Dieter Knobloch, one of the most influential builders and supporters of soccer in St. Albert, passed away June 30 from cancer.
Jim Casper, who Knobloch coached for more than 15 years, said soccer in St. Albert would not be what it is today without the innumerable contributions from the boisterous German.
“With help along the way, he built St. Albert soccer,” Casper said, adding he'd most remember Knobloch for his love of the game.
“Just his undying passion for the sport and his commitment and loyalty to his players and his family, and when you played for him, you're like his family,” he said.
Knobloch started the St. Albert Impact Rangers as a youth team in the mid-1980s with a group of teenagers. That same group later became a men's team and joined the Edmonton District Soccer Association. They moved their way up the divisions to the premier division where they are today.
Casper joined the team as a 15-year-old in 1994 and has played with the Rangers ever since, with Knobloch on the sidelines every step of the way.
For many years, Knobloch and Darrell Tate co-coached the team. Tate stepped down after the 2008 season and Knobloch recently stepped back and took on more of a managerial role, but Knobloch could always be heard at Rangers games yelling encouragement and instructions from the sidelines.
“At times it could be frustrating,” Casper said. “He expected and wanted everything to be perfect, and it sometimes didn't turn out that way. He had our best interests at heart, even if we didn't know it. He demanded a lot out of us. He didn't let us slack off and just coast by.”
With the current Rangers squad, Casper is one of two player-coaches on the team, along with Mike Thomson. Another long-time Ranger, Thomson gave the eulogy at Knobloch's funeral Tuesday. Following the service, there was a reception at the St. Albert Soccer Association Clubhouse on Riel Drive.
Shortly after becoming involved with the St. Albert Soccer Association more than 30 years ago, Knobloch began work on getting a clubhouse built for the teams fitted with offices for staff and dressing rooms for players. He organized the building of the clubhouse and helped raise the funds for it. The clubhouse opened for business in 1982. However, starting up the Rangers and building the clubhouse doesn't begin to describe Knobloch's contributions.
“He's done everything from forming teams for the little youth, I think it was called the Mini Mites or something back when he first started, to running discipline committees, and then he helped out with youth, and then he helped out with tournaments and then he was the president,” said Melody Martyn, the association's executive director, who has known Knobloch for about 12 years.
“I think he was twice the president. And then the last few years, as long as I've known him, he's been the facilities director.”
Knobloch also frequently refereed youth games in St. Albert. He worked at the girls' soccer tournament on the Victoria Day weekend and even at a high school soccer semifinal in the middle of June, right before his health took a turn for the worse.
When asked how she will remember Knobloch, Martyn simply said, “I don't know how we're ever going to replace him.”
“I'm not sure how we'll ever get somebody that would be that dedicated again, to be 30 years plus in the organization and knows so much.”
