Advertisement

Commentary: For Galaxy assistant coach, Olympic medal-winning grandmother was his inspiration

Swedish figure skater Vivi-Anne Hulton skates in 1932.
Swedish figure skater Vivi-Anne Hulton won the bronze medal at the 1936 Winter Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. She also is the grandmother of Galaxy assistant coach Nick Theslof.
(Gerhard Riebicke / Ullstein Bild via Getty Images)
Share via
1

Nick Theslof’s grandmother taught him to ice skate at about the time he was learning to walk, which really didn’t prove to be much of a life skill since Theslof went on to play professional soccer, not hockey.

But there was another lesson Theslof learned from his grandmother simply by being near her. And it has proved infinitely more valuable.

“She was my example,” said Theslof, a Galaxy assistant coach. “She was inspiring just by watching her move and talk because she was a little different. You don’t quite understand it, but you want to be to that level.

Advertisement

“That’s something I realized very young. I wanted to try to achieve and be good like my grandmother.”

We should all strive to achieve and be good like Vivi-Anne Hulten, an Olympic medalist and 10-time national champion figure skater in the 1920s and ‘30s who was once hailed as Sweden’s greatest female athlete. However, Theslof remembers his grandmother not for her medals, which he keeps on display in his Lakewood home, but for a simple act of profound courage and character that came to define her.

It has been 60 years since the entire U.S figure skating team died in a plane crash in Belgium. For those who knew the skaters best, the loss remains vivid.

Feb. 15, 2021

As Hulten approached the medal podium after finishing third in the 1936 Winter Games, she was told she would have to perform a Nazi salute to honor German chancellor Adolf Hitler. She refused.

“At the time, for a female to stand up for herself in that environment in Germany, the amount of integrity and bravery that it took from her, it’s hard for me to explain,” Theslof said. “She had a way to achieve in that moment. It wasn’t about the skating. It was about her integrity.”

Hulten, who left Sweden for the U.S. and taught skating in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Minnesota, eventually followed her family to Southern California where she died in 2003 at the age of 91. By then Nick’s playing days had been ended by a severe Achilles injury and he was on the second stop of a coaching career that would take him to eight teams in four countries, a career in which he’d coach in a World Cup with Germany and win an MLS title in Toronto.

Galaxy assistant coach Nick Theslof during his time with Toronto FC in 2017
Galaxy assistant coach Nick Theslof during his time with Toronto FC in 2017.
(Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

He could win another MLS Cup this fall with the Galaxy, who Saturday moved a big step closer to clinching their first Western Conference title in 13 years. But like his grandmother, Theslof won’t allow his career to be defined by shiny prizes that will lose their polish over time.

“What’s important for me is that everyone in this building knows who I am and they trust me, they know that I can help them,” said Theslof, 48, who won a national title at UCLA and played in the youth program of Dutch giant PSV Eindhoven, yet remains among the most unsung members of a coaching staff that includes three MLS all-stars and three national team players.

“My name isn’t synonymous with the things that my colleagues have done,” he said. “I’m really happy for them. But I’m also happy that I’m different.”

In this case different doesn’t mean inferior. And Theslof’s colleagues are well aware of what he brings to the job.

“Nick’s superpower, his ability to understand how the individual player works with the ball, is spectacular,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said of his former UCLA teammate. “Nick does a lot of managing and watching players, how they’re moving, and how they’re moving with the ball, in order to create more technical efficiencies or improvements. He’s one of the best I’ve ever been around.”

Advertisement

That’s also something Theslof said he learned from his grandmother, who was 64 when he was born.

“Growing up, when I watched my grandma teaching ice skating and teaching humans how to perform, I was always so taken aback by how she looked at the body and balance and the little technical things that allowed people to perform better that a normal person would maybe not see,” he said, sitting under an umbrella on the concourse at Dignity Health Sports Park last week after a morning training session. “She would take time and really slow things down and make sure that the human was moving correctly. I found that fascinating.”

Theslof grew up playing hockey in Minnesota where his grandmother, who had toured with the Ice Capades, ran a skating school whose clients included Herb Brooks’ gold-medal winning U.S. hockey team.

Former Olympic figure skater Todd Sand nearly died after suffering a heart attack. His wife and skating partner says he is making progress in his recovery.

Dec. 4, 2023

“One afternoon she came over to our house and Brooks was with her,” Theslof recalled. “And we go to a hockey store and buy a stick. I’ve had a very unique life and some very unique experiences.”

Although Theslof’s grandmother had statues erected in her honor in Hungary and at the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame in Colorado and performed for the king and queen of Sweden when she was 80, she’s probably best remembered for her snub of Hitler and her spat with legendary Norwegian skater Sonja Henie.

Advertisement

After being ordered to salute the German dictator, Hulten told interviewers decades later, she responded by saying, ”I’m Swedish; I don’t do that.”

“I just stared at him,” she said. “He was a scary person.”

The long-running feud with Henie, a three-time gold medalist and 10-time world champion, was much more personal and vicious, with both sides trading barbed insults. And although the rivalry came to define skating for a generation, Theslof said his grandmother had the last laugh.

“Sonja Henie used to date my grandfather,” he said of Gene Theslof, who was Henie’s skating partner before he left her to marry Hulten.

The Galaxy beat Austin FC 2-1 on fan appreciation night in Carson and are on the cusp of winning their first Western Conference crown in 13 years.

Oct. 5, 2024

Although Hulten helped steer Nick Theslof onto the ice as a boy, he quickly transitioned to soccer and by age 15 he was in the Netherlands playing at Eindhoven. He returned to the U.S. to win an NCAA championship at UCLA under Sigi Schmid before injuries forced him into coaching.

“People were saying, ‘Well, you’ve got a good eye for coaching,’” Theslof said. “I knew my grandma was coaching a lot. For me, coaching was second-best to playing. I feel like I had grown up with kind of a coaching, teaching, performance side to me.”

Advertisement

In his first job, as an assistant at Ohio Wesleyan, he won an NCAA Division III title and he later worked under Jurgen Klinnsman with the German national team and Bayern Munich, then at Chivas USA.

In 2014 he joined Vanney’s staff at Toronto FC, and the two have been together ever since.

“There’s a little bit of a grind in coaching, then you come out the other side in the performance and it feels good,” he said. “I’m proud of not only the successes that the teams I’ve been with have had, but I’m also very proud of the players that I’ve built relationships with.”

? You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

Advertisement
seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com