by JAKE NUTTING

Like many living in Tampa Bay in the early 1980s, Keith Fulk has vivid memories of watching the Tampa Bay Rowdies during their run in the original NASL. One of those matches he attended as a University of Tampa student may have even endangered his life, but he still recalls it fondly.

“All I remember is lightning and rain and us standing on metal seats,” Fulk said. “Remember at The Big Sombrero when it was raining there was nowhere to go but down? It was just like a waterfall down the steps, man. Now I think about lightning warnings and the way society is now about covering your butt. Here I was in a metal stadium standing up, lightning going, pouring down rain and they were still playing soccer. The Rowdies and they’re green and gold hoops and the socks. I just remember how fun it was.”

Over 30 years after that memorable match, Fulk is now aiding the modern incarnation of the Rowdies in their new merger with the recently rebranded Tampa Bay United Rowdies academy. Once he started donning Rowdies gear, Fulk instantly noticed a difference in people’s reactions to him and the academy.

“The Rowdies name changes their whole mindset,” he said. “It’s hard to explain. When I first started I wore TBU stuff and now I’ve been wearing the Rowdies stuff and it’s just been like an epiphany. People react when they see it. It’s a great situation and I feel honored and excited about this opportunity for my family and to help the Rowdies build something great.”

Fulk has had a role in developing players in Tampa Bay since he joined his alma mater as an assistant coach in the early 1990s. UT claimed two national title during his time at the school as an assistant and head coach. Fulk eventually moved on to a seven-year stint as an assistant with the U.S. U-17 national team –which included coaching at four youth World Cups — before he assumed the coaching job at Sain Leo University.

He resigned from his post at Saint Leo in January and began working as the Director of Tampa Bay United Rowdies’ U.S. Soccer Development Academy program a few weeks later. Despite enjoying his time at Saint Leo, the decision to take on the challenge of helping the Rowdies build a youth development system was an easy one for Fulk.

“This is something that I’d never really done,” he said. “It’s a different kind of role for me, but it’s something that really interests me and it kind of gave me a little bit of energy and excitement. I’m a passionate person, man. I love soccer so much. When I had the opportunity to do something with the Rowdies, especially with the youth, which I’ve been involved with in college soccer and things, it was kind of a no-brainer.”

The ultimate goal of U.S. Soccer’s DA initiative is to produce players for the national team program, but the additional benefit for professional teams maintaining DA teams are able to identify and nurture players from the same pool. Currently, TBU Rowdies has DA teams for ages 12-15, though Fulk’s immediate goal is to expand that to every level in the program and grow the player numbers at the youngest age groups.

“When we were trying to get the Rowdies affiliated with Tampa Bay United I was like, ‘Wow, that differentiates us from being a normal club team, to being a professional academy in a professional environment.’ Everything from the first team down, Stuart Campbell said we want to you be modeled after what the first team does. The Rowdies coaching staff is a good bunch of people, but I also enjoy their vision and their style of play. Their style was very similar to me. It was just a win-win thing.”

Investing in player development is a necessary criteria for any group hoping to earn expansion into Major League Soccer, so the benefits of the TBU partnership to the Rowdies are obvious. However, Fulk thinks the advantages go both ways. The Rowdies name and the history in the region that comes with it offers more cachet than TBU’s and the kids now wearing the same name and colors as their local team now feel a stronger connection to the players.

“When you look at a club in professional environment and you try to focus on the pathway to the pros or the pathway to colleges or the pathway to whatever kids want to do, I think it’s a great experience when they’re involved with professionals and they can emulate some of the Rowdies players,” he said.

Fulk believes there’s more than enough talent to tap into in the Tampa Bay area. His aim with the academy to is to shift focus away from winning that week’s tournament and place more priority on technical development and the needs of the individual player. The successes of the team are secondary to the interests of the player, and each player develops at a different time and in their own way.

“I think the area is very talented, and we want to give them the most options and resources for them to grow and develop instead of worrying so much about winning,” he said. “Put the fun back into football. When you see Messi play, he’s having fun. When you see Joe Cole score, he’s having fun. We’ve taken a little bit of the fun out of it, and I’m trying to put more of the fun into it and have the kids express themselves and their personalities a lot more.”

He’s only been on the job since mid-February, but Fulk is encouraged by the foundation the group has laid down so far. Changing hard-set mentalities and educating players and parents is what will take some time to achieve, though.

“We’re building from the ground up. I think it takes time. In this day and age, a lot of people don’t want change. They’re set in their ways. We have to be committed to change and put the kids’ best interest as our number one priority. If we do that, we will definitely change the focus from winning at all costs to developing players. Not only developing players, but also developing coaches and CEOs, and ultimately developing people and families to love soccer like they do in the rest of the world.”