GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Steve Herdsman never played competitive soccer until his late teens. After picking up the game and playing competitively for a couple of years, Herdsman played for Cornerstone and won WHAC Player of the Year in 2000 and earned NAIA Honorable Mention All-American accolades. In 2001, he was drafted 17th overall in the MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids, where he played three seasons. His MLS career concluded with a two-year stint with the Columbus Crew. Since his playing days, Herdsman has used his passion for the game and his experience to coach the next generation of soccer players at all different levels.

Herdsman has served on the Cornerstone coaching staff since 2007, serving as an assistant coach before taking over the head coaching role in the summer of 2016. He also serves as an assistant coach for Grand Rapids FC as well as Director of Sports Performance for Midwest United FC.

In December of 2017, Herdsman was awarded the 2017 Caring Coach of the Year award, a national award given to a youth/high school sports coach who embodies the drive to win and teach life lessons through sports by showing care.

One nomination letter from a parent of a Midwest United athlete said: "My daughter is a better person because of Steve. He cared for her emotional and intellectual development, even as he helped her develop physically. He made it his business to empower her as a soccer player and a team member. He challenged her to be accountable to him and her team"

"It's a natural progression" Herdsman said of how his professional experience translates to coaching. "Having been around masterminds of the game, you're immersed in the game so it trickles down from myself to other people."

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Herdsman's experience shines through to his players by the way he coaches and helps develop them both on and off the field. "He's played against the best, he's played with the best, he's been coached by the best...He's had so much experience so he definitely rubs off on us in a good way," said junior defender Josh Busscher. "With his philosophy of the game, his critiques of us, we know he's coming from a good, rich soccer background that can help us."

Without question, the strongest piece of Herdsman's game was speed. In the FIFA 2005 video game, Herdsman's speed numbers were eye popping. He was rated 97 in both acceleration and pace categories. For reference, Cristiano Ronaldo was rated 91 and 93, respectively, in the same game. In fact, no other defenseman in the game touched the 97 pace threshold.

Herdsman's fastest official 40-yard dash time is 4.32 seconds, but he claims he ran a 4.23 before the operators made him redo the attempt. Regardless, times around 4.3 seconds are among the fastest of any professional athlete in history.

When asked about players racing Herdsman, Busscher laughed. "I don't think anyone would dare race him. With him being [in his 40's], I don't think anyone would want to be humiliated like that."

Men's Soccer Contact: Seth Walters

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