Catching up with John Stollmeyer

— Bryan Alvarez

After winning two NCAA titles at Indiana, John Stollmeyer represented the United States at the 1988 Olympics and the 1990 World Cup. We called up the retired midfielder at his Indianapolis office.

SOCCER AMERICA: What  ave you been up to?

JOHN STOLLMEYER: I'm a second vice president of investments at Solomon Smith Barney.

SA: What do you do there?

JS: I work with individuals and corporations to help them meet their investment goals.

SA: How big is your family now?

JS: I have four children. We had only the one, but we adopted three from Russia.

Lenny Roitman, an assistant coach when I played for the U.S., helped us with the visas.

SA: Are you still involved in soccer?

JS: I coach two of my boys.

SA: What were your favorite career highlights?

JS: Playing in the World Cup in Italy in 1990. Other than the first game [against Czechoslovakia], the game in Rome against Italy.

SA: Do you follow the national team?

JS: I like watching the guys play today. We trailblazed the way. We broke through barriers. It's nice to see that those guys are reaping the rewards of our efforts.

SA: What do you think about MLS?

JS: The quality of the game is getting better. At least they are attacking more.

SA: What's it like making the transition from a player to a broker?

JS: When finished playing, I was an assistant coach at Notre Dame. My wife is a doctor. At the time, we had to settle where her residency was. That took me away from South Bend. After that, I did some fundraising. Through that, I got this job. I've been a broker for seven years now.

SA: What do you miss about playing?

JS: The competition part. Coaching was fun, though. But this job now gets as competitive as playing sometimes.

SA: Do you follow soccer?

JS: I watch on TV when I get a chance. If there's an MLS game on at the time, I'll watch. I mainly watch European soccer, like the Spanish League. I don't follow as much as when I played. Now my main involvement with the game is with my kids.

SA: What does the U.S. need to do to improve?

JS: We need to raise the level of competition. With having guys go overseas and getting better competition, we're getting better. Also, soccer as a whole needs to get rid of the politics. That's why I coach my kids. There are no politics involved.