Toms River soccer complex renamed for Shore soccer legend, Major League Soccer money man

TOMS RIVER - Only moments after honoring Toms River High School North's Group 5 championship football team and its state championship Marching Mariners Band, Toms River Township Council members voted to recognize another sports figure — a long-time soccer coach and mentor whose name will grace the Oak Avenue Soccer Complex.

The complex will be named after Walter F. Konopka, who worked in finance for Major League Soccer for more than two decades, and coached, managed and ran youth soccer clubs in Toms River for more than 30 years, starting in 1986.

Konopka's son, Michael, a standout basketball player at High School North and Stony Brook University who teaches science at High School East, made a presentation to the council about his father, noting, "my brother and my family, we thought Oak Park would be a great place to honor him. … He spent his last days on the field with my son."

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Walter Konopka died suddenly at age 65, in 2021. His son Christopher — Michael's brother — is a former Major League Soccer goalkeeper who has played professionally in the U.S. and in Europe.

When Walter Konopka passed away, a moment of silence was held to honor him at Major League Soccer stadiums throughout the country, Michael Konopka said. He said his father was "a quiet man. Not that many people knew he was so instrumental in Major League Soccer."

He said his father had a huge influence on the local soccer community as well, helping to shepherd many players to careers at Division I college teams.

The Konopkas plan to fundraise to make upgrades at the Oak Avenue complex, including purchasing backstop nets to help prevent balls from rolling into the woods; adding new bleachers and benches to each field; new fencing and new signage at the Oak Avenue entrance and also in the parking lot.

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The Konopkas also want to add a gravel path to connect the Schencks Mill Line Road entrance to the complex to the parking lot.

"We would do this at little or no cost to the township," Michael Konopka said. He said the Orlando City MLS club, where his brother now works, has expressed interest in donating to the project.

"This means a lot to my family, obviously, and I think it means a lot to the soccer community here and across the country," he said.

"Every person that I spoke to about this, that I know who played soccer, gave your father the most glowing recommendations and they wanted me to support this," Council President Matt Lotano said before casting his vote to rename the soccer complex. "And I absolutely do, yes."

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle,  jmikle@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River renames soccer complex for Shore legend, MLS financial exec