Bemidji's Rick Toward changes gears, takes chance to 'reinvent himself' in Uruguay
· Yahoo Sports
Apr. 2—BEMIDJI — No, it wasn't an April Fools' Day joke.
Visit biznow.biz for more information.
On Wednesday, Bemidji High School activities director Kristen McRae announced that boys soccer head coach Rick Toward was stepping down from the program. Toward spent 33 seasons with the program — 31 of them as head coach.
When most coaches resign from their positions, it often stems from common reasoning — the grind became too much, they want to spend more time with family, the game isn't what it used to be or another coaching position presented itself.
However, in more ways than one, Toward isn't like most coaches. His reasoning is a little different.
He and his wife, Sherry, are moving to Uruguay.
"This is something I've wanted to do since my daughter, Harper, was little," Toward said. "I interviewed for various parts of the world 15 years ago, but we just couldn't make it work with four kids. ... Once we emptied-nested last year, we reconsidered if it was something we could do.
"I get to take the coaching hat off. Everywhere I go, I'm seen as a coach. At my age, I get a chance to reinvent myself."
For over three decades, Toward has taught senior-level economics and government classes at BHS. He will now teach junior and senior econ classes in Montevideo, Uruguay, at an American school with an English-speaking curriculum.
"We're old now — I'm turning 60," Toward quipped. "We threw our hats in the ring and were pretty particular about where we could go. Uruguay checked all the boxes. I think it's pretty unknown; I don't think people say, 'Yep, that's where I'm going.' When you look into the country, read about who they are and what they do, it's a remarkable place."
Toward will teach at an International Baccalaureate school, which, as he put it, "has a high level of achievement for students who come out of there with diplomas. It's recognized internationally for universities to consider."
But the prestige of the position comes secondary to the decreased workload.
His class sizes go from an average of 40 students to 14. He goes from teaching 300 students each week to 60. The day-to-day schedule is more forgiving and it's a launching pad to vault him into retirement.
Toward will leave in mid-July before spring classes begin in the southern hemisphere in August.
"It's exciting and terrifying," Toward said. "This is the beginning of retirement in a lot of ways. I've worked very hard for a lot of years to enjoy life. I'm going to do that. If that means I spend more money than I probably should to take a flight to Chile and hide in the mountains for a few days, I'm going to do it. When else is that opportunity going to present itself? That's the whole point of working as hard as you did, to enjoy those experiences."
Following the conclusion of the 2024 BHS boys soccer season, the idea of moving abroad resurfaced for the Toward parents.
Their youngest child, Al, was set to graduate in the spring. With all four kids out of the house, the Towards were afforded more flexibility.
Toward had loose retirement plans following the 2026 season, this coming fall, before he changed course. He started applying to teach at various International Baccalaureate schools around the world.
"Once an offer shows up, well, now we have to decide," he said. "We've always kind of had that kind of opinion or belief of seeing where things take us. It's never been about something we have to do. We were led to it, so to speak, or the opportunity presented itself."
What set Uruguay apart from the rest was its laid-back way of living.
"The word that gets used multiple times is 'chill,'" Toward continued. "It's just a low-key kind of experience. At 60 years old, that's really attractive. I'll be able to explore a part of the world when we're not in school, which happens frequently there. I can boogie up to Brazil for a four-day weekend. I can head over to Buenos Aires, which is an hour and a half away from Montevideo on a ferry, which allows me to do the travel things in retirement without having to give up teaching."
The Towards aren't giving up their life in Bemidji permanently, though. They will keep their home and visit multiple times each year. Holiday breaks are longer for him now. There's less urgency that comes with teaching in Montevideo than there is in Minnesota.
"Bemidji is definitely still considered home until it's not," Toward said, noting there are plenty of nuances in teaching outside of the United States. "It's a very different work life. If I email a teacher I'm working with after hours, they don't respond. ... Stuff gets done, but maybe not as quickly as Americans have come to expect with the immediate gratification. We're not going to get that there. It's going to be at a less frequent pace than I've currently been at with fewer students, and that's very intriguing."
For a soccer guy like Toward, Uruguay is the ideal fit. He's eyeing tickets for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. He's also excited to connect with the history of soccer in South America — Uruguay won the first-ever Men's World Cup in 1930.
That will be the extent of his involvement in soccer while living abroad. Toward has no plans to coach in Montevideo.
"I would be a joke of a coach in Uruguay," Toward quipped. "They'd look at me and say, 'Eh, we're fine.' The guy who used to coach the high school team where I'm going is now the national team's coach for goalkeepers. He coaches the goalies who will play for the World Cup. I'm not on that level."
Despite his realistic assessment of his prowess relative to international coaches, Toward will be revered as one of the best BHS figures ever.
He posted a career record of 291-233-45 and led the Lumberjacks to four section championships — three in Section 8A and one in 8-3A. Bemidji was the Class A state runner-up in 2018.
"We went from losing to Walker when I started to competing with the biggest schools in the state, and doing it with what we have up here," Toward said. "Maybe a new voice will do that. One thing I've come to learn over the years is that we're all replaceable. There will be somebody who steps up and takes this thing forward. As hard as that is, as sad as that is for me, I'm excited to see what the next person can do with it."
His on-field success at the helm describes only a fraction of the legacy he leaves behind.
Toward, along with Jeff Mitchell, was integral in
building the Bemidji Youth Soccer Association.
For over 25 years, BYSA has become one of the area's
most prominent youth athletic ventures,
growing from 150 participants in 1999 to over 500 today.
"The first thing I hope everybody will realize — and what I would ask people to realize — is that it's not me alone," Toward said. "There were a tremendous number of people who got us to this point. I get to be the face because I've done it for the longest time and I've been at the top of the game for so long. But I can't tell you how instrumental Jeff has been at the high school and club levels."
Toward also praised the players who came through the program, especially those who continued to grow soccer on a local level in their respective communities after they graduated from BHS.
"It's one of the best parts of the job," Toward added. "I look at coaches at other schools, and they don't hang around because the parents aren't supportive. I've never had that problem. I know I'm not perfect. I'm sure I've made decisions people question, but they always give me grace and trust me with their sons and the process we implement for what's in the best interest of their kids. It's easy to hang your hat on it because people have been so complimentary."