Jim Stamatis
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | February 28, 1958 | ||
| Place of birth | Kiriaki, Greece | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1975–1979 | Penn State Nittany Lions | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980 | San Diego Sockers | 9 | (0) |
| 1981–1982 | Denver Avalanche (indoor) | 22 | (12) |
| 1981–1982 | Pennsylvania Stoners | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jim Stamatis (born February 28, 1958) is an American former soccer midfielder and the chief executive officer of The Louis Berger Group. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League.
Stamatis moved to the United States with his family as a youth. He attended Liberty High School in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. and was selected to the All State Team in 1975. After high school, he was recruited by many top colleges but elected to play at Penn State because of Coach Bahr's honesty that Stamatis would need to earn a place on the team. Stamatis did work hard and developed into one of the top collegiate forwards.
In 1978, Stamatis was named as a first team All American. The following year, Stamatis was selected as the 1979 winner of the Hermann Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding player in all of American college soccer. Penn State also made it to the NCAA championship semifinals that year before losing to eventual winners SIU-E.
National team
His outstanding play with Penn State brought him to the attention of the national team and he was called up to the U-23 national team at the 1979 Pan American Games and for preparations for the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Professional soccer
In 1980, the San Diego Sockers selected Stamatis in the first round of the North American Soccer League draft. He only played a year in the league before moving to the Denver Avalanche of Major Indoor Soccer League and the Pennsylvania Stoners of the American Soccer League before back injuries cut short his playing career.