Successful Professional Athlete

Successful professional soccer all-star, Joe Mihaljevic (Mee-hall-yea-vich) was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 19, 1960 to George and Mary Mihaljevic. The oldest of five children, Joe began his soccer career at age 8 at the Mihaljevic Soccer School, owned & operated by his father. 

His real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but the world calls him, "Pele" (right), pictured here with George Mihaljevic, former Head Coach of the St. Louis Stars Professional Soccer Team. St. Louis, Missouri (circa 1968)

Djuro "George" Mihaljevic , a Yugoslav immigrant and former professional European Player became the first head coach of the NASL's St. Louis Stars in 1966. Due to his numerous soccer connections over the years, George was able to recruit many great professional European players to the United States' when the NASL first formed. This enabled George to surround young Joe with the minds of the true, old-school European Soccer mentalities of the time.

In 1967, George attended the Sportschule in Koln, Germany (a top European Coaching License University) and was heralded by Hennes Weissweiler as "one of the best coaches to attend the University". 

Djuro Mihaljevic (pictured above), a true soccer genius (2009).

George then established the first incorporated soccer school in the United States, the Mihaljevic Soccer School. From 1967 to 1977, over 2,000 students attended the school and many went on to become collegiate & professional players that dominated local, regional, state and national titles.

By age 14, Joe and the soccer school's traveling competitive team, The Missouri Mules, would win 2 Missouri/Illinois State Cup Championships and 2 back-to-back International Youth Tournaments in Canada and Holland. The Mules went "undefeated" in all games.  

After graduating high school in 1978, Joe was sent to Europe to train with 1st Division Teams, Red Star and OFK Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia. Mihaljevic impressed the European coaches so much that he was offered a 4-year contract. But due to the country's impeding civil war, Joe relunctantly declined the offer and returned to the United States, where he was immediately offered several Division I, NCAA College/University Athletic Scholarships and soon voted "All-American". 

Joe chose to attend & play for the Hartwick College Warriors in Oneonta, New York (home of the "Soccer Hall of Fame") under the distinguished coaching of Jim Lennox, United States Staff Coach. Coach Lennox would go on to say, "Mihaljevic is the most polished American player I've seen...". In 1981, he captured the United States Amateur Cup with St. Louis, Missouri's Anheuser-Busch Soccer Club, scoring the winning goal, defeating Philadelphia Bayern (2-1), in a dramatic come-from-behind soccer match.  Later that summer he represented the "Mid-West Team" at the Olympic Sports Festival in Syracuse, New York receiving the Silver Medal and with reports stating, "He's really that good..."

Record Setting Professional

In 1982, Joe was a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) 2nd-round draft pick for the Pittsburgh Spirit, which began his professional indoor career.  He also played indoor for the Fort Wayne Flames, American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA) in 1987.

In 1986, Joe came to the Bay Area to play outdoor for the San Jose Earthquakes, Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) where he quickly became the league's Leading Goal Scorer as well as made his mark in United State's Professional Soccer History as the Leading Goal Scorer for the year 1987. While also playing outdoor for the Miami Sharks, American Soccer League (ASL) in 1988, a team coached by 1970 World Cup Captain, Carlos Alberto of Brazil, Joe scored an unprecedented 5 goals in the last 25 minutes of a game that defeated the Washington Diplomats (5-1) - an unbeaten record for "Most Goals Scored in a Game." After the game, in the locker room, Coach Alberto said to Mihaljevic, "I knew you could do it...". The Diplomats went on to win the league championship that same season.

In 1990, after the Earthquakes had folded, Joe teamed up with the San Jose Oaks Soccer Club and won the 1992 United States Open Championship.  With a domineering performance at the Open, Mihaljevic was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player, scoring a goal and 2 assists in the final (3-1).

Coach Joe & Chess

Coach Joe's 2nd greatest passion is Chess. Playing since early childhood, Coach Joe was ranked publically in Chess Life Magazine at the mid-1500s while a member of a Bay Area Chess Club in the late 1980s, but has been ranked as high as the low 1800s. "I would have to totally dedicate my life to Chess to even become close to being a Master Chess Player. With my wife, family and soccer business, it is now just a favorite & addictive hobby...", says Coach Joe.

Coach Joe continues to read and play out strategies from his numerous Chess books, play matches with his children almost every evening, weekly with his students at the Folsom Sports Complex and on the Internet with other Chess fanatics from all over the world til the early morning hours.

Passing on Love of Soccer - Mihaljevic Soccer School

Joe now resides in Folsom, California with his lovely wife, Lynette, and 4 beautiful children, Joey, Dominique, John Paul and Milan.  In September '03, Joe & Lynette established the new Mihaljevic Soccer School where Joe hopes to pass on his love for soccer and teach students the skills they need to succeed on the soccer field and in life. In March '08, Joe & Lynette created Mihaljevic Soccer Club (MSC) Top Gun and have already established themselves as a reputable & successful championship youth competitive soccer club in the area by winning 2 State Cup Championship Titles their first year.

5 Things About Coach Joe:

1. Favorite Team : Barcelona

2. Favorite Hobby : Chess

3. Favorite Soccer Player : Johan Cruyff

4. Favorite Color : Green

5. Favorite Dessert : Strawberry Ice Cream