Hayden Knight facts for kids

Hayden Knight was born on March 15, 1957, in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He is a retired Trinidad-American soccer player. He played as a defender and is now a high school soccer coach. In 1984, he played three games for the United States men's national soccer team.

Playing Career

Youth Soccer Journey

Hayden Knight grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He moved to the United States from Trinidad when he was young. As a high school student, he joined a program called 'A Better Chance'. This program helped city kids attend high schools in rural areas.

Knight went to Marquette University for college. He played on their men's soccer team. He holds the school record for career goals with 52. He also set an NCAA record for assists per game, with 42 assists in 44 games. Marquette University honored him by adding him to their Athletic Hall of Fame. During his college years, he also played for the Milwaukee Bavarians. Hayden Knight is one of only 22 college players to achieve the "40-40 club." This means he had at least 40 goals and 40 assists in his college career.

Professional Soccer Path

In 1980, the Edmonton Drillers picked Knight in the draft. Even though he was a star forward in college, he became a defender as a professional. He played one season with the Drillers. While there, he got his first experience with indoor soccer. The Drillers won the 1980-1981 NASL indoor championship.

After the Drillers, he joined the Atlanta Chiefs. The Chiefs team stopped playing after the 1981 season. Knight then moved to the Montreal Manic for the 1982 season.

In 1983, the U.S. Soccer Federation created a special team called Team America. This team was part of the NASL league. It was made up of U.S. citizens who played in different soccer leagues. Knight left the Manic to play for Team America. The team did not do well, so the USSF removed it from the league.

Knight then played for the Golden Bay Earthquakes in 1984. Later that year, he was traded to the Chicago Sting. He stayed with the Sting through the 1984-1985 indoor season. He also won the 1984 NASL championship with them. The Sting released him in May 1985.

In September 1985, Knight joined the Chicago Shoccers. He was an All-Star in the AISA league. He was the Shoccers' top scorer, even though he played defense. In March 1986, he returned to the Chicago Sting. He finished the 1985-1986 MISL season with them. In August 1986, he signed with the Dallas Sidekicks. He played for them in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

In July 1987, the Sidekicks decided not to renew his contract. He then signed with the Milwaukee Wave. He played as a forward for the Wave for two seasons. After the 1987-1989 AISA season, Knight stopped playing professional soccer.

Playing for the National Team

In 1984, Hayden Knight played three games for the U.S. national team. These three games happened within one week. First, he played in a win against Colombia on October 11. Three days later, the team lost to Guatemala. Three days after that, they lost to Mexico.

Coaching Career

After retiring from playing, Hayden Knight became a coach. Cedarburg High School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, hired him in 1989. He coached the girls' soccer team and taught history and social studies. He also coached the boys' soccer team.

Knight stayed at Cedarburg High School for many years. In 2005, he stepped down from coaching the girls' team. He later resigned from the boys' team in 2008. He took a job as a technical director at the Mequon Soccer Club. Under his coaching, the Cedarburg High School boys' team won state championships in 1989, 1991, and 1996. He is still a staff coach at the Mequon Soccer Club. He is close to reaching 300 wins in his coaching career.