Jim Bokern
Personal information
Date of birth	November 20, 1946 (1946-11-20) (age 63)
Place of birth	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
1970-1973	St. Louis University
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1974-1976	St. Louis Stars St. Louis Kutis	48 (6)
Teams managed
1994-1995	Forest Park Community College St. Louis Kutis St. Louis Knights
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Jim Bokern is a retired U.S. soccer forward who played three seasons in the North American Soccer League. He then went on to coach at the high school, collegiate and amateur levels. He won a high school, three NCAA Division I, a National Amateur Cup and a U.S. Open Cup championship as a player as well as two high school and one Open Cup championships as a coach. He continues to coach youth soccer and sells real estate in St. Louis.

[edit] Player

Bokern grew up in South St. Louis. He attended St. Mary’s High School where he played on the 1970 Missouri State championship soccer team. He was named the tournament’s Offensive MVP. He then attended St. Louis University, playing on the men’s soccer team from 1970 to 1973.^[1] During those years, the Billikens won the NCAA Division I national championship three times (1970, 1972 and 1973). He was inducted into the St. Louis University Hall of Fame in 1996.^[2] During his college years, he also played for St. Louis Kutis S.C. with whom he won the 1971 National Amateur Cup. In that game, he scored two goals as Kutis defeated Cleveland Inter-Italian 4-1. In 1974, the St. Louis Stars of the North American Soccer League drafted Bokern. He spent three seasons in the NASL.^[3] He then played at the semi-professional and amateur levels for over twenty years with Kutis. In 1985, Bokern and his team mates won the U.S. Open Cup title.

[edit] Coach

Bokern has coached at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He was the 1977 Missouri High School Coach of the Year. That season, he had taken the Oakville High School soccer team to the State Championship. In 1983, he coached Forest Park Community College when it was runner up in the National Junior College national championship. He was also the 1983 NJCAA Coach of the Year. In 1985, he coached, as well as played on, Kutis F.C. when it won the U.S. Open Cup. In 1994, Bokern was hired as head coach of the St. Louis Knights of the USISL. In 1996, he was named Missouri High School Coach of the Year for a second time, this time as head coach of his alma mater, St. Mary’s High School.

In addition to coaching youth soccer, Bokern also owns a real estate agency in St. Louis.^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Spotlight on Jim Bokern
• NASL stats