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Nearly a decade after it started on its mission to build a soccer culture in DeKalb and the surrounding communities, the DeKalb County United soccer club’s board of directors has established the DeKalb County Soccer Hall of Fame to honor those who have given their time and talents to the beautiful game across all of DeKalb County.
In its inaugural class of 2025, longtime club coach Dan Carl and former Sycamore Spartans head boys and girls soccer coach Dave Lichamer will be enshrined for their contributions to DeKalb County soccer.
“What really drove us was that we didn’t want it to be a club hall of fame,” DeKalb County United board president John Hall said. “It gives us the opportunity to recognize some of the people who have been volunteers for many years and deserve some recognition.”
Carl, coach of the DKCU women’s team, was honored before the team’s game Saturday, a win over Rockford to claim the 815 Cup.
Carl’s coaching journey began at the rec level, coaching in AYSO, before moving into the club soccer space. Carl eventually ended up coaching with the Northern Illinois Football Club, where he also was the board president and director of coaching.
Carl is currently the director of soccer at DeKalb County United Academy. In addition to coaching and volunteering in youth organizations, Carl also has been playing soccer himself, having been a long-time member of both Hinckley United and Nightmare Sauce, the latter of which has a cult following in DeKalb County’s soccer community. Carl said that his mission is to leave the game better than he found it for others to enjoy.
“When it’s all said and done, I want to be known as someone who helped grow the game in our area,” Carl said. “As a leader, I hope that I helped others develop into coaches that share the same passion for the game in our community. As a coach, I hope that I’ve not only helped players grow their skills to help them reach their potential and hit personal goals, but also develop as stronger people where skills taught on the field translate to life.”
After Lichamer graduated from NIU in 1997, he coached JV soccer at Sycamore High School, where he also worked as an Itinerant. From there, Lichamer eventually worked his way up the ranks and became head coach of both the Sycamore Spartans boys and girls varsity soccer teams.
After a long, successful tenure running both of Sycamore’s programs, Lichamer stepped aside and started coaching the DeKalb County United U23 men’s program. Lichamer said that his favorite thing about coaching in one area for so long is the years of connections he made along the way.
“I like seeing some of my former players, former students who are now finding ways to get back to the soccer community,” Lichamer said. “Some of them coach now. Whether it be their own kids are just getting involved on staying with soccer. I truly feel like soccer is one of those sports that you can continue playing all the way young all the way through your late life for 50’s and 60’s. There’s always a place to go and play and be involved and to give back to the soccer community. I like seeing those players you know either keep playing, or, find other ways to still be involved in the sport. That makes me happy.”
Entering his 29th year of teaching in Sycamore, Lichamer is embracing his current connections to the game of soccer. He is an assistant coach at DeKalb High School during the fall and a referee during the spring.
“I am actually enjoying the assistant role, the support role, the background person,” Lichamer said. “I feel like I don’t have the ambition to climb the ladder at this stage in my career. I feel like with my experience, I’m better suited for the assistant job, the helper. I can sit in the room and just talk soccer… I also enjoy officiating and still being involved in the community that way, and continuing to involve myself in youth sports by giving back in that sense.”
Lichamer will be honored at a ceremony before DKCU’s game on Saturday.
Hall said that he believes soccer can be a great unifier, bringing people together from towns big and small.
“We want to create touch points in our community,” Hall said. “Telling our story of how we are trying to unite the community through soccer and our mission of bringing people from DeKalb and Sycamore, Cortland, Hinckley, Genoa ... and everywhere else all together.”