Meet adidas Superfan Grandpa B
On his 75th birthday, the soccer coach and superfan shares his love for the game and all it has brought him with the head of adidas in North America.
As president of adidas North America, Zion Armstrong receives a lot of emails. He spends hours corresponding with colleagues, leaders and occasionally exchanges with some of the top athletes in the world. But one email recently stopped him in his tracks as he learned about the heartwarming story of an adidas superfan known lovingly by his 22 grandchildren as “Grandpa B.” A granddaughter of Grandpa B emailed Zion to share her grandpa’s incredible story – one that told the impact sport has had on his life, his commitment to family, love for travel and loyalty to adidas.
Setting the goal
Born and raised in a small town in Idaho, Grandpa B (also known as Bruce), was enthralled when he first witnessed the game of soccer while studying to become a physical education teacher at Brigham Young University. “From that moment, I fell in love with it,” he recalled. It was that ‘love at first sight’ for soccer that would lead him across the world as he coached youth soccer for the next 50 years.
Along the way, Grandpa B wore just one brand of athletic gear: adidas. His devotion to the brand was embedded in the fabric of his family’s life, going so far as to not allow any attire from competitors into the family home or family pictures.
Celebrating a play maker
To celebrate his storied career and passion for sport, Zion Armstrong sat down with Grandpa B to express his gratitude and, most importantly, wish him a happy 75th birthday. Be sure to watch until the end to see a special surprise message.
Thank you so much for sharing Grandpa B's journey with our team. It was an honor for us to be able to tell his story!