Jonathan Stadler: An Internationally Traveled Player Finds Happiness and Success at UW-Milwaukee

The faint sounds of tennis shoes squeaking against the court floors echoed throughout the room and the smell of anti-bacterial cleaner mixed with body odor filled the air.

The Klotsche Center is where plenty of UW-Milwaukee student athletes go to train and prepare for the season that lies ahead. Jonathan Stadler is one of them. Stadler plays defense for the Panthers men’s soccer team.  The team grabbed their waters and left the weight room tired but eager.

His face was red and he was still catching his breath, but his eyes were filled with excitement and passion. You could tell he loved talking about soccer. You could tell it was more than just a sport to him; it was a lifestyle.

“Being a part of the soccer team, it’s more than just weightlifting,” said Stadler. “It’s investing yourself into this team atmosphere. Its kind of cliché to say, but it is like one big family. If you’re not in the weight room or out on the field or getting treatment in the athletic room, you’re with your brothers. You’re with your teammates all the time.”

Since he can remember, soccer has always been a part of his life.  Stadler has been playing soccer since he was 4-years-old, advancing as a player ever since. He is currently a defensive player, but that was not always the case.

“I actually started off as a goal keeper,” said Stadler. “When I got to club, we didn’t have one. Our coach asked if anyone wanted to play keeper, and I raised my hand and volunteered. I sucked, I was awful at it.”

After realizing his potential was not in the goalie box, Stadler moved on and found his niche in the back line. Through high school soccer and club soccer, Stadler progressed far enough as a player to be admitted into the Olympic Development Program.

During his time in the program he travelled internationally, playing tournaments in places like Florida, Arizona and Costa Rica.  After his time traveling he joined a residential academy in Arizona, a place known for turning out some of the best soccer players. During this time is when Stadler realized his passion could be much more than just that.

“Instead of just others believing in you, you start to actually believe in yourself,” said Stadler.

Stadler transferred to UW-Milwaukee from Oregon State, the area where he grew up. He enjoyed playing for his home state, but the competition was fierce for a freshman wanting playing time.  He wanted the chance to develop more as a player and to get the playing time of the field that he deserved.

A fellow teammate from his residential academy played on the Panthers men’s team at UW-Milwaukee, and after hearing positive things, Stadler applied. He committed to UW-Milwaukee shortly after and has been enjoying his time in Milwaukee since.

“There are actually a lot of things that remind me of Portland,” said Stadler. “There’s lots of microbreweries and a similar bar culture, and people really seem to have a passion for sports here.  There’s a lot of heart within the city.”

As a marketing major, Stadler sees himself working for an athletic apparel company developing new products and doing marketing research, a combination of both his passion and his education. But his true dream is to make it to the professional league.

“You never stop dreaming,” said Stadler.  “But you really hope that one day you can go play in Europe. I think Barcelona is one of those teams you would sell your soul to the devil to play for.”

While Stadler is nursing a stressed ankle this year, he still plans on bringing the heat along with the rest of the Panthers men’s soccer team, all thanks to the UW-Milwaukee trainers who have him almost back to full health.

Last season Stadler helped lead his team to an important victory scoring a goal during the Chancellor’s Cup, a very rare occurrence for someone playing in the back line. But it was still not enough to give them a conference championship. The team ended last season with a 2-5-2 conference record. This year Stadler thinks a championship is very possible.

“As a team we are very talented,” said Stadler. “I used to think we had to be this team that had to outwork everybody, but now I think that we are talented enough and that we do work hard enough.”

From the looks of determination and the amount of sweat exhausted, any reporter in that weight room would agree with him. The Panthers men’s soccer team is ready for a winning season.