Mike Powers (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Mike Powers is a retired American soccer midfielder
who played sixteen years with the Dallas Sidekicks
. He also played in the second American Soccer League
and the United Soccer League
.
Powers attended Rockhurst University
, playing for the men’s soccer team from 1975 to 1980. He is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 1979, the Wichita Wings
selected Powers in the Territorial Round (10th overall) of the Major Indoor Soccer League Draft. He played from 1980 to 1983 with the Wings. In addition to playing indoors with the Wings, Powers also played three seasons, from 1981 to 1983 with the Detroit Express of the American Soccer League
. The Express won the 1982 ASL championship. Both the Express and the ASL collapsed at the end of the 1983 season and Powers moved to the Dallas Americans
of the United Soccer League
for two seasons. The Americans and the USL collapsed in 1985. In 1986, Powers attended an open trial with the Dallas Sidekicks
. He performed well enough that the team signed him as a free agent on October 30, 1986. In 1994, the Las Vegas Dustdevils
picked Powers in the CISL Expansion Draft, but Powers refused to join the team. Therefore, in July 1994, the Dustdevils traded his rights back to the Sidekicks in exchange for Gary Young. He remained with the Sidekicks until his retirement in February 2002. During his sixteen years in Dallas, the team moved from the original MISL to the Continental Indoor Soccer League
(1993-1997) to the Premier Soccer Alliance (1998) to the World Indoor Soccer League
(1999-2001) to the second Major Indoor Soccer League (2002). After his retirement, Powers spent two years as an assistant coach with the Sidekicks.
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who played sixteen years with the Dallas Sidekicks
Dallas Sidekicks
The Dallas Sidekicks were one of the longest operating professional soccer teams, either indoor or outdoor, in the United States, based in Dallas, Texas, and operating from 1984 until suspending operations following the 2004 season. The team was founded as a member of the original Major Indoor...
. He also played in the second American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
and the United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
.
Powers attended Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University is a private, coeducational Jesuit university located in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College. The school adheres to the motto etched into the stone of the campus bell tower: "Learning, Leadership, and Service in the Jesuit Tradition." It is one of 28...
, playing for the men’s soccer team from 1975 to 1980. He is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 1979, the Wichita Wings
Wichita Wings
This article is about the original team. For the current team, see Wichita Wings .The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979...
selected Powers in the Territorial Round (10th overall) of the Major Indoor Soccer League Draft. He played from 1980 to 1983 with the Wings. In addition to playing indoors with the Wings, Powers also played three seasons, from 1981 to 1983 with the Detroit Express of the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
. The Express won the 1982 ASL championship. Both the Express and the ASL collapsed at the end of the 1983 season and Powers moved to the Dallas Americans
Dallas Americans
Dallas Americans was an American soccer club based in Dallas, Texas that was a member of the American Soccer League. It is also the name of a Indoor American Football team.After the ASL folded, the club joined the newly formed United Soccer League....
of the United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
for two seasons. The Americans and the USL collapsed in 1985. In 1986, Powers attended an open trial with the Dallas Sidekicks
Dallas Sidekicks
The Dallas Sidekicks were one of the longest operating professional soccer teams, either indoor or outdoor, in the United States, based in Dallas, Texas, and operating from 1984 until suspending operations following the 2004 season. The team was founded as a member of the original Major Indoor...
. He performed well enough that the team signed him as a free agent on October 30, 1986. In 1994, the Las Vegas Dustdevils
Las Vegas Dustdevils
The Las Vegas Dustdevils were an indoor soccer team based out of Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League . The team won the league championship in 1994, but folded after their second season.-History:...
picked Powers in the CISL Expansion Draft, but Powers refused to join the team. Therefore, in July 1994, the Dustdevils traded his rights back to the Sidekicks in exchange for Gary Young. He remained with the Sidekicks until his retirement in February 2002. During his sixteen years in Dallas, the team moved from the original MISL to the Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
(1993-1997) to the Premier Soccer Alliance (1998) to the World Indoor Soccer League
World Indoor Soccer League
The World Indoor Soccer League was a United States based indoor soccer league that existed from 1998 to 2001 and consisted of nine teams.-History:...
(1999-2001) to the second Major Indoor Soccer League (2002). After his retirement, Powers spent two years as an assistant coach with the Sidekicks.