Getman Championed Championships at Region Park
Coach Mike Getman
HOOVER, Ala. — Mike Getman gets it.
As the de facto ambassador for Division I men’s soccer in this part of the country, the University of Alabama at Birmingham coach couldn’t help but smile. His work was done.
He and a crowd of 9,242 had just watched Indiana University defeat Georgetown University 1-0 to win the Men’s College Cup at Regions Park.
The combined crowds of 20,316 watched three matches Friday and Sunday that featured the highs and lows that make soccer wonderful. Getman was especially happy because the attendance was nearly 2,000 more than the mark of 18,400 from 2011 in Hoover’s initial year as host of the sport’s premier event.
But Getman knows the hard work he, members of the Alabama Sports Foundation, and everyone else invested in the past two years is just a start.
In a region where American football remains king — 365 days a year, according to one of the region’s top sports radio stations — Getman knows men’s and women’s soccer coaches have to get out and sell their sport and their schools to help the sport grow. In a small way, he feels he helped accomplish that goal by lobbying to bring the showcase to Alabama and making it a success.
“Yes, it is football country, but people here love this sport as well,” Getman said.
Getman cited the success Birmingham, Ala., …
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