Dan Yargo played football when he was younger. He was born in Youngstown and moved to Hubbard when

Dan Yargo played football when he was younger. He was born in Youngstown and moved to Hubbard when he was 11 years old. As a student at Hubbard High School, Yargo played on the offensive line for the Eagles. Now that Yargo has kids of his own, another type of football has taken over his sports life, only this game is futbol. Yargo’s children Eleni, Danny and Gabriella have participated in the Catholic Youth Soccer League. Danny, 12 and Gabriella, 10, play on the Youngstown Christian team that their father coached this season. Though Yargo’s brand of football still remains as his favorite, he has taken a certain liking to its European counterpart.

Q: Did you play soccer when you were younger?

A: No, I played football. It was offered then, so I guess I just wasn’t interested in it at the time.

Q: What position did you play?

A: I was a guard on the offensive line.

Q: When did you start playing and how long did you play?

A: I started playing when I was about 8 years old and I played until my senior year at Hubbard.

Q: What is your favorite memory or moment as a player?

A: Probably recovering a fumble. It was my last game my senior year and I was on special teams. The kid from Campbell fumbled the kickoff and I recovered it. I think that was the only stat of my career.

Q: How did you first get into to coaching soccer?

A: I did it for my kids. My oldest, Eleni, started playing in the third or fourth grade, so that’s when I started to get involved.

Q: What is your favorite memory or moment as a coach?

A: It’s not really a specific moment, but seeing this team come together so we can build our program at Youngstown Christian is the best part. We’re trying to get our own soccer program going and Youngstown Christian and this helps.

Q: What can children learn from this type of recreational soccer league?

A: It’s a great place to learn the fundamentals and the basic concepts of the game. Also, I think they can learn that soccer is a game that almost anyone can play.

Q: Do you watch professional soccer?

A: Not really. I watch more international soccer. I like to watch the World Cup or European soccer, but I’m not really into professional soccer [in the United States].

Q: What do you think of David Beckham playing in the United States?

A: I think it has it’s positives and negatives. On the plus side, it’s good because it draws attention to the sport. But it’s bad because one player is getting all the attention instead of other players who you may not know about but are also good. It’s kind of like Tiger Woods in golf.

Q: Since you don’t watch a lot of professional soccer, what is your favorite sport to watch?

A: Football, definitely. I’m a long-suffering Browns fan. This is our year, right?

Q: Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

A: I’ll stick with football. Reggie White. I like him because of the Christian testimony and the integrity he played with. I’ve seen footage of him launching 300-pound guys backward. He knew his technique so well. He was so dominant. Only Lawrence Taylor comes to mind when you think about guys dominating like that.

XInterview by Jon Moffett, The Vindicator