Dan Stickradt
Sports Scene
BEVERLY HILLS — Every time Bob Bukari walks out onto the soccer pitch at Detroit Country Day, he feels quite blessed.
The veteran high school soccer coach has been part of more ups than downs and has been part of one of the state’s and the Midwest’s most successful programs.
After 36 years as a head or an assistant coach, Bukari will be retiring this June. He will be a volunteer assistant next year to help with the transition, but his being a major figure will end this season.
“I have been so blessed,” said Bukari, who first started coaching high school soccer during the late 1970s.
Bukari graduated from Oakland University in 1979, the same year he took over the fledging girls’ program at Birmingham Seaholm. “It was a lot different back then. That was before the MHSAA recognized soccer as a sport. There wasn’t very many schools in [Michigan] with programs when I first started.”
After eight years at Seaholm, Bukari made the switch over to Detroit Country Day and has served as either an assistant or head coach since 1987 at the prestigious private school.
Bukari has served as the head coach on four state championship girls’ teams, five state runners-up girls’ teams, and one state championship boys’ team. As an assistant, he was on staff for more than a dozen state championship squads between boys’ and girls’ soccer at Country Day.
“We’ve had some amazing players and some amazing teams,” recalled Bukari, who served under legendary boys’ coach Paul Bartoshuk and former girls’ head coach Bill Thompson.
This season, the Country Day girls have only three seniors on the roster, but despite being young, they will be a title contender. The Yellowjackets are ranked third in the first MHSSCA Division 3 poll and were 6-1-1 near the end of April, again playing a challenging schedule.
Country Day, which is 5-4 all-time in girls’ state finals (Class B, Division 3, Division 4) finished as the state runner-up last June, falling to eight-time state champion Unity Christian, 3-1. The Yellowjackets finished the season 21-4-1.
Headed to Georgetown University, senior defender Jenna Stoudt leads Country Day this year, while fellow seniors Emily Fisher and Libby Ronchetto are both four-year starters in the midfield and captains of a young, but talented, band.
Junior Maddie Odom and sophomore Isabel Nino give Bukari two quality goalkeepers at his disposal, as the Yellowjackets hope to make another deep run and challenge for top honors this year in Division 3.
Sophomore Dagny Hill, one of four returning all-state players this season, is back in the midfield, along with juniors Hannah Hansen and Devon Fent-Baker. Junior Sonja Niederhofer and sophomore Lauren Alshab are two of the team’s top forwards, while juniors Georgianne Verbeek and Naomi Hill and sophomore Olivia Heppard also return.
“This is one of the youngest teams we’ve had here in a long time. But they do have potential,” said Bukari. “I think, based on the schedule that we play every year, that will help us prepare for the state tournament. I like to think we have a chance. When you have very good goalkeeping, good leaders, and players that work hard, it can often lead to good things. We have those things.”
Even if Country Day does not capture another title, the veteran says he has no regrets. “Love every minute of it. Working with kids, coaching them, is what I enjoy,” said Bukari, noting that Steve Bossert will take the boys’ program and Laura Hamway the girls’ program. “It’s been a long time. I feel like it’s time to hand it over to someone else.”
There’s just one more order of business to finish, another state title.