American Indoor Soccer Association

Tombstone

Formed: March 1984
Re-branded: 1990 (National Professional Soccer League)

First Game: November 4, 1984
Last Game: April 26, 1990

Seasons: 6
States: 10
(FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, PA, TN, WI)

Leadership

Commissioner:

1984 – June 1985: Bob Lemieux

Director of Operations & Referee-in-Chief:

July 1985 – 1986 – Joe Machnik

Commissioner:

July 1986 – 1988: Joe Machnick
July 1988 – July 2000: Steve Paxos (NPSL Commissioner from 1990 – 2000)

Joe Machnik was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the Builder category in 2017.

Attendance

This chart covers AISA attendance from the 1984-85 through 1989-90 seasons. Following the 1989-90 season, the league re-branded itself as the National Professional Soccer League. NPSL attendance data from 1990 to 2001 can be found on our NPSL page.

Note: This data is taken from the NPSL’s 1997-98 Official Guide & Record Book. Unlike most other leagues, the NPSL seems to have lumped Playoff, All-Star Game and international exhibitions attendance figures in with its regular season attendance numbers. This chart reflects that approach.

Print Download

Source: 1997-98 National Professional Soccer League Official Guide & Record Book

Trophy Case

American Indoor Soccer Association Most Valuable Player

YEAR	PLAYER	POSITION	TEAM
1984-85	Lesh Shkreli	Forward	Columbus Capitals
1985-86	Don Tobin	Midfielder	Canton Invaders
1986-87	Rudy Pikuzinski	Forward	Canton Invaders
1987-88	Rudy Pikuzinski	Forward	Canton Invaders
1988-89	Rudy Pikuzinski	Forward	Canton Invaders
1989-90	Jamie Swanner	Goalkeeper	Canton Invaders

American Indoor Soccer Association Goalkeeper of the Year

YEAR	COACH	TEAM
1984-85	Rick Schweizer	Louisville Thunder
1985-86	Victor Petroni	Kalamazoo Kangaroos
1986-87	Jamie Swanner	Canton Invaders
1987-88	Manny Sanchez	Memphis Storm
1988-89	Jamie Swanner	Canton Invaders
1989-90	Jamie Swanner	Canton Invaders

American Indoor Soccer Association Defender of the Year

YEAR	COACH	TEAM
1984-85	Oscar Pisano	Canton Invaders
1985-86	Oscar Pisano	Canton Invaders
1986-87	Tim Tyma	Canton Invaders
1987-88	Tim Tyma	Milwaukee Wave
1988-89	Tim Tyma	Milwaukee Wave
1989-90	Bret Hall	Chicago Power

American Indoor Soccer Association Rookie of the Year

YEAR	PLAYER	POSITION	TEAM
1984-85	No Award
1985-86	Jamie Swanner	Goalkeeper	Canton Invaders
1986-87	Paul Zimmerman	Goalkeeper	Chicago Shoccers
1987-88	Rod Castro	Forward	Memphis Storm
1988-89	Carlos Pena	Goalkeeper	Dayton Dynamo
1989-90	Brian Haynes	Forward	Atlanta Attack

American Indoor Soccer Association Coach of the Year

YEAR	COACH	TEAM
1984-85	Klaas deBoer	Canton Invaders
1985-86	Trevor Dawkins	Canton Invaders
1986-87	Terry Nicholl	Memphis Storm
1987-88	Terry Nicholl	Memphis Storm
1988-89	John Dolinsky	Milwaukee Wave
1989-90	Rick Schweizer	Dayton Dynamo

Background

The American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA) formed in 1984 as a Midwest-based indoor soccer circuit. The league was a second tier effort by design, playing primarily in small minor league hockey arenas in cities such as Canton, Columbus, Kalamazoo and Milwaukee. Early AISA players typically aspired to move up to the Major Indoor Soccer League, which offered highest level of professional soccer in the United States (indoor or outdoor) from 1984 through the end of the decade.

In the late 1980’s the AISA began to expand its geographic footprint and to lease higher quality arenas. To reflect its new sense of ambition, the league re-branded itself as the National Professional Soccer League prior to the 1990-91 season.

One former AISA club is still in operation as of 2018. The Milwaukee Wave began play as an original AISA franchise in the winter of 1984. They play on today in the Major Arena Soccer League.