In today's youth world, soccer is still the biggest of the sports. The participation level for kids in the sauthern part of the USA has always been substantially greater in soccer than in other sports. Yet, for some reason the spart has never seemed to catch on with the bigger kidr. It is around the time young men enter high school that sports illterest seems to tore clway from soccer old they gravitate toward the more trtlditiontrl sports of football, basketball, and imseitaii. Major League Soccer (MLS) is making a push to keep the interest of older kids, A well organized league, corporate sponsors, and a televizian contract to consistently show the games, is helping their efforts. The ultimate success of the league will depend on it's ability to attract crowds to the stncdiums to WptCh truly talented people perform and create loytllty to those players and teams. It is apparent after our interview with Dallaz Burn goalkeeper, Mark Dodd, that the MLS has found sameane that can help carry that torch to create these traits needed for success. Mark has been a league leader since the leagues inception in 1996, In 1996, Dodd was awarrded the Pepsi MLS Goalkeeper of the year aHd named a member of AT&T's.Best It team, as well as, the ail-star team. Hit passion for the game runs deep and his desire to be successful is evident. As a ra(e model, Mark excels, Born and raised in Richardson TX, and eventucllly graduating tram nuke University, Dodd is married to his lovely wife, Stacie. They have a beautiful four- year-old daughter named Marisscl. It is the importance that he places on his family and their time together that truly makes Dodd a success. In today's sometimes mixed-up world, it is (I real pleasure to meet sports celebrities with a real understanding of what is important in this puzzle called life. The MLS certainly has a murh- improved chance at longevity with Mark Dodd's involvement...

YST: Tell us about where you grew up.
"I was born and raised in Richardson and went to Richardson High School. I'm a true local boy. "

YST: Did you play club soccer while growing up?
"Yes, I played for a lot of the club teams around here...the Longhorns, Titans, Sparta. I also played for the high school team. I made the rounds playing youth soccer. "

YST: What were your family experiences like growing up?
"I'm an only child so my mom and grandparents spoiled me with attention. We didn't have a lot in the way of money but that never mattered... they gave me support, joy, inspiration and the wisdom of their experience. Those things mattered ! "

YST: Who was the most positive influence in your life ?
"My mom was fantastic. She's really the reason that I was able to accomplish everything that I have. She was always supporting me... giving me a lot of positive feed back. Mom always encouraged me to go after my dreams. Anything that I set my mind to, I could make it happen with enough desire. Looking back on my childhood, I am determined to give our daughter the same kind of wonderfUl experiences. I think a wonderful childhood is the. best gift you can give to a kid, it's the foundation for everything to follow. "

YST: What sports did you play growing up?
"Well, I obviously played a lot of soccer. I also played a little baseball. I was a first baseman and a left-handed pitcher. Maybe I could have stuck with that... I don't know. I had a good time with it. I remember the end of my little league baseball career. I was a good pitcher, but I was prone to throw a few wild pitches. I think I knocked over three batters in a row; at that point I could see the parents in the background screaming at the coach to get me out of there. That was the demise of my baseball career. "

YST: What is your most prized accomplishment on the field?
"Opening game, 1996, was one of the most memorable occasions. It was such a great feeling to walk onto the Cotton Bowl field in front of 35,000 people after such a long absence from Dallas. That was a great moment. As far as personal accomplishments, being named goal keeper of the year in 1996 was a great time. I am also pleased and proud of the fact that I have played for the U.S. National Team and I have been involved with the national team for quite a while. The last four coaches that the national team has had, have all selected me for the team. In the big picture, that is a great honor. "

YST: What was it like to play soccer at Duke, a large basketball school?
"Duke's always been a big basketball school, but it is a little known fact that soccer in 1986 was the first sport at Duke to win a national championship. So, we have a little one-upmanship on the basketball program. We have since been eclipsed. It's neat to be the first to get the title. "

YST:What took your college career to Duke?
"Besides the fact that it is a great school and it has a great soccer program, my high school girlfriend went to Duke. I thought: my girlfriend was there, good soccer program, strong school... why not? There were also a couple of friends of mine from the Dallas area that went and played at Duke. I went to TCU my first year and was able to get a lot of experience and action in the goal there. Then I transferred and spent the last three years at Duke. "

YST:Tell us about the soccer league that you play in now.
"Major league soccer is a relatively new league, being only three years old. I think this is the first legitimate effort at professional soccer in a long time. Since back in the 70's and early 80's with the NASL, this is the first true attempt with all the corporate sponsorships, publicity and all the big stadiums. It is going very well. "

YST: Where do you see this league headed in the up- coming years ?
"I think it's going to grow. It's tied in closely with youth soccer. The problem that we encounter so often, is that people try to equate soccer with the other major league sports... baseball, football and hockey. We are only in the third year with a professional league. In relation, we are way ahead of where they were in their third year. It is going to be a while before we are able to come close to where a lot of the other sports franchises are currently as far as the TV and radio support. "

YST: Where did you and your wife, Stacie, meet?
"During my freshman year at TCU, some friends introduced us. I then transferred to Duke and she went to North Carolina State. We've been together ever since. "

YST: Tell us about your first date.
"It wasn't really much of a date. We went to see the movie Caddyshack at the school auditorium. A real glamorous first date it was not; we were just hanging out with friends. Our true planned first date, we went out to the Ft. Worth Stockyards and Cowtown; hit some of the dance places and stayed out late for an early morning pancake breakfast. I remember on the way home after dancing all night long, her feet were killing her, so I gave her a foot massage. I didn't know then that one foot rub would lock that chore on me for the rest of my life. It seems like eons ago, but at the same time it feels like just yesterday."

YST: Tell us about your daughter, Marissa.
"STACIE: "She is the apple of both her parent's eyes. MARK: "She's magical... beyond what either one of us could have imagined. She has created an amazing feeling in us both. We are just so happy that we could have such a happy healthy kid."

YST: What do ya'll do as a family for fun?
STACIE: "Everything! We try to spend as much time outside as we can..going down to the creek, to the park. We have family dance fests... we turn on the home sound system and dance all through the house. We cook together. We clean together. We go to soccer games as a family. MARISSA: "Going to Swan Lake. We do everything together." MARK: "I'm on the road traveling so much, that when I'm in town I really like to be at home with Marissa and Stacie. We are one of those families that we can spend all day together and we don't get on each other's nerves at all. "

YST: How does being a publicly known figure affect your personal life?
"I become more protective of my family and our privacy sometimes. I am fortunate that with soccer, people don't know me as directly as they do with other sports celebrities. I really have the best of both worlds... we can still go out to the movies and to dinner without a problem."

YST: (To Stacie) What is it really like being married to a sports celebrity ? "We get a lot of quality time to ourselves. Although, sometimes it's inconvenient... I never know when he may get called away at the last minute and our plans get broken. We get interrupted when we're out. We can't always plan on having time to ourselves if we are out somewhere. It is not uncommon for us to be out at a peaceful dinner, then someone will recognize Mark and here they all come over for autographs. I just try to be patient. MARK: Stacie is wonderful at being real flexible if I get called away to a game or whatever. It's hectic sometimes. "

YST: What's it like to be able to return close to your hometown (Richardson) to play professionally ?
"It's a dream come true. It makes you realize how quickly time goes by. I still have such a vivid memory of going to watch the old Dallas Tornado and running down on the field after the game hoping for autographs. It seems like in a spilt second, now I am on the flip side of it all. Those kids are now running up to us to get the autographs. Having it happen here in Dallas, where I grew up... dreaming about playing professional soccer, makes it that much more special. "

YST: What was it like getting to meet Pele?
"Pele was a great inspiration to me growing up. He was a kid that made it from the streets and made it big. That's what everyone wanted to do and who everyone wanted to be. Getting to meet and know Pele helped me realize what I have accomplished. He was the person that I had only hoped and dreamed that someday I might get his autograph. And now to actually be doing what he does is a fantastic feeling. "

YST: If you could return to any time in your life, what would it be?
"I would like to go back about two years ago. Over the last two years, I have lost my grandmother and my mom. My childhood was a wonderful time; yet, I didn't have Marissa back then. I can't picture any moment as truly fantastic without Marissa and Stacie being involved in it. At that time, the league was just starting, my grandmother and my mom were still around and I also had Marissa and all my family with me. "

YST: Is there a coach that made a lasting impression on you growing up?
"I was really fortunate that all of my coaches of my youth teams happened to be former goalies. I never was able to get special goalie training, but all my team coaches gave me that extra special attention and were able to teach me the proper basics of goal keeping. There are coaches like Gerry Weis (here in Dallas), Jim Walther (my high school coach) and Andy Roughten that helped me out a lot. One of the other big factors was Eric Vaughter, my goalkeeper coach in college, he really instilled in me what it was going to take to become a professional goalkeeper. I already had the basics down at that point... he gave me the fire and discipline that pushed me to the pro level. "

YST: Explain your involvement in the Olympic Sports Festival.
"It's kinda like the Olympics for the United States. I participated back in 1987. At these games, the country is divided by north, south, east and west. The top young players compete for each region. That year, our region (North Carolina and Duke) won. "

YST: How do you feel about age restrictions being put on Olympic participants?
"It is every soccer player's dream to be in a World Cup... soccer's highest honor. Certainly, the Olympics would be a great honor as well. Unfortunately, about eight years ago the age limit for soccer was set to 23. I therefore, have not been eligible for the last two Olympics. I think a lot of that has to do with internal politics in the soccer world. I don't think the Olympics should be used as a developmental platform for sports... it should be the shining spectacle of the best of every sport. The stronger that each and every player is on every team in every sport, the more competitive and rewarding the challenge becomes. I wish I could have participated in the games at some point."

YST: (To Marissa) How do you like your daddy playing soccer?
MARISSA: "I like it because I can get cotton candy at the games and I get to dance in the field."