Coach Ron Eden was much more than a soccer coach. He was a mentor, a Father figure, a leader, and a man who deeply cared for his community. This past weekend, Coach Eden passed away at 73 years old with family by his side.
Ron Eden grew up in the Brentwood community. He played soccer in Brentwood and was a part of their first Suffolk County championship teams in 1969 and 1970. His junior year, he attempted to quit the team due to personal struggles at home. His mother was a single parent, and he felt it would help her if he worked after school and contributed to the household. But Ron was ashamed to hand his uniform in because he knew Coach Lown would be disappointed. He attempted to quietly hand it off to another player and leave under the radar, before being confronted by Coach Lown. Eden did continue to play going forward, having an extremely successful high school career, and went on to play at the pro and national level.
After the sudden and unexpected passing of former coach and mentor Ray Perez. Eden was tapped to get into the driver’s seat in Brentwood. For several decades, Ron Eden sat at the helm of the ship of the Brentwood boys varsity soccer program. He was used to shaping the soccer program at Brentwood into one of the best in the state. Brentwood has also been consistently ranked among the top 20 soccer teams in the nation. Coach Eden believed strongly and put into practice the development of strong youth programs that trickled up to the junior varsity and varsity level.
Coach Eden had himself been highly decorated with honors like National Coach of the Year and inducted into the Suffolk County Hall of Fame as both a coach and a player. He constantly rolled the praise towards his players. “They are the ones who get out on that field and get it done, fighting, battling and winning. My kids are just incredible, and I couldn’t be any more proud of each one of them.”
Despite the great success on the field. Some of his proudest moments with and of his players were off of the soccer field. His relationship with his players doesn’t stop after the last whistle blows on the field in their senior season. Coach Eden did his best to follow the kids into their future, keeping in touch and being a part of their lives. He’s seen former players get married, have families of their own, and has even coached some of their children as well. One of his former players recently planned a surprise 70th birthday party for his former coach. Coach Eden walked into a room full of family, friends, and hundreds of his former players.
He had also witnessed former players lose their lives at an early age and has had to help their families navigate that side of life off of the field. He’s been a part of helping to rally their community to give former players a burial of dignity for families who just didn’t have the means. Eden believes that this is all part of being a true community that cares for each other.
Social media and other news outlets have been full of stories and words of honor for such an impactful man. Coaches who played against him for years shared what a knowledgeable man and fierce competitor he was. While also always a man who displayed great sportsmanship. Despite leading Brentwood to five state championships and dozens of Long Island, Suffolk County, and League One titles. Ron Edens’ greatest accomplishment was the thousands of young lives he impacted with a soccer ball.
Well done, Coach.
