Po dlhom, ťažkom a húževnatom zápase s rakovinou, vo veku 54 rokov, zomrel náš priateľ Roman Tulis, zakladateľ European Soccer School of Excellence.

Česť jeho pamiatke.

"Some people come into our lives and quietly go.
Others stay a while and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never, ever the same."


Roman Tulis, whose elite Burnaby based soccer school turned out top-flight players around the world, passed away Thursday evening March 4th at 10 PM at the age of 54 with his family at his side after an incredibly brave battle with cancer.

ROMAN TULIS (*August 3, 1955 – +March 4, 2010)

Born in the High Tatra Mountains of Slovakia, Roman was well respected and admired in the international soccer community in Europe, as well as in Vancouver for his European Soccer School of Excellence. Roman played soccer professionally in Slovakia but his career ended early due to knee injuries. This led him to what he was really meant to do in life which was to coach professionally. He started his coaching career with Slovan Bratislava and was soon coaching the Czecho-Slovakian youth national team.

In 1986 Roman visited Vancouver for EXPO, and fell in love with the city. In 1988, he and his wife, Danka, moved to Vancouver and began working for the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Word of his coaching ability soon led to him becoming a coach of the BC Provincial Boys Soccer Team.

In 1993 Roman opened the Roman Tulis European Soccer School of Excellence in Burnaby with only 12 students - the first of its kind to operate year round in Canada. The full time soccer school now coaches over 200 players and is a huge success story with Tulis alumni going on to play professionally around the world or receiving university scholarships throughout the United States and Canada.

The BC soccer community lost a beloved friend, a tireless promoter, and one of its most precious commodities. Roman has shaped many young lives. He will be remembered for his incredible ability to prepare players to play at an international level, for his constant encouragement to get a university education and, perhaps above all, for his emphasis on developing good people, not just good soccer players. Roman's gentle yet firm way of teaching the students the values of dedication, diligence, and discipline in every walk of life will be sadly and greatly missed.

"Winning is nice" Roman said to his students, "but it is not everything". He taught them to be humble and gracious, to be team players and most importantly to play fair and respect the game and the people who play it, even if they wear a different coloured jersey.

Roman always strived to be the best he could be - as a husband, father, coach, as a friend - and he encouraged all young soccer players to do the same - "Be the best you could be!".