“It’s such a beautiful night for soccer isn’t it?”

Yes, it is, Mrs. Roy.

This is just one of the many nights that Mrs. Karin Roy has spent in the bleachers cheering on her husband, Willy Sr., and three sons, Willy Jr., Karsten, and Markus.

Except now, the four Roy’s are all wearing the same colors.

“I really thought Willy would be coaching a professional team and the kids would be spread out all across the country,” Mrs. Roy said.”

It just so happened that Willy Sr. resigned from the helm of the Chicago Sting in 1986 and Willy Jr. was being heavily recruited by NIU coach Jerry Collins.

In June of 1987, the pieces starting falling into place. Roy Sr. received a phone call from NIU asking if he knew anyone who would be interested in coaching the NIU team after Collins resigned.

“I remember it very well,” Mrs. Roy said. “Willy Jr. got so excited and said, ‘Dad, you have to coach.'”

Dad took the advice.

“He (Willy Sr.) had a job,” Mrs. Roy said. “And the kids had a coach.”

Roy inherited the coaching job in mid-August 1987 and after his rookie season with one of his boys, the coach got the rest of the family in 1988 as Karsten and Markus joined the collegiate ranks.

“I thought, this is so wonderful,” Mrs. Roy said. “All of the kids are on one team.”

“With Willy coaching the Sting, he traveled a lot,” Mrs. Roy said. “He was always going like for Spring training or preparing for upcoming games. The kids never really got to spend much time with him, so I had to take over.”

Mrs. Roy spent much of the early-Seventies at home with the children playing the role of mother and father.

“I have to be honest,” Mrs. Roy said. “It’s hard to be both Mom and Dad, discipine the children, and teach them something with love too.

“But I have no resentment. I felt it was my duty as a wife and a mother,” Mrs. Roy said.

Among other parental duties, Mrs. Roy had the task of caring for three young boys in love with the game of soccer from the start.

“They saw Dad always going to practice,” Mrs. Roy said. “And they knew how good he became by practicing. I remember when Karsten was just a little boy and he would kick the soccer ball off the side of the garage for hours and hours at a time all by himself.

“They all worked very hard at it because they love the game.”

“It wasn’t so bad when Willy Jr. left home because I knew I still had the other two,” the serene Mrs. Roy said. “But, when they were all gone, it was emptiness. Even the dog was upset. It was just so final.”

Mrs. Roy keeps in touch with her sons every day.

“I let them grow up,” Mrs. Roy said. “But, as long as they call, I know they care a little bit about the mother who stays at home.”

Come time for a soccer game, Mrs. Roy heads towards DeKalb. She attends all of the Huskie’s home games and tries to go to the away contests as well. Mrs. Roy even bakes a special treat for the team on the bus ride to the away destination.

“For the away games and as a parent,” Mrs. Roy said. “I wanted to give something back to the team because I love all of the kids.”

Mrs. Roy said she also offers a lot of prayers for her family and the team.

“I do pray a lot,” Mrs. Roy said. “That’s a big part of it too.”

One thing is for sure, Mrs. Roy has certainly learned a lot about herself, her husband, her children and the game of soccer.

“Wow, it’s almost over. Five to nothing is pretty good.”