Former Comets Star Kim Roentved Set to Lead Team
COMETS ANNOUNCE HEAD COACH
The Comets professional indoor soccer team has announced that former Comets star Kim Roentved will be the team’s head coach. Roentved, who had an 18-year indoor soccer career and was twice named the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Defender of the Year, takes the helm of this new version of the Comets, who last played in Kansas City in 2005. The team will begin play on Friday, November 12 at the Independence Events Center, located in Independence, MO.
”We are absolutely thrilled to have Kim as our head coach,” said Comets owner, Ed Scheetz. “To be able to hire someone with such a
long and prestigious soccer pedigree like Kim has is really a giant step forward for this organization. We believe we’ve hired the
absolute best person to be the face of this team, not only from Kim’s ability to coach and lead young men, but also because of the way
he has become so entrenched in the Kansas City community.”
Roentved, who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, began his professional indoor soccer career in 1980 with the Wichita Wings, where he would won two MISL Defender of the Year Awards during the 1983-1984 and the 1985-1986 seasons. In 1987, Roentved joined the Kansas City Comets and quickly became a fan favorite. He remained with the Comets through the 1990-1991 season. When the Comets
folded in the summer of 1991, Roentved signed as a player/assistant coach with his former team, the Wichita Wings. After three years
as an assistant coach, Roentved was promoted to head coach prior to the 1994 season. Roentved remained as the Wings’ head coach
until 1998, when new ownership came took over. Roentved then came back to Kansas City to play for the National Professional Soccer
League team, the Attack, where he finished his career at the end of the 1998-1999 season.
Since retiring in 1999, Kim has coached youth clubs all over the Kansas City area, and currently owns and operates a business. Kim
has three children, son Chad, who is 31, living in Tulsa, OK, son Cole, 21, who currently plays soccer for former Comets coach, Rick
Benben, at UMKC, and daughter, Jade, who is 10. Kim and his wife, Linda, live in Shawnee, KS, which is where they’ve lived ever
since Kim joined the Comets in 1987.
“For me, this is a dream come true,” says Roentved. “To be able to coach a team that I love and for a community that has so much
passion for the Comets, is absolutely incredible. The Comets have such an unbelievable history in Kansas City, and I am just so
grateful to this ownership group and this wonderful fan base for giving me this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to start putting the
pieces together for the 2010 team and get the season started.”
About the ownership: Mickey Scheetz, Chairman of the Board and long-time Portland Oregon business owner and resident has
teamed up with his son Ed Scheetz and Brian Budzinski to form Top of the Arc, LLC, the ownership group responsible for bringing the
new team to Independence, Missouri.
Independence Events Center: The 5,800-seat Independence Events Center features 25 luxury suites and 2,000 paved parking
spaces on site and is also home to the Central Hockey League Missouri Mavericks. The events center also hosts concerts, trade
shows, professional sporting events, festivals and community ceremonies. For more information on the Independence Events Center,
please visit the venue’s website at www.independenceeventscenter.com.