Lenin Steenkamp (born 9 September 1969) is a South African

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

coach and player who spent his entire career in the United States.

College

In 1989, Steenkamp entered the College of Boca Raton on a soccer scholarship. Steenkamp was a 1989, 1991 and 1992 First Team NAIA All American soccer player. In 1989 and 1990, Boca Raton finished runner-up in the

NAIA national men's soccer championship The NAIA Men's Soccer Championship is the annual tournament to determine the national champions of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA men's College soccer in the United States, college soccer in the United States and Canada. ...

. In 1991, the school changed its name to Lynn University and the soccer team won the NAIA national championship. Steenkamp scored both goals in the final and was the tournament MVP. Steenkamp graduated in 1993 and is a member of the Lynn University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Club

During the 1992 college off-season, Steenkamp played for the

Boca Raton Sabres The Boca Raton Sabres were a soccer club based in Boca Raton, Florida, that competed in the USISL. The Sabres played their first season in 1992. The team made its home debut on May 6, 1992, defeating the Montreal Supra of the Canadian Soccer Leag ...

of the

USISL The United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL) was a semi-professional men's outdoor soccer league that played six seasons from 1989 to 1994. It was the first outdoor league to be operated by the organization known today as the United ...

. In 1993, Steenkamp played for the amateur Club Boca Rotan. This brought him to the attention of the

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994) The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team establishe ...

who signed him for the 1994 American Professional Soccer League season. He missed the first nine games of the season because of visa problems. Then, in July and August 1994, the Strikers sent him on loan to the Carolina Vipers of the

Continental Indoor Soccer League The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997. History In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice ...

. In 1995, he moved to the Atlanta Ruckus. In October 1995, Steenkamp signed with the Tampa Bay Terror of the National Professional Soccer League. He was named to the 1995–1996 All Rookie Team. Steenkamp began the 1996 A-League season with the Ruckus, but was traded to the Montreal Impact in June 1996 despite leading the team with nine goals. The Impact then sent him to the Rochester Rhinos one day later in exchange for Gustavo Romanello and Gustavo Villagra. Steenkamp remained with the Rhinos until his retirement. However, he continued to play indoor soccer, signing with the

Buffalo Blizzard The Buffalo Blizzard was a soccer club that existed from 1992 to 2001 in Buffalo, New York. History The team was originally owned by the Knox brothers who owned the Buffalo Sabres at the time, and additionally by the Riches who owned the minor l ...

in January 1997 and played through the end of the season. In 2003, Steenkamp became an assistant coach with the Rhinos.

Inaugural Member of Rochester Rhinos Hall of Fame

On 28 July 2011, the Rochester Rhinos announced that Steenkamp would be the first member to be inducted to the new Rhinos Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place at halftime during the 5 August 2011 match at Sahlen's Stadium. Steenkamp is the all-time leader in games (268) and minutes played (21,613) for the Rochester Rhinos.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steenkamp, Lenin 1969 births Living people Soccer players from Durban American Professional Soccer League players Men's association football midfielders Atlanta Silverbacks FC players Boca Raton Sabres players Buffalo Blizzard players Carolina Vipers players Continental Indoor Soccer League players Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994) players Lynn Fighting Knights men's soccer players National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players Rochester New York FC players South African men's soccer players South African expatriate men's soccer players South African soccer managers South African expatriate sportspeople in the United States Tampa Bay Terror players USL First Division players USISL players 20th-century South African sportsmen