If you’re the father of a daughter and three boys, chances are good you don’t have a lot of spare time. If you’re in the same situation and happen to be a doctor – in this case a urologist – chances are good spare time would be pretty hard to come by for most in that situation or even half of the equation.

 

It’s safe to say former Bridgeport resident Doug McKinney isn’t like most. Despite raising a family and having a full-time job as a medical professional, McKinney found plenty of time to be involved in his children’s activities. In particular, he was involved in his kids’ love of soccer.

 

Considering his commitments, being involved as a spectator or even manning the concession stand occasionally would have been acceptable. Doug McKinney, however, went above and beyond and my stating that isn’t hyperbole.

 

McKinney became a coach. He was a soccer referee. He was the Olympic Development Program Administrator. He taught others how to coach and much, much more.

 

Doug McKinney did this back in Kentucky in the 1970 and in the 1980s when soccer was still in its infancy stages in West Virginia, particularly on the high school front and continued doing it for years after. Today, the sport is thriving as much as any with high school and middle school programs statewide and youth teams playing locally and traveling afar.

 

A lot of that has to do with Doug McKinney. And I’m not the only one that thinks that.

 

It was recently announced that Dr. Doug McKinney will be elected to the Class of 2019 West Virginia Soccer Association Hall of Fame. It’s an honor that’s well deserved.

 

“I actually found out about recently while having some family over for dinner for a special occasion; about 10 people were there for a couple of birthdays,” said McKinney, who is now living in Lewisburg with his wife Sue. “I got a call from Bob Gray, who coached at Alderson Broaddus and Marshall, and is on the (WVSA) Board and he told me. It ended up being a pretty nice present to me.”

 

Gray would know of McKinney. The two are not only friends, but Gray likely got some help in his career through McKinney’s involvement with the Olympic Development Program. Players, college coaches, aspiring coaches, high school coaches and others were exposed to the sport as it began its development and Gray was part of the mix.

 

McKinney moved to Bridgeport in 1976 and then back to Ashland, Kentucky in 1978 before a Bridgeport return in 1986. From that point, he remained here doing his medical duties primarily in a full-time capacity until he fully retired in April of 2016 – already having moved to Lewisburg in 2014 and commuting back and forth to work in Harrison County to wrap up his career.

 

It was in between those dates where McKinney got heavily involved in soccer in Bridgeport and, eventually statewide and even beyond. His oldest son Bill was an all-state player at Ashland High School and his sons Matt and Sam would do the same while serving time in Bridgeport.

 

“Joe Leonette was the soccer coach when it started out and he was good enough to agree to do it when no one wanted to do, which says a lot about him. George Givens was the president of the Bridgeport Soccer Association and we approached Joe about me helping out since I had some soccer experience from my time in Ashland and it worked out nicely … I coached five years as Joe’s assistant and then eventually head coach,” said McKinney.

 

Still, with the family – that included his daughter Margaret who was already off into the real world by this time – it would seem to be difficult for a doctor to find time. But he did. In fact, he had to do plenty just to be able to coach at the prep level (and he was coaching youth soccer as well).

 

“I had to take a program called the Fourth Pathway for Teachers in Institute (WV) and then more programs at Morgantown High School to become a substitute teacher,” said McKinney, who said he occasionally subbed as a Civics teacher. “You had to sub at the school you coached at that time to be eligible so I did what I had to do.

 

“If you want to do something, you just make time,” he continued. “When we were in Ashland, I coached at the high school there, was a manager in Babe Ruth Baseball and coached church league basketball.”

 

He also became a certified youth soccer referee and did that for five years along with organizing the Central West Virginia Soccer Referees Association. McKinney was also the assigner, which meant along with working games he would assign officials to various games throughout the state.

 

“I enjoyed being a referee and earning certifications at various levels, including instruction certifications. I did a lot of clinics on how to referee youth soccer,” said McKinney.

 

Many back here in Bridgeport remember him from the years he coached. McKinney said they played the big boys right out of the gate that included Martinsburg, Jefferson County, Hedgesville, Huntington, Point Pleasant, Woodrow Wilson, George Washington and all of the local teams that were either established or in their infancy stages as needed.

 

“It all goes back to getting involved when our oldest son Bill was playing U-12 in Ashland. It was obvious people knew a lot about football and baseball, but not a lot about soccer,” said McKinney. “So I got involved by taking a class and then another class and that got me started.”

 

And it allowed him to coach both Matt and Sam at BHS. Matt was coached by his father in his junior and senior seasons, while Matt was under this father’s guidance on the soccer field from his sophomore year through graduation. The McKinney brothers were extremely talented, but there were other familiar names McKinney recalled.

 

“We had Mike Lhotsky, Phil Northey, Cam Devericks, Todd Amiet, John Amiet, Drew Pomeroy, Jeff Foster, Adam Fowler and I’m sure I’m forgetting a whole bunch of players,” said McKinney. “What I know for sure was that during my time there we had a lot of really good, all-state level players. We got off to a good start with Bridgeport soccer.”

 

The start has led to a strong program today at the high school and youth levels. McKinney is thrilled to know that.

 

“I keep up with the soccer programs and it’s amazing to see the success, what they’ve done with youth soccer and all the new fields,” said McKinney. “I’m just amazed at the growth and I see it every time I’m in town catch one Sam’s daughter’s games. It’s nice to be there in the background.”

 

On March 2 of this year, he’ll be in the foreground of soccer once again. On that evening, McKinney and three others will be recognized at the WVSA Hall of Fame dinner at the Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place.

 

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always nice to be appreciated,” said McKinney. “When I look back at it and think about it, it’s almost cheating to get this award because it was so much fun doing it.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is a recent picture of Dr. Doug McKinney and his wife Sue, while the next two photos show McKinney (standing far right in first team shot and far left in second) coaching youth soccer teams. In the bottom photo, he's shown with his son Sam outside of his doctor's office back in 1993.