Hall of Fame
Wally Mirgorod '71 – Class of 1989
Heritage…
The world’s most popular sport remains an enigma in the United States. Deprived even of the name it bears in most lands (American soccer, after all, is the world’s football), the game has failed to garner the enthusiastic support it enjoys elsewhere.
But those who have come to know the fluid, evolving nature of competitive soccer; learned to appreciate the subtlety of the game; felt the suspense of a breakaway – they recognize the mighty talent required to excel in the sport.
And no Dolphin athlete in any arena has surpassed the talents brought to the college by Wally Mirgorod.
Like so many of his generation who have excelled on the soccer fields of America, Wally came to Le Moyne with a legacy rooted in a distant land. His family’s story, from persecution in the old world, to a new life in South America, and then on to the promise of the United States, is a heritage that reminds us of the solid immigrant foundation that has long borne the weight of our country’s greatness.
He learned his game in Brazil, honed his skill at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, and brought to Le Moyne a scoring ability not seen at the college before or since.
No less than 42 times did defenders opposing the Dolphins strive in vain to parry the lightening-bolt shots this superb kicker blasted goal ward. Yet he is quick to humbly point out that such a scoring record is not a fair measure against which to gauge the talent of today’s players; that the game has evolved to emphasize a more balanced attack.
After graduation, Wally continued his studies and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Syracuse University, helping establish the soccer program at Le Moyne’s neighboring institution. He starred in the highly competitive New York Metro Amateur Soccer League from 1977 to 1984.
Encouraged and inspired by his wife, Paula, he has met as much success in the business world as on the soccer field. Wally today is executive vice president of English Greenhouse Products Corporation.
If our nation today lacks a legacy of greatness in the world’s most popular sport, it must look to the heroes that brought their skill to American shores along with their hope for a better future.
And it must accept from the gifts freely offered – the knowledge, experience and insight that results only from competition begun at an early age.
Wally Mirgorod brought those gifts to Le Moyne College, and he shared them freely. Because he represents for us a link to the proud heritage of his sport,
Walentin D. Mirgorod ’71 is inducted into the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of FameApril 28, 1989
