Position: Midfielder
Number: 12
Born: November 5, 1959
Hometown: Florissant, Missouri
Rowdies Debut: 1978
In 1978, Perry Van der Beck was the first American ever drafted out of high school to play professional soccer. The Rowdies drafted Van der Beck out of Aquinas High School in St. Louis, Missouri. It did not take long at all for the young Van der Beck to become a consistent contributor in midfield, as he helped the Rowdies reach back-to-back North American Soccer League Finals in 1978 and 1979. Van der Beck made 190 appearances during his playing tenure with the Rowdies throughout various leagues (1978-1982, 1983, 1989-1993). In 2008, Van der Beck joined the group intent on reviving the Rowdies as Technical Director. In his front office role, Van der Beck played a part in assembling the roster that brought the Rowdies their second outdoor championship in 2012.
