Tim Tyma (born December 14, 1960) is a former American soccer

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

, coach and referee. Tyma played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League and

USISL United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

Player

Youth

Tim Tyma, younger brother of

John Tyma John Tyma (born October 13, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a retired American soccer forward who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. Youth Tyma graduated from Brecksville-Broadview Heights ...

, graduated from Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School where he was member of the 1975 Ohio State High School soccer championship team. Tyma attended

Cleveland State University Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. ...

where he played on the men's soccer team in 1979.

Professional

Tyma left college after his freshman season to turn professional with the Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He spent most of two seasons on the Comets reserve team, seeing time in only four first-team games. In 1984,

Klaas de Boer Klaas de Boer (born 6 January 1942, Kollum) is a retired U.S. soccer player and coach. He played professionally in the American Soccer League and was the 1977 NSCAA Coach of the Year and 1985 American Indoor Soccer Association Coach of the Yea ...

left Cleveland State to become the head coach of the expansion

Canton Invaders The Canton Invaders was an indoor soccer club based in Canton, Ohio that competed in the National Professional Soccer League. After the 1995–96 season, the team relocated and became the Columbus Invaders. History The Canton Invaders were a p ...

of the

American Indoor Soccer Association American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. He signed Tyma who at the time was working odd jobs in the Chicago area. The Invaders won the 1985 and 1986 championships and finished runner-up in 1987. That year, Tyma was the AISA Defender of the Year. In 1985, Tyma spent the summer with the

Tulsa Tornados The Tulsa Tornados were a professional soccer team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played for one season (1985) in the USL. The 1985 season only lasted six games as the league folded halfway through. Established by David Fraser during the spring of 19 ...

of the

. In January 1988, the Invaders traded him and Pete Smith to the

Milwaukee Wave The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States and are seven-time league champions, m ...

in exchange for

Randy Pikuzinski Randy Pikuzinski (born June 9, 1965) is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League and United Soccer League. Pikuzinski, and his brother Rudy, learned soccer ...

. Tyma went on to be named the 1988 and 1989 AISA Defender of the Year with the Wave. On October 23, 1991, the Wave sold Tyma's contract to the

Illinois Thunder The Illinois Thunder were an indoor soccer club (based in Rockford, Illinois) that competed in the National Professional Soccer League. After the 1991/92 season, the team became the Denver Thunder. References Year-by-year Defunct indoo ...

. On June 17, 1992, the Wave purchased Tyma's contract back from the Thunder. However, a few weeks later, Wave coach

Keith Tozer Keith Tozer is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and American Indoor Soccer Association. He is currently the commissioner of the Major Arena Soccer League. Play ...

decided to return Tyma's rights to the Thunder who failed to protect him in the expansion draft. The

Cleveland Crunch The Cleveland Crunch are an American professional indoor soccer club located in Cleveland, Ohio competing in as a charter member of the Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS). The rebranded Crunch returned to indoor play as a member of the MASL 2 in ...

then selected him in the draft and he signed with the Crunch in September 1992. He played five seasons with the Crunch. A knee injury suffered during the 1996–1997 season eventually led to surgery just prior to the 1997–1998 season. The Crunch activated him off the injured list in January 1998, but he was unable to play and was waived a month later.

Coach

On July 30, 1996, Tyma signed a two-year contract with the

as a player-coach. Currently Tyma is an assistant coach for the girls varsity team at North Royalton High School in North Royalton, Ohio, in suburban Cleveland.

Referee

Following his retirement from playing, Tyma became a referee in the National Professional Soccer League and later in the college ranks. He continues to serve as a professional indoor soccer referee. He was inducted into the Illinois State Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 1992.Illinois State Soccer Association Hall of Fame

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyma, Tim 1960 births Living people American soccer coaches American men's soccer players American soccer referees Canton Invaders players Cleveland Crunch players Cleveland State Vikings men's soccer players Illinois Thunder players Kansas City Comets (original MISL) players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players Milwaukee Wave players National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' soccer) Tulsa Tornados players United Soccer League (1984–85) players USISL players Sportspeople from Cleveland Soccer players from Cleveland Men's association football defenders Player-coaches