SOCCER

Balsamides, Class of 1984, earned five varsity letters as a multi-sport athlete at Lakeside, four on the soccer team and one on the cross country team. On the pitch, Balsamides was a two-time team captain, and was a member of the 1981 State Championship team. In 1984, as a member on the State Champion Runner Up team, Balsamides received All County honors, All State honors and was selected as the DeKalb County Most Valuable Player in the West Division. Following his graduation from Lakeside, Balsamides received a scholarship to the University of North Carolina Asheville. He later returned to Atlanta to join the Mo’s Coyotes and played with them for the next 25 years. He played for the Atlanta Express in the Southern Indoor Soccer League from 1990-1992. Balsamides cofounded the Lakeside Masters in 1988, and remains involved to this day. He currently lives in Atlanta with his wife Carrie and daughter Anna. He continues to play soccer with his fellow Lakeside teammates, with whom he’s been playing together with for over 40 years.

Blanks, Class of 1978, was a multi-sport athlete for the Vikings, playing on the soccer and football teams. He was a four-year letterman in soccer and was a member of the 1975 and 1978 state championship teams. During his junior and senior seasons, his efforts on the pitch earned the Vikings a 26-1 record. Blanks was also an All-DeKalb County selection. On the football team, Blanks played for two years from 1976-77 as the Vikings’ place kicker and lined up as a receiver. Following his graduation from Lakeside, Blanks went on to attend Auburn University. There, he continued his football career with the Tigers, and was a three-year letterman on the football team as the place kicker. While at Auburn, he played alongside fellow Lakeside graduates Charlie Garnham and Chip Creel. He graduated from Auburn with a BS degree in Transportation, and would go on to have a long career in Transportation and Logistics. Now, Blanks enjoys spending time with his family, including his three sons and his daughter Jessi, who recently blessed him with a granddaughter, Zoe.

Garner, Class of 1978, was a four-year varsity letterman for the Vikings’ soccer team. Lakeside compiled a 51-4 record over those four years and made three state championship appearances—including victories in 1975 and 1978. Garner co-captained the 1977 and 1978 teams with Hall of Famer Merck Smith—who currently serves as head coach of the Vikings boys soccer team. Garner majored in business at Georgia State University and continued playing the game as a member of the Atlanta Wolves—a First Division Amateur Team that competed against Semi-Pro teams in various tournaments—including the prestigious Open Cup where they finished third nationally in two consecutive years. Garner and his wife Carol have one daughter, Sarah, who kept the family involved in the game. Garner coached Sarah when she played for the Tucker Youth Soccer Association and spent several years as the President of the Board of Directors. Sarah ultimately went on to play soccer at Lakeside and was a 2017 graduate. Garner spent 24 years working for UPS and the Freight Transportation Industry. He currently is a region manager for a private staffing firm.

Campbell, Class of 1975, played varsity soccer at Lakeside starting his freshman year. During his junior and senior years as a midfielder, the Vikings went 14-0 and won back-to-back state championships. He was one of the team’s captains his senior year and was recognized with All-State honors. He played two years at Berry College before transferring to Erskine College where he played for two more seasons and graduated in 1979 with a degree in Business Management and Economics. In his junior year at Erskine, he led the team to the NAIA National Final Four where they finished third in the nation. He joined the Datagraphic Soccer Club after college and won the U.S. Amateur Cup in 1979. The following year, Datagraphic made it back to the U.S. Amateur Final, finishing second. After a long run of competing on the pitch, Campbell went on to have a successful career as a CEO of several manufacturing businesses and he now operates a private consulting business. Campbell never moved away from the Atlanta area and raised three daughters in Peachtree City.

Ball, Class of 1974, was a four-year starter for the Vikings’ soccer team at the fullback and sweeper positions. In 1973, he was an All-County selection and was voted Most Valuable Defensive Player for the Vikings. His efforts on the field helped lead the Vikings to runner-up finishes in the DeKalb County and State Championships. During his senior season, Ball was again voted All-County, but also received All-State recognition and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player on the 1974 DeKalb County and State Championship team. Following his graduation from Lakeside, Ball attended the Georgia Institute of Technology where he graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management degree. He later continued his education at Georgia State University, earning a Master of Business Administration degree in 1980. Ball has since established a 40-year career in community banking in Gwinnett County. He has been married to his wife Kathy for 39 years, and has three daughters in Mallory, Courtney and Ashley who have blessed him with four grandsons.

Day, Class of 1972, played soccer for the Vikings and was a member of the 1970 State Championship team. He was captain his senior year and was also class President. Day was named the Most Valuable Player and was a First-Team-All-Metro Allstar. He finished at Lakeside giving the Commencement Address at graduation. Shortly after graduation Day miraculously survived a seven-story fall in an industrial demolition accident. After rehab he got a college education, coached soccer, and studied Karate. From 1995 to 2004 Day fenced internationally for the US. Day was the National Champion in 1997 and was a member of the 2000 US Olympic/Paralympic Team that competed in Sydney and met the President at the White House. In 1998, he returned to Karate and was awarded a Master ranking in 2010. Day was the 2017 and 2018 ISKA US Open World Champion in adaptive Karate. Day has developed an innovative system of wheelchair self-defense. He is the author of eight books, including two about crime prevention and self-defense for the disabled.