Sam St-Phard:  

Life Hello! This is Sam St-Phard. Welcome to my bio. I can't believe it's been almost 25 years since I crossed that stage and received my diploma from Slidell High. I will never, ever forget my senior year (Fall 1981 - Spring 1982). It was the best scholastic year of my life! After graduating from Slidell High I was awarded a full academic scholarship to Centenary College in Shreveport, LA. They created an "Academic" package because of my skills as a soccer player. While I was at Slidell High, I was a member of a "select" soccer team called "The Cobras". My junior year I was selected All-State and was the second ranked player in Louisiana. I was invited to try-out for the U.S. Under 18 Junior National Team and had a miserable showing.......needless to say I did not make the team. At the time, I was overconfident, and overweight(5'11" 175lbs.). So I changed my attitude and trained hard so that I would not embarass myself or the State of Louisiana if I should be invited to try-out for the Junior National Soccer team again. My senior year I made the All-State Soccer team for the second consecutive time, but this time I was the number one ranked soccer player in the State. As a result, I was honored to receive another invitation to try-out for the Under 19 US Junior National Soccer Team. This time I did not take my training lightly. I worked very hard in the hot Louisiana sun(sometimes in 100 degree temperatures and 100% humidity!). By the time we(The 1982 Louisiana All-State Soccer Team) reached Chapel Hill, NC(site of the National Team Soccer Try-outs) I was 5'11" 162lbs. and, as you can imagine, far more determined to succeed. To make a long story short, although I had a much better try-out and got many offers from Colleges and Universities, who the previous year wouldn't even sneeze in my direction, I was not selected to represent our great country on the soccer fields of the world. Dissapointed? Devastated is more like it. Something good did come of that try-out, ...Expand for more