Rhett Harty
Encyclopedia
Rhett Stowe Harty was an American soccer defender
who spent one season in the Western Soccer League
, one in the Continental Indoor Soccer League
, one in the USISL and three with the MetroStars
of Major League Soccer
.
where he played on the boys’ soccer team. He was a Parade Magazine high school All American in 1987 and 1988.http://www.servitehs.org/athletics/soccer/accolades.jsp After graduating from Servite in 1988, he entered Stanford University
. He played three years, then red shirted a season while he played with the U.S. Olympic soccer team as it qualified for the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona
. A late injury kept him from travelling with the team. He returned to Stanford and graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in history and classical studies. During his final year of college, Harty had an internship with an electrophysiology doctor. After graduation, the doctor offered him a position in his practice, but Harty declined and became a professional soccer player instead.http://about.monster.com/olympic/pressroom/factsheets/resources/Rhett_Harty.asp
of the Western Soccer League
(WSL).http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1989/statswsa89.htm#SFB After graduating from Stanford, Harty was sidelined for nearly two years with a back injury. In 1994, he signed with the expansion San Jose Grizzlies
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
. In 1995, he moved to the Monterey Bay Jaguars of USISL.
; however, he never played a game for his hometown club. When Troy Dayak
, who was drafted by the MetroStars
, demanded a trade to San Jose, Harty was shipped cross-country in the first trade in MLS history.
Harty, a midfielder initially, immediately stepped into the Metro defense. After the team struggled early in the year, he shaved his head, and the Metros went on to win their next three games. The head would stay shaven throughout his MLS career, and Harty quickly became a fan favorite, earning the nickname Mr. Clean
. He scored one goal and three assists in his three years in the league, plus added a goal in Open Cup play.
Rhett was on the forefront in the MLS players' antitrust
lawsuit against the league, challenging its single entity structure. The players lost, but not before Harty was blacklisted by MLS. Lowballed with a small offer, he chose to retire from soccer instead.
and Tibet
, soul-searching and helping out the people of the area. He found a new calling in medicine, and moved to the Portland, Oregon
area, where he prepares pacemakers
and defibrillators for patients in the operating room of St. Jude Medical Center.http://about.monster.com/olympic/pressroom/factsheets/resources/Rhett_Harty.asp
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who spent one season in the Western Soccer League
Western Soccer League
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance...
, one in 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...
, one in the USISL and three with the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
High School and college
Harty grew up in Los Angeles and attended Servite High SchoolServite High School
Servite High School is an all-boys, Roman Catholic college preparatory high school operated by the Order of Friar Servants of Mary . Located on a campus in Anaheim, California, USA, as of 2011 it had an enrollment of about 985 and about 9200 alumni. Its mascot is the Friar and its colors are black...
where he played on the boys’ soccer team. He was a Parade Magazine high school All American in 1987 and 1988.http://www.servitehs.org/athletics/soccer/accolades.jsp After graduating from Servite in 1988, he entered Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He played three years, then red shirted a season while he played with the U.S. Olympic soccer team as it qualified for the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. A late injury kept him from travelling with the team. He returned to Stanford and graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in history and classical studies. During his final year of college, Harty had an internship with an electrophysiology doctor. After graduation, the doctor offered him a position in his practice, but Harty declined and became a professional soccer player instead.http://about.monster.com/olympic/pressroom/factsheets/resources/Rhett_Harty.asp
Minor leagues
In 1989, Harty spent the collegiate off season with the San Francisco Bay BlackhawksSan Francisco Bay Blackhawks
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks was a professional soccer team which came into existence in 1989 as a team in the Western Soccer League . The Blackhawks spent time in the American Professional Soccer League and the United States Interregional Soccer League...
of the Western Soccer League
Western Soccer League
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alliance...
(WSL).http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1989/statswsa89.htm#SFB After graduating from Stanford, Harty was sidelined for nearly two years with a back injury. In 1994, he signed with the expansion San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies were a professional indoor soccer team based in San Jose, California. The team was founded on November 24, 1993 as a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After playing in the 1994 and 1995 CISL seasons, the Grizzlies folded following the 1995 season. The team played...
of 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...
. In 1995, he moved to the Monterey Bay Jaguars of USISL.
MLS
In February 1996, the San Jose Clash drafted Harty in the fourth round of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996...
; however, he never played a game for his hometown club. When Troy Dayak
Troy Dayak
Troy Dayak is a former American soccer player who played as central defender. He spent his entire Major League Soccer career with the San Jose Clash/Earthquakes and nearly all of his professional career playing for Bay Area teams.-San Francisco Bay Blackhawks:Dayak grew up in Walnut Creek,...
, who was drafted by the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
, demanded a trade to San Jose, Harty was shipped cross-country in the first trade in MLS history.
Harty, a midfielder initially, immediately stepped into the Metro defense. After the team struggled early in the year, he shaved his head, and the Metros went on to win their next three games. The head would stay shaven throughout his MLS career, and Harty quickly became a fan favorite, earning the nickname Mr. Clean
Mr. Clean
Mr. Clean is a brand name fully owned by Procter & Gamble. It is used for a cleaning solution and related products, and as "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser", for a melamine foam cleaner.-History:...
. He scored one goal and three assists in his three years in the league, plus added a goal in Open Cup play.
Rhett was on the forefront in the MLS players' antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
lawsuit against the league, challenging its single entity structure. The players lost, but not before Harty was blacklisted by MLS. Lowballed with a small offer, he chose to retire from soccer instead.
Post soccer career
Following his retirement from professional soccer, Harty spent the next six months traveling in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, soul-searching and helping out the people of the area. He found a new calling in medicine, and moved to the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
area, where he prepares pacemakers
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
and defibrillators for patients in the operating room of St. Jude Medical Center.http://about.monster.com/olympic/pressroom/factsheets/resources/Rhett_Harty.asp