg played two years in Canada, at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, playing under one of Canada 's National Team greats Bruce Wilson who captained the World Cup National Team in 1986. Gidman played professionally for the Canadian Soccer League's Kitchener Kickers and played with numerous national team players including Ian Bridge, Alex Ferguson, Jason Devos, Scott Munson, and Peter Gilfillan. In Puerto Rico, Greg played for Torrimar for two years in the 1st Division competing with their National Team players and was a starter in the Puerto Rico island Futsal League. In Victoria, BC, Coach Gidman was invited as a fill-in with the Canadian Full National team for training.
As a coach, Greg has led two colleges to a total of 8 national tournament championships, won numerous conference and regional championships, been named NCCAA National Coach of the Year, Adidas Regional Coachof the Year twice, NAIA Region Coach of the Year 4 times and Conference Coach of the Year numerous times in three different conferences.He remains the only Olympic Development Coach for New York StateWest to have won a Region I Championship. At 17, Coach Gidmanwashired to be the Woodlands High School Varsity Girls Coach and, at 22, led the Wesleyan Academy Eagles to a 1987 Puerto Rico Island Private School Championship.Coach Gidmanhas coached in the Olympic Development Program in New York for 4 years, working with boys at four different age groups and has been asked to oversee 4 teams in the Indiana Olympic Development Programfor the 2009-2010 season. He holdsthe NCCP LevelII coaching badge, USSF C License and Brazilian Professional Coaches License.
Besides coaching, Coach Gidman enjoys travel, missions work and cross-culturalexperiences. He has led soccer teams/groups and tours to the Netherlands, France, England, Africa, Puerto Rico and Canada. In Northern Indiana's premier soccer club, Jr Irish, he has led the current U16 Boys and current U14 Girls to the highest levels they have competed at and currently coaches U16, U13, and U12 teams. During the top days of the Rochester Rhinos Professional team, he was asked to assist with player selection for the pro team under coaches Pat Ercoli and Laurie Calloway.He has had spent time in Brazil, watching Cruzeiro training techniques as well as other Brazilian pro clubs. In England, he observedthe coaching staff of Ipswich and Manchester City, spent time in Scotland at the Glasgow Rangers training facility, and worked with a Northern Conference team. He has had more than 30 NAIA and NCCAA All Americans including National Team Player Roger Groome (TNT), Phil Cavicchia (CANADA), Dennis Idrissa (Niger) and Richard Goddard (TNT) play for him. He has coached many players who have gone on to play professionally including: Juan Pablo Galavis (Caracas, FC; Miami), Ahmed Figueroa (El Paso), Hamlet Diaz (El Paso), Andrew Wareing (St Catharines), Richard Goddard (Charlotte Eagles, Ottawa Wizards, Toronto Blizzard, Vancouver 86ers), Roger Groome (Charlotte Eagles), Eric Carpenter (Cleveland Stars), and others.