A memorial service for Guido Kauls, a pioneer of high school boys soccer in Minnesota who was 90 when he died Aug. 8, is scheduled for Aug. 23.

Kauls started the boys soccer program at Minnehaha Academy in 1960 and coached the Redhawks for 40 seasons. He retired from coaching in 2000 with a record of 500-275-75. He was the first high school boys soccer coach in state history to reach 500 victories.

He coached the Redhawks to the state tournament, which began in 1974, four times. The Redhawks were runners-up in 1981 and also reached the tournament in 1984, 1985 and 1991.

Kauls began the Redhawks program as a club sport with 13 players, most of whom were students in his German class at Minnehaha. In fall 1961, the soccer team became a varsity program along with five other club teams — St. Thomas Academy, Breck, Blake, Edina and University High School. A year later, the first official league was formed and five schools joined: Minnehaha Academy, Shattuck, Blake, Breck and St. Thomas Academy.

He also started the girls soccer program at Minnehaha and coached the team from 1977 until 1983, when the girls season was moved from spring to fall.

On Sept. 30, 1967, Kauls and Minnehaha Academy played White Bear Lake in the first high school soccer game in state history to be played under lights. In 2017, Minnehaha Academy and White Bear Lake played each other to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event.

“When we started soccer, it was mainly language teachers and we played in Germany or Austria or wherever,” Kauls told reporters in 2017. “I knew something about soccer; most of us were not good soccer players. I’m humbled more than anything else. I didn’t do anything special. I did what I enjoyed doing.”

The soccer field at Minnehaha Academy is named after him. He was the state and Midwest Coach of the Year in boys soccer in 1981 and was a member of the first class of inductees into the state Soccer Coaches’ Hall of Fame in 1991. He was named the national boys soccer Coach of the Year in 2001. He was also inducted into the Minnesota State High School League’s Hall of Fame in 2002.

Kauls was born in Riga, Latvia, and emigrated to Minnesota in 1952. He studied at the University of Minnesota before starting at Minnehaha Academy.

The service for Kauls will be held at Minnehaha Academy North Campus. The obituary submitted to the Star Tribune is here.