Dave VerMerris started the area’s first high school soccer program at Western Michigan Christian in 1968.  He went on to coach the Warriors to a 333-154-40 record, four state championship appearances and state titles in 1988 and 1995. He taught the nuances of the game to hundreds of students and fellow coaches and is proud of the fact that almost every school in the area now has a soccer team.

An outstanding swimmer and runner at Grand Rapids Christian in the mid-1960s, VerMerris broke Terry Barr’s Grand Rapids city record in the 440-yard dash with a time of 50.5 seconds. He continued his track success at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, setting a school record 400-meter run in 1967 with a time of 48.1.  The mark stood until the spring of 1999.
VerMerris didn’t start playing soccer until his freshman year at Calvin when he was approached by men’s coach Marv Zuidema and asked to give it a try. He quickly developed a passion for the sport. The team captain in his junior and senior years, he earned all-conference honors in 1966 and 1967.
He accepted a teaching position at Western Michigan Christian High School following graduation. Christian had a long tradition of basketball success and when VerMerris started the soccer program at Christian in 1968, no one ever dreamed the largely foreign-based sport would ever rival basketball for supremacy among the Warriors. But thanks to his enthusiasm and coaching skills, the Warriors became known statewide as a soccer powerhouse.

After 30 years at WMC, VerMerris returned to his college alma mater.  He took the reigns of the Calvin soccer program from Zuidema who stepped aside after 36 years at the helm.  VerMerris stayed for four seasons, leading the Knights to the MIAA title with a 16-3-1 record in 1999.  Following the 2002 season, he resigned the position to accept a new challenge.  VerMerris returned to WMC as principal and led the fundraising drive to move the school to a new, larger location.