A Bay Area resident is stepping out of retirement and back on to the football field to help the United States shine in the international spotlight.
- Amstutz to coach Team USA in World University Football Championship
- Team will travel to China to face players internationally
- Championships are from June 4 to June 25
- For donation info, visit www.give2usateam.com
After winning multiple championships during a successful coaching career, Palm Harbor resident Tom Amstutz decided it was time to retire.
"I was a division one football coach for 33 years. Most recently, the head coach for the University of Toledo," Amstutz said.
Amstutz has turned down offer after offer, but almost a decade after leaving the field, an opportunity called that he couldn’t refuse.
Amstutz is adding a new title and hopefully gold medal to his resume as the head coach of Team USA in the World University Football Championship.
"That is such a unique experience. Yes I'll do it to give back to the young men who are going to travel to China and get back to the game of football that’s starting to spread across the country and world," he said.
The team will travel to China this summer to face players from around the world. Amstutz is still in the recruiting process but will form a team made up of 60 players from universities across the United States.
Amstutz has been in the game for decades but said this will definitely be a new challenge.
"The players and coaches don’t know each other. They don't know the offense and defense that we're putting in, so we're going to have to get on the same page very fast, have clear communication, and then let the players play," Amstutz said.
Besides bringing home some new hardware, Amstutz said he hopes the team will make our country proud.
"I think this is a great opportunity for our young leaders in our country to be great ambassadors to other football players of other nations. Those guys will be the future leaders and that positive influence could really affect the world," Amstutz said.
The World University Football Championships are June 4 to June 25 in Harbin, China. Team USA is in the process of raising money to help send the players and coaches overseas.
They’ll be hosting a golf fundraiser at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on Saturday, Feb. 3. For event information, contact Coach Amstutz 419-266-9111
For donation information, visit www.give2usateam.com.