Lyle Yorks

Lyle Yorks (born January 30, 1970 in Mansfield, Connecticut ) is a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, USISL and Major League Soccer. He was the 1987 Gatorade National Player of the Year and was a member of the U.S. soccer teams at both the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship and 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship. He is the Managing Director of James Grant Sports.

Youth

Club

Yorks attended E. O. Smith High School where he was part of a two time state championship soccer team. Yorks was a two time Parade Magazine and NSCAA High School All American and in 1987, he was the Gatorade National Player of the Year. In 1988, he entered the University of Virginia where he played on the 1989 and 1991 NCAA Championship soccer team. He captained the team in 1991 as the Cavaliers tied with the Santa Clara Broncos for the NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship.^[1] He graduated with a bachelor degree in sociology from Virginia and later earned a masters degree in sports management from the University of San Francisco.

National teams

In 1985, Yorks was a member of the U.S. U-16 national team which went 1–2 in the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship. Yorks played all three games. In 1989, he played two games for the U.S. U-20 national team which took fourth place at the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.^[2]

Professional

On November 21, 1992, Yorks signed with the Milwaukee Wave of the National Professional Soccer League.^[3] He played only five games before being waived on January 7, 1993 in order to free up a roster spot for Paul Wright.^[4][5] Yorks then moved to Denmark where he signed with Næstved BK for the 1993–1994 Danish 1st Division season. In 1995, he played for the New York Fever of the USISL. In December 1995, he signed with Major League Soccer as the league prepared for its first season in 1996.^[6] However, he was not selected in the January 1996 MLS drafts. In February 1998, Yorks was invited to the D.C. United training camp. On March 10, 1998, United signed Yorks. He played one game, then was waived on May 11, 1998.^[7] A month later, he played an exhibition game with the Richmond Kickers.^[8] The team hoped to sign him for the remainder of the regular season, but Yorks retired from playing professionally.

Coach

Following his playing career, Lyle was an assistant coach at the University of California at Berkeley from 1995 to 1997 as well as one season at Stanford University.

He was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008.^[9]

Soccer Agent

Lyle is currently the Global Head of Sport for James Grant Sports Management Ltd.^[10] As USSF registered FIFA agent, Lyle has brokered some of the biggest deals for US players both in MLS and Europe.

References