The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
‘Incredible person, player’ Gaddis ends his record tenure
The conversation about Ray Gaddis might begin with his exploits on the field: His speed, his defensive tenacity, his exemplary work ethic. But to confine praise of Gaddis to between the white lines of the pitch is to misunderstand all he’s meant for the Union.
That came to an abrupt end Thursday, but the spiritual connection to the only soccer franchise he’s called home promises to endure.
Gaddis, the longest-tenured member of the Union and its all-time leader in games played, announced his retirement after nine seasons. His departure leaves the team facing not just a hole at right back for the upcoming season but a chasm in the locker room left by a mentor and leader.
“The name Ray Gaddis brings a smile to my face,” manager Jim Curtin said via Zoom Thursday. “An incredible person, an incredible player, an incredible friend of mine through the years. I would just personally like to thank Ray … He did amazing things leading on the field but also off the field as well, and I’m incredibly proud of him in all his achievements.”
Gaddis cited this as “the right time to tend to some things here on the home front, here in Indianapolis for my family.” He said that the decision, which the Union learned of last week, wasn’t taken hastily, and expressed gratitude to the organization for giving him the space to make it.
Gaddis was drafted in the second round (No. 35 overall) in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Undersized out of West Virginia, he went on to be what Curtin called the “best 1-v-1 defender our league has seen,” drawing on testimony from the likes of Thierry Henry and his own observations during
The Union’s Ray Gaddis, left in this shot of a game against San Jose in 2017, is one of the leaders of the MLS’ Black Players Coalition.
an 11-year career as an MLS defender. Gaddis played 221 games, made 211 starts and played 18,702 minutes, all franchise highs. He tallied 10 assists but never scored a goal, retiring with the third-most games played in MLS history without a goal.
Gaddis nearly played more minutes than the 18 other players drafted in his round combined (20,165, though several, including former Union midfielder Warren Creavalle, remain active). Yet Gaddis wasn’t the first player the Union picked in that round. That went to Greg Jordan, who never played a minute.
Gaddis was playing some of his best soccer last year in leading the Union to its first trophy. He went from playing for inaugural head coach Peter Nowak to seven years under Curtin, from a regular bottom-feeding team to one that lifted the Supporters’ Shield in his final regular-season game.
Ernst Tanner, the Union’s sporting director, called Gaddis, “a master example for a professional soccer player.” It’s why Curtin said, “the next step for Ray Gaddis should be the Union Ring of Honor,” which contains only Sebastien Le Toux.
But what Gaddis did on the field is a fraction of his legacy. A man of faith, he led Bible study classes for teammates and talks on faith and family with fans. He volunteered in Philadelphia and Chester, working
DISTRICT 1 BASKETBALL POSTSEASON BOYS BASKETBALL
First Round Saturday
(17) CB South at
(16) Methacton, (20) Upper Dublin (18) North Penn
12:30 p.m. (19) Kennett at
(14) Abington, Second Round Tuesday, March 9 All games 7 p.m.
CB South/Methacton at
(9) Lower Merion at (9) D’town West at (4) Garnet Valley at (5) Perk Valley Haven at (2) Conestoga
(10) Boyertown at (7) CB East Kennett/Abington at (3) PW
(11) Neshaminy at (6) WC East
U. Dublin/Haverford (12) Pennridge NP/S. Quarterfinals Friday, March 12 Semifinals Tuesday, March 16 Final Friday, March 19 First Round Saturday (9) Upper Merion
at (8) Unionville, 2 p.m. (10) Chichester at (7) Marple Newtown, 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals Tuesday, March 9
1 p.m. at (13) Haverford, 3 p.m. at (15) Strath Haven, 3 p.m.
(1) Cheltenham All games 7 p.m. unless noted Merion (1) Upper Moreland
U’ville/U. at
(5) Shanahan at (4) WC Rustin, 6 p.m. Chichester/Marple at (2) Chester
(6) Phoenixville at (3) Holy Ghost, 6 p.m.
Semifinals Friday, March 12 Final Tuesday, March 16 Final Wednesday, March 10
(2) New Hope-Solebury at 7 p.m.
Paul II, Final Thursday, March 17 (1-1) Dock Mennonite
champ, TBD
Final Wednesday, March 10
(2) Bristol at (1) Delco Christian, 6 p.m.
Semifinals Monday, March 9 (1) Phil-Mont Christian,
(4) TCA at p.m.
(3) Faith Christian
p.m.
Final Thursday, March 11
at
(2) Jenkintown,
GIRLS BASKETBALL
(1) Pope John
vs. District 11 6:30 7 to alleviate hunger in under-served communities. His activism, Curtin said, involved dimensions the public never saw.
Gaddis took a leading role as a board member for the Black Players for Change group formed last summer in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. During the pandemic stoppage last summer in Indiana, he participated in prayer meetings, protests and a diein. Gaddis also earned his MBA at the Harvard Crossover Business Program tailored to athletes.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to have lived out my dream,” Gaddis said. “… I think soccer was the perfect balance, especially in the latter part of my career with obtaining my master’s degree and attending the Harvard Crossover Business Program where it actually allowed me to play better doing those things. It took off, I wouldn’t say pressure, but it allowed me to really focus on the game and see things from a different point of view. Seeing different things through a different lens allowed me to see the game of soccer and develop and continue to mature as a player.”
The door is open for Gaddis to return to the Union
First Round Saturday
(17) Perk Valley at (16) Penn Wood, 1 p.m. (20) Kennett at (13) Haverford, 1 p.m. (19) CB South at (14) WC Henderson, 1 p.m.
Monday, March 8 (18) Souderton Second Round Wednesday, March 10 All games 7 p.m. unless noted
PV/Penn Wood at (1) Spring-Ford at Kennett/Haverford at (4) Upper Dublin (12) WC Rustin at (5) D’town East at at (7) Unionville CB South/Henderson at (3) CB East (11) Pennsbury at (6) Ridley
(9) Methacton Souderton/Neshaminy (10) CB West Quarterfinals Saturday, March 13 Semifinals Wednesday, March 17 Final Friday, March 19 First Round Saturday (9) Mt. St. Joseph
at (8) Pottsgrove, noon (10) Radnor at (7) Marple Newtown, 5 p.m.
Quarterfinals Wednesday, March 10, all games 7 p.m. Mount/Pottsgrove
at (15) Neshaminy, 6 pm
(8) Abington
at
(2) PW
(1) SpringfieldDelco in some capacity, and Curtin said Gaddis is pursuing his coaching licenses. He’s been outspoken about the lack of diversity in coaching and used his last press conference to praise the hiring of Marlon LeBlanc, Gaddis’s coach at West Virginia and a Black man, as the fulltime Union II coach.
Gaddis didn’t detail his next steps. But it’s likely they will follow the themes he set forth here, from his work in the community to his mentorship of young athletes in the locker room to his winning personality. That carried over Thursday into expressions of gratitude, not just for management, ownership and teammates, but for trainers, administrative staff, video crews, Subaru Park ushers and stadium attendants.
In the same way that Gaddis’ work was never bounded by the soccer field, it’s certain what made him special as a player and leader will apply in his next professional chapter.
“Soccer is not the only thing that defines Ray Gaddis,” Curtin said. “He’s going to go on to do amazing things in his community back home and beyond, and I look forward to watching all that he achieves from afar.”
(4) Upper Moreland Semifinals Saturday, March 13 Final Wednesday, March 17 Semifinals Tuesday, March 9
(4) Villa Joseph Marie at 4:30 p.m.
Mercy, (3) Pope John Paul II
7 p.m.
Final Friday, March 12 Final Wednesday, March 10 (1) St. Basil, District 1/11 Regional Final Tuesday, March 16
(2) MaST Charter at
District 1 champ vs. District 11 champ, TBD
Final Tuesday, March 9 (2) Dock Mennonite
4:30 p.m.
Final Tuesday, March 9 (2) Faith Christian
p.m.
(1) Gwynedd
at (2) New HopeSolebury,
(1) Jenkintown,7