Dear Wittenberg Soccer Family,
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Wittenberg University Alumni Soccer Newsletter, a publication dedicated to celebrating our shared legacy on the pitch, reconnecting alumni, and fostering the bond that Wittenberg University Men’s Soccer has built across generations. Whether you wore the red and white decades ago or more recently, you are part of a storied tradition, this newsletter is your gateway to reliving those cherished moments.
In this issue, we are thrilled to introduce a recurring feature, Where Are You Now? This section will spotlight the journeys of our former players. It will serve as a bridge between the past and present, showcasing how soccer has shaped the lives of our alumni and where their Wittenberg experiences have taken them.
We also have a special feature introducing everyone to a current Wittenberg student-athlete. We hope you take the time to read about both of these great Tigers!
Player Spotlight
Assabir Ali-Oumar, Class of 2025
From Columbus, Ohio, Assabir graduated from The Charles School and has played soccer for the Tigers since his freshman year. A biology and international business double major, he plans to pursue a doctorate in medicine after graduating later this spring. For him, playing soccer for Wittenberg is “about being part of something bigger than myself – a family that values hard work, resilience, and camaraderie.”
1. What does playing soccer for Wittenberg mean to you?
Playing soccer for Wittenberg means everything to me. It’s about being part of something bigger than myself - a family that values hard work, resilience, and camaraderie. Representing the University on the field is a privilege, and every practice and game remind me of the importance of teamwork and perseverance. It’s not just about winning; it’s about growing as a player, a teammate, and a person.
2. What is your favorite thing about being a student at Wittenberg?
My favorite thing about being a student at Wittenberg is the tight-knit community. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the field, or just walking across campus, there’s a genuine sense of support and belonging here. I love the way professors and peers alike encourage one another to succeed, and the opportunities for personal and academic growth are unmatched. It’s a place where I feel truly valued and inspired every day.
3. What do you plan to do after you graduate?
After I graduate, I plan to pursue a doctorate in medicine with the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon. I’m passionate about making a meaningful impact in people’s lives, and my ultimate dream is to obtain my Médecins Sans Frontières license and open a hospital overseas to provide care for underserved communities. My time at Wittenberg is preparing me both academically and personally to take on these challenges and serve others in the best way I can.
Alumni Spotlight
Don Nichols, Class of ’73
It has been 52 years since my last season at Wittenberg University. I graduated in 1973 and began playing in the fall of 1969 as a freshman. When I arrived there were already three guys playing from my high school team (Penfield, New York), which made my transition to college athletics a bit easier. We had played together many times including the previous summer.
At the time, our team was only a short step above club-level soccer because there was no tradition of that sport at football-conscious Witt. Football dominated all sports, particularly soccer. Because we played during the same time on the calendar, we were an afterthought, at best. Our home field was in the middle of Snyder Park.
Despite our low status and rag-tag make-up, the team gradually melded into a cohesive unit that could stay on the playing field with far more skilled teams in our conference. One of my memories is our night game versus Ohio Wesleyan that year. They were a perennial powerhouse in our league and to add spice to the mix, the coaches of each team were less than friendly as our coach, Bob Hamilton, made clear in his pre-game address. In addition, as if we needed further motivation, there were three more guys from my high school playing for the other side that evening! It was a very hard-fought match with Witt's defense making numerous stops to keep the Bishops off the scoreboard. We won 2-1, and I was fortunate to score twice and take bragging rights back to Penfield during Christmas break.
During my years at Wittenberg, I learned many things that could be applied to my later business career and life itself. The concept of working hard to improve skills and build a team-mentality stands out as a very potent weapon to succeed in many facets of life. Working with a group of folks to achieve a common objective is extremely satisfying.
My life post-Wittenberg? I attended graduate school at Rochester Institute of Technology and earned an MBA in finance at the business school. I started my first "real" job as a marketing representative for the then Burroughs Corp (now Unisys) selling computer systems to small banks in the Rochester, New York, region in 1975.
Three years later, to better apply my finance education, I began what was to be my actual career in the investment business. I became an account executive at Merrill Lynch. This was a great learning/training experience for a young broker.
In 1981, I was offered, and accepted, a position at Paine Webber (now UBS) to join their new Rochester branch office as a VP/Investments. Helping and guiding clients was often challenging in difficult economic times, such as 1987, but it was always gratifying. In 1988, two momentous events occurred in my life. I married Kathleen Clancy in July, and we moved into our new home shortly thereafter. In 1994, I was appointed managing director at Chase Manhattan Investment Services to oversee all investment brokerage in upstate and western New York. I learned that team building in a large banking organization with many lines of business is critical.
I left Chase in 1998 and returned to UBS to begin a slightly different phase and partner as a team with a friend who had started at Merrill with me many years ago. We built our team within UBS, recruited an additional partner, and expanded our business. Up until about this time, I had continued to play soccer in a men's league in Rochester and was privileged to have several teammates who had played professionally for the Rochester Lancers in the NASL. They were incredible players. Tom Hildebrandt, fellow Witt soccer team member, also played with us during these years and beyond.
It was now time to leave the "Mothership" (UBS) and branch into our own business. In March 2004, my two partners and I decided to start our own firm and become independent investment advisors as Riley, Nichols & Munn. It was scary, but fun. Technology improvements have made it possible to excel in our business without the enormous staff/infrastructure that large firms require.
My professional life continued successfully for all years until my retirement in 2020. My personal life took a tremendous hit when my wife was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. She had several serious abdominal surgeries and passed away in February of 2012. It was a very rough time, but with assistance from friends, family, and work associates, things gradually got better.
I was fortunate to meet, and marry, my current wife, Mary Ellen, in 2014. We are celebrating our 10th anniversary as I write this. We are both happy and excited to have partners to share retirement with!
Where does my experience at Wittenberg fit in? The professors, coaches, teammates, and fraternity brothers I have from my time there still, to this day, influence my life profoundly. Three months ago, we went to northern Wisconsin to spend five days with four of my fraternity brothers and wives at one of their lake homes, after 51 years! I speak with someone from Wittenberg at least once per week and text/email multiple times. We are planning a get-together in March 2025 in the Naples, Florida, area. My fraternity brothers have held a golf outing every spring for 52 years. These are not common occurrences, and I am so grateful for the relationships I developed during my attendance at Wittenberg. Tiger Up!
Don A. Nichols ’73