Remembering Jimmy Banks 1964-2019
I posted this on facebook April 26th, 2019, the day Jimmy passed.
A few years ago, for his volunteer work, Jimmy Banks received an award from the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center. Jimmy’s friends, co-workers, players and family waited for his speech. It was vintage Jimmy. As one attendee said, “I took a bite of my chicken and the speech was over.” Jimmy didn’t like the limelight.
It’s hard to avoid attention though when you’re a soccer legend, an icon. When I was a kid, Jimmy Banks stories were rampant. “I heard Jimmy rainbowed three people in the same game.” “I heard he scored a goal doing a scorpion.” “I heard he held the ball between his feet and did a flip between two players before scoring a goal.” “I heard he scored 10 goals in a game.” What’s real and what’s fake is up for debate. What isn’t, Jimmy was really good at soccer.
Eventually he’d accomplish a few things for his play: All American at UW Parkside and UW Milwaukee, a professional career with The Milwaukee Wave, and 36 CAPS with the US National Team including two starts in the 1990 World Cup. Add three or four Hall of Fame inductions and a few more honors and Jimmy had a right to consider himself a big deal – but he didn’t.
For a while when I’d arrive at MSOE soccer practice where Jimmy head coached and I assisted I’d yell out, “Hey it’s Mr. 1990, Mr. World Cup. Are you going to talk about how you started in two losses again?”
Jimmy would giggle. “Man, we were close against Italy,” he’d say. Then he’d shut down the conversation. He never talked about his career in front of the players. Honestly, I wish he would’ve but that’s me talking, not Jimmy.
Jimmy was a proud guy, not the first of the seven deadly sins proud, but proud of his family and his kids. He loved showing the picture of himself, Dee, JC and Jordan decked out in tuxes at JC’s wedding. He was even more proud of the picture of him holding his only grandchild DJ (Dee’s boy). Jimmy’s introverted and private demeanor disguised a big softy, a man whose eyes shined the times he talked about his kids.
Many people didn’t know Jimmy was sick, battling stage four cancer for four months. Most didn’t know it was his second or third battle with the disease. That was Jimmy’s way. I don’t want the attention and I don’t need praise. He passed away this morning quietly and gracefully, befitting his life.
But those who knew Jimmy, let’s not be quiet. Let’s tell everyone who and what was lost today. Jimmy Banks wasn’t just a soccer star and coaching legend. He was a role model, pioneer and a man who in his, too short, 54 years of living bettered the lives of countless people and did it without ever making it about himself.
