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Beavercreek soccer volunteer a finalist for national award

Gauder among 4 nominated for U.S. Youth Soccer honor

Charles Gauder (left) of Beavercreek is one of four finalists for the United State Youth Soccer National Volunteer of the Year award which will be presented Feb. 25 in at the group's national convention on Louisville. Gauder's main duty is field director for the 40-field Ankeney Soccer Complex in Beavercreek, used by teams from throughout the area. He also coaches a youth team with his son, David (right).

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By Dave Long, Contributing Writer Updated 6:56 PM Wednesday, January 19, 2011

BEAVERCREEK – And the winner is ...

Thousands of people across the Miami Valley associated with youth soccer hope “Charles Gauder” is the answer.

Gauder is one of four finalists for the United States Youth Soccer National Volunteer of the Year award. The winner will be named Feb. 25 at the USYS Awards Gala in Louisville, Ky.

“I usually don’t like going to banquets or hear things being said about me,” said the 79-year-old retired electrical engineer and university professor. “But since this is a big national award, I’ll make an exception.”

Big national award, indeed. As any parent in youth soccer knows, it takes hundreds of volunteers to make it work. Each year soccer associations from across the country submit names for their volunteer of the year.

Committees at state-level soccer organizations sift through hundreds of applications and select one entry. The state associations then submit the entry to a regional level.

Gauder was chosen from Region 2 (14 Midwest states) to be only the second individual from the Dayton area to make the final four.

“The recognition is nice,” he said. “But seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces after they’ve played a good game and a ‘thank you’ from the parents for the work all us do is satisfaction enough for me.”

Gauder has been involved in all phases of youth soccer for 28 years. His main duty, however, is field director for the Ankeney Soccer Complex in Beavercreek, the area’s largest with 40 fields spread over 30 acres.

Myriad teams from throughout the Miami Valley use the complex. Gauder is the individual who schedules both teams and officials at each venue. He opens and closes the facility on a daily basis and spends long, unpaid hours helping make sure everything is squared away and in running order.

As a registered official, he worked hundreds of games at all levels for 25 years. He doesn’t officiate on a regular basis anymore, but he keeps his certification and fills in when needed at the complex if officials don’t show.

“Chuck is one of those ‘go-to-guys’ every organization needs to get things done,” said Carol Maas of Huber Heights, state commissioner of the Ohio South Youth Soccer organization, which nominated Gauder for the regional award.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people from all over the area with a problem say ‘Call Chuck, he’ll know,’ and the thing will get taken care of. God only know how many hours he puts in over at the complex. He must enjoy it because he is always smiling.”

Always a volunteer

Gauder got his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1955. After serving four years in the Air Force, he went to work as a civilian at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the Avionics Laboratory.

He spent 30 years at the base and became Chief of the Information Transmission Branch. He and his late wife, Emerita, moved to three acres of land in Beavercreek in 1971.

As the father of eight children, he became a volunteer leader with the Boys Scouts and also with the Beavercreek Baseball Association, serving as its president in the late 1980s.

His involvement with soccer began in 1983.

“One of my daughters had signed up with some of her friends for seventh-grade soccer in the Beavercreek Soccer Association (BSA),” he said. “They had no coach and the league commissioner said ‘no coach, no team.’ So I volunteered to help coach and I’ve been involved with soccer ever since.”

Gauder has held numerous officers in BSA. In 2009, he was named Volunteer of the Year by the City of Beavercreek Parks and Recreation board. He was named Miami Valley Youth Soccer Association Volunteer of the Year in 2010.

Favorite professor

While working at Wright-Patt, Gauder got his master’s degree in electrical engineer at the University of Dayton. He also taught classes at UD on a part-time basis.

When he retired after 30 years at Wright-Patt, he began a second career as an assistant professor of electrical engineer at UD.

He was voted “favorite professor” several times during his 23 years on staff by students in the school of engineering.

Although he retired from the UD faculty in 2010, he continues as an advisor. A life-long ham radio operator, he volunteers to conduct ham radio examination testing in the Dayton area and also conducts preparatory classes for individuals taking the registered professional engineer state board exam.

“I love staying busy and being around young people,” he said. “It keeps you energetic.”

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