Grand County soccer coach retires after nearly 30 years
Molly Henry/Courtesy Photo
This fall marked coach Dane Ruttenberg’s last soccer game of the season, with coaches, parents and players wishing him well. Ruttenberg has coached all levels of Grand County soccer, most recently the U-12 boys team. This year, he co-coached the team with Molly Henry, who said his last game coaching was an emotional experience.
“He was almost in tears. He and I are so proud of the boys,” Henry said. “He’s touched a lot of lives.”
Ruttenberg’s son Ethan will be playing soccer at Concordia University Chicago next year, and Ruttenberg wants to be able to travel to his games, which is why he is retiring. Ruttenberg has coached Ethan since his son became a starting varsity goalie in ninth grade, one of only two freshman on the team.
Ruttenberg’s coaching career began in his home state in Maine. When he moved to Grand in the 1990s, his first High Country coaching position was for the U-15 boys team. He also founded the first Middle Park High School soccer team in 1996.
Molly Henry/Courtesy Photo
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Anna Winkel Szczepanski/Courtesy Photo
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Molly Henry/Courtesy Photo
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