Deutscher Sport Club Soccer History
It would be unusual indeed, that, when German people get together, the sport of soccer should not be mentioned. By the year 1956, enough soccer enthusiasts had, by word of mouth, found each other, that practice games could be held on a regular basis at Fort Harrison.
Starting in 1956 a group of Germans, working for two German companies in Richmond decided to meet on the weekends to play soccer. After the games they did what Germans do after such a game, they party. This was done at one of the players’ back yards. After a few years these men decided to form a club. Thus in 1960 the Deutscher Sport Club was formed.
The late sixties and early seventies, adult soccer competition was organized by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Richmond. Twice a year, in the spring and in the fall, the soccer managers of the various teams would meet and sign up to play. Parks and Recreation would then establish a schedule.
In 1974 Hans Stienen joined the DSC, and the soccer team, it was decided that the team needed a coach more than another player, so, Hans became the first official Soccer Manager of the DSC. After meeting with the managers of the other teams for a few seasons, Hans had the idea to form a soccer league, making the teams independent of the City league. Hans Stienen, and Ron Beckstoffer, the manager of the Richmond Internationals, then founded the league in 1975, and called it the “Central Virginia Soccer Association.” In its first season, the CVSA started with six teams, the German Sports Club, the Internationals, the Greeks, the Latin’s, Ft. Lee, and Richmond South-Side.
From 1977 to 1988, the DSC had two Soccer Managers, Hans Stienen and Wolfgang Grimm, and they were quite successful, winning the titles shown below. When Hans was transferred to work in Germany, the soccer program was interrupted. In 1993, Gary Ilch, decided once again to form a soccer program, with two teams, competing in the Premier and a first division. Later two more teams were added. Even though the teams were quite successful, they never reached the level of dominance that they had from 1975 to 1988. In 2001 the club was once again forced to cancel its soccer program because of the lack of suitable coaches and managers.
For a more elaborate write-up of the history download the PDF History of the German American Club Soccer