Rob Ukrop '88 Reflects on Years of Soccer

1/21/2005

At 34, Rob Ukrop has reached a crossroads in his very active and productive life. After a stellar professional soccer career, most notably with the Richmond Kickers, the 1988 Collegiate graduate retired late last fall and now, in his own words, he must find a real job. He’s in no big hurry, though, for as he considers his options, he’s continuing his calling as a motivational speaker and, in his typical buoyant manner, enjoying every minute of every day.

Recently, Rob and I sat down and discussed a range of topics from his athletic career marked by excellence and competitive spirit to his contributions to the Kickers to his impact on the Richmond community. Mainly, though, we talked of life beyond sports and his next adventure as the path opens before him. Here, then, is Rob Ukrop.

You’ve accomplished so much as a soccer player. All-Prep at Collegiate. All-American at Davidson. You’re in the athletic hall of fame at both institutions. You’ve played pro soccer several places including a stint with the New England Revolution. You’re the Richmond Kickers’ career scoring leader. The list goes on. What’s your biggest highlight?

“It’s funny, but after every game, whether we won or lost, the biggest highlight was walking over to the wall to see the kids and signing autographs. It gave me a chance to say ‘thank you.’ When I was a kid at a Braves’ baseball game at Parker Field back in the ‘70’s, I remember getting an autograph from a player. He didn’t look at me. He wrote it illegibly. I threw it away right there on the spot and promised myself that if kids ever asked for my autograph, it would be legible and I’d make eye contact with them and make sure they knew I appreciated them coming to support me. I hope I’ve been able to do that.”

During your time with the Kickers, you did a lot of motivational speaking. What’s your message?
“Last year, I did 118 appearances. About 70 of those, I was the featured speaker. I talk about goal setting, making your dreams come true, believing in yourself. A lot of kids don’t understand that there’re things that can be achieved with dreams. I’m trying to reinforce that if you have dreams, that if you believe in yourself, through hard work, dreams can come true.”

How did the message begin and evolve?
“I remember giving a speech about teamwork in Middle School. It was probably really bad, but somehow, speaking became very comfortable. I dreamed when I was a kid. Dreams change every day. You accomplish them by putting in hard work. I’ve never been afraid of hard work. I just want to pass that message along to kids.”

When you were at Collegiate, could you envision being a professional athlete well into your 30’s?
“Oh, not at all. Being a professional athlete was a dream when I was in middle school. As I got a little bit older, I always thought that I’d graduate and come back and work for my dad and be part of the Ukrops team. I’m part of the family team but not the business side. I had great teammates in college and great teachers and coaches, and some doors opened from that experience that I never thought would happen.”

You’ve said for years that soccer is your third favorite sport. Do you still feel that way?
“My favorite is basketball. Next is golf. Third is soccer. When you’re born, you’re not allowed to choose the gifts God gives you. It just turned out that soccer is the most natural gift I had. Soccer seemed to be the sport that moved the slowest to me in my head and made the most sense. The whole landscape of the game seemed simple. I’ll take a pickup basketball game any day over a pickup soccer game. I love to play golf, not slow golf but fast golf. My dad loved basketball and golf, and I’m sure I got those two loves from him.”

What is it about basketball?
“The competitive nature of the sport. And I think it was because I could never beat my dad.” (Bobby Ukrop played basketball and golf for the University of Richmond in the late ‘60’s and might be the fittest 58-year-old you’ll ever meet.)

Can you beat him now?
“I can, because I can post him up. I still can’t outshoot him, though. One of the best memories of my youth was playing basketball with my dad in the back yard or going over to Willow Oaks and walking 9 holes before dinnertime.

Can you beat him at golf?
“The most recent match, he beat me, but I’d like to think I can beat him. If I concede defeat beforehand, I shouldn’t be playing.”

What is it about golf?
“If you make a mistake, it’s all on you. That taught me accountability and to focus and concentrate.”

You’ve received a lot of recognition, but it isn’t about what you’ve accomplished, is it? It’s about what you’ve learned.
“The lesson I’ve always gotten from sports is that you’re part of the team. Some people just see that as 11 people on the soccer field or 18 on the whole roster. The biggest thing is that it’s an activity for everybody to be part of and hopefully through my actions on the field as a player and off the field signing autographs or whatever, people find joy in the game.”

How did you handle the realization that it was time to retire?
“The hardest part for me was right around 29 or 30 when I had to take a different role and go from being an everyday player to one who came in for 5, 10, 15 minutes. The transition was much easier than I thought it’d be because of coaches, teachers, and family that I grew up around. They taught me that whatever the role was, embrace it and do it to the best of your ability. Finally, at 34 and a half, I just felt like all the time and energy that I put into that role could be better served in another capacity. Am I going to regret it? Of course. Not having a soccer game that means anything for the rest of my life will be a little bit strange, but it’s also a little bit of a relief. I feel like I did my job to the best of my ability.”

So, what does the future hold?
“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve gotten involved with the community. That started back at Collegiate with Coach (Grayland) Crisp working with the kids at Gilpin Court. As long as I can remember, it’s been instilled in me by my parents, my friends, and here at Collegiate that whatever gifts you have, make sure you share them with the outside world. I’m looking forward to getting out and speaking more than I do now. Ideally, I’d like to branch out, get down to North Carolina a little bit more, maybe Northern Virginia and look for more sponsors. I’ve had some really generous offers out of the blue of things I’m passionate about...non-profits…that type of thing. One of the nice things about my job, or lack of a job, is that I have some free time to do volunteer work which is another thing I’m passionate about.”

You’ve coached a bit, even helped out at Collegiate this fall. Is coaching on the horizon?
“Coaching is something I didn’t realize I’d love as much as I did. The nice thing is that I can still play with these kids and demonstrate some things. I think the best thing to happen to me was being a role player. Now, I can relate to the star player, but I can also relate to the kid that doesn’t get to play that much at all.”

What will you do to take care of the competitive piece?
“That’s the big question. I’ll play some recreational basketball and soccer just to be around the sports that I love. I can only play so much golf with my dad and brother. I like to think I have all the competitive juices out of me…except for family matches, of course…but I know that’s probably not the case.

Though you’ll probably play it down, you’re something of a celebrity around Richmond. How do you “keep your head about you”?
“Gosh, one of the reasons I loved Davidson so much is that the first day of class, they pronounced my name wrong. That never happens here. They pronounced it Rob Uk-rop. It was like, ‘Sweet.’ I got to correct it the first time. When I got back to Richmond, I wanted to create my own identity. I go places, and lots of kids recognize me, but I always try to catch them before they catch me and say hello. It’s a neat thing, being out in the community. I’ve never looked at myself as a celebrity. It just means I’m involved.”

What can people learn from Rob Ukrop?
“To get involved. Actually, my license plate now is SHRE3TS, which means ‘Share 3 T’s.’ I’ve tried to live my life realizing you can share your time, your talent, and your treasures. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with the Police Athletic League, Meals on Wheels, and the Salvation Army. It’s really opened my eyes to the needs of the community, and I’m glad I can do my little piece of the puzzle of really making a difference in Richmond.”--Weldon Bradshaw wbradsha@collegiate-va.org

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