The Bulgarian Stilyan Shishkov – for three consecutive years Footballer No.1 in the USA – is already making a serious career as a businessman

He was 21 when he won his first big recognition in sport – Player of the Year 1993 in the US Students’ League. He was declared the most useful player and top goal-scorer and won all individual classifications. The handsome fair-haired Bulgarian young man is studying business administration, management and marketing at the University of Lender, Greenwood, USA. But football is his big passion. Stilyan Shishkov is the only player who in his first year as competitor entered the US honorary team. The fans were amazed at the capacities of the scorer, who earned the honorary title with 32 goals and 5 assistances. The experts said big words as “great player”, “smart technician”, “ a classy footballer”, as if somehow doubting that the impressive initial success could be repeated. But 1994 was even more successful for the Bulgarian student – he confirmed his achievement with new 32 goals and 15 assistances thus setting a real national record and was declared again US Player of the Year. In 1995 he won the title for the third time and added another one – Athlete of the Year of the University. Intoxicating, incredible success! The American newspapers wrote enthusiastically about the young football talent. Stilyan Shishkov was in the spotlight of TV shows and interviews. His sport qualities and achievements received extremely high assessment. And the flag of Bulgaria – a little known country, waved first among the 150 flags of the students who had come to study in America. In the university there is a Hall of Fame, where Stilyan Shishkov’s picture is at the front place, and the Rector has sent a special plaque of thanks to his parents in Sofia for the great merit of their son for raising the prestige of the 120-year-old state university.

After graduating from Lender, Stilyan became a professional player in the U.S. A league, football manager-coach of children, teenagers, university students and professional teams. Since 1998 he is director of \"Euro Classic Soccer Camp\". Along with his sport career he made his first successful steps in the ever-growing computer business and not just any place but in the city of billionaires – Atlanta. Initially Stilyan started work in a computer sales company “Sundata”. In just a year he became the company’s representative for Eastern Europe. Since 2000 he is chief manager of the International department (new computer technologies). The already prospering businessman set up his own company in Bulgaria, working successfully in partnership with the colleagues across the ocean.

“My big plans are only starting,” says the young man and we can see that a business career no less successful than the football one is expecting him.

The family – 100% sports

The proverb says that blood is thicker than water. Stilyan Shishkov was born and brought up in a family of athletes to the marrow of their bones.

His father Dr. Angel Shishkov, after his active sport career as a football player, gradually reached the highest peaks in the scientific sphere of the beloved sport and today he is a professor at the Football and Tennis Department of Vassil Levski National Sports Academy (NSA), Sofia. He is also manager of a NSA computer centre and member of the Academic and Scientific Councils of the Academy. Lecturer and instructor of WEFA and FIFA. An active member of the New York Academy of Sciences. Author of over 20 books and over 100 scientific publications.

The career of the mother, assoc. prof. Dr. Todorka Shishkova developed successfully in another area, but again in sports. She was a rhythmic gymnast for 16 years and then she devoted herself to coaching and scientific activities. She rose to the position of President of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation (BRGF, 1990-1999) and she is still its honorary chairperson. She had two mandates as President of the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Committee (UEG, 1985-1991) and a member of the UEG Executive Committee, member of the Technical Rhythmic Gymnastics Committee at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

For 12 years she was international judge of rhythmic gymnastics at world, Olympic and European championships, she is also head of and lecturer at international courses for coaches and judges. Mr. and Mrs. Shishkov are holders of many Bulgarian and international distinctions for their active efforts and achievements in the field of sports.

They didn’t have much time for their only son Stilyan. They travelled a lot and were completely devoted to their work. The little child was brought up by his grandmothers. For some time Stilyan even lived in Russe with his maternal grandmother. Later he began taking care of himself. “I was often left to cope on my own,” the young man remembers without regret. “This way I became very independent and responsible at an early age. Many times I have been asked if my parents insisted that I train. No, on the contrary, my father dreamt that I would take up economics. I didn’t realise it then, but there was just no way in a family where they speak of sport all the time and with parents who have been active sportsmen not to take this road. But sometimes my success has been wrongly interpreted. People would say: he plays because his father is in the football department. Often the popularity of the parents gets in the way of their children. I have heard many insinuations: Let him be, you know that his father is… May be that is why my father was obsessed by the idea that I had to seek realisation abroad.

Across the ocean

\"I started training football when I was 6-9 years old in the youth teams of FC CSKA è FC Akademic Sofia. I have a master’s degree in football from the National Sports Academy. During the three years at the Academy I became national students’ champion thrice and twice goal-scorer. I didn’t plan to leave Bulgaria but my father insisted that I tried my luck in the States. I studied English intensively for three months. I passed TOEFL and started sending letters to different universities applying for a sports scholarship. I wrote to about 120 universities and received full scholarship from 10-12 of them. When the coach from Lender, South Carolina, called me, I don’t know why I decided I would go there. I was flying by plane for the first time in my life. For the first time I was going abroad. It turned out that beside me at the university there was just one Bulgarian student, a girl who played tennis. At the beginning it was not easy. My English was not too good. Studying was hard. And I had to have high grades to keep my scholarship. In the morning I had lectures, in the afternoon I had to train for at least two hours and I studied in the evening. I called home and wanted to come back but my father flatly told me that he would not accept me and that I had to make it. But where there’s a will you can achieve anything. Success did not turn my head. Of course, it is a thrill to be at the top but the best thing for me was that my life changed in a very unexpected and exciting manner. America is indeed a country giving opportunities to those who want to grow, to go forward. Much is done for the sports there. A lot of money is invested, young talents are encouraged, expensive, modern and beautiful bases and facilities are built. It is a different standard. I met so many people, made big friendships and useful contacts. I really see my way forward and upward. I see the perspective and I know that if I work hard I am bound to achieve something. Unfortunately, I do not see such enthusiasm in Bulgaria. But I will never tear myself away from my motherland. I already am and I will keep developing business here because Bulgarians are extremely good and capable people. They are reliable and have great potential. Their situation in a poor country is not their fault. I am infinitely grateful to my father for insisting that I leave. In these 10 years overseas I really achieved a lot. I would hardly have got so far here.\"

Two eloquent quotations from the dozens of articles, dedicated to Shishkov in the American media

The Index - Journal

December 16, 1993

“He is the man who can always score.” Thus the football coach of the Lender university Van Taylor describes Stilyan Shishkov who entered the honorary list of the top America’s team of the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) this week. “He had a wonderful season,” Taylor siad. “I think he surpassed everything we expected from him. His goal production continued throughout the season. It is an excellent achievement to score in each game. It is phenomenal… He does everything to score a goal. Whether he would stretch his leg to hit the ball or plunge to shoot a goal with his head – he can do everything. And this is a matter of talent. He is a very dangerous player. Often he as if stops playing and then suddenly erupts and scores a goal. And we are not speaking of ordinary goals but of beautiful hits…”

From an article by Brant Long, sports reporter.

December 14, 1994

Van Taylor, Stilyan’s coach in the team of Lender, shares with the sports editor David Hayes: \"This extraordinary man has achieves everything in a phenomenal way… A great player… He is so vital. He makes everything with technical precision. He has athleticism, power, capacity and an ability to play in a team. He is a tenacious and tough lad. Every time he steps in the field he comes with the thought to play.”

A man must always be No.1

\"I think that for any kind of success, not only in football, it is crucial to be purposeful, ambitious and never give up. I dreamt of becoming a professional footballer and so I did. At first I went to play in Virginia in order to win a green card and I had one in 10 months. Later I moved to Atlanta. In 2001 my Croatian friend Boris Jerkunica bought the Atlanta Silverbacks Soccer Club, fired everybody and made me executive director, responsible for all the players and the sponsors. Now we are building a new stadium where over 10 million dollars will be invested. It is situated at one of the most busy crossings in the biggest city of the state of Georgia and there will be a hotel, three training fields, an indoor soccer hall, a restaurant, swimming pool, tennis courts. The first part of the complex will be opened in March. Soccer is strongly promoted in America. In our club alone we have attracted over 10, 000 children between 4 and 18 years of age and we expect them to become about 20-30,000, i.e. at least half of all children living in Atlanta. The sport in general is a cult in the USA. On the one hand, because it is healthy and, on the other, because it is a wonderful pastime you can make lots of money from. That’s why many investments are made in facilities, players. What sort of qualities did soccer foster in me? First and foremost, an ability to fight, a strong will and implacability. The sport gave me a lot, it opened the world before me.

Besides soccer I have another passion – computers and Internet. And it has also turned into a successful business. We are developing new software and our clients are among the biggest Internet providers in the world, we execute different orders for programme products etc. Last year, for example, we started a new site – for 30 dollars a month we offer the cheapest calls from Bulgaria. As it is, at the moment the calls from America are free apart from the subscription. I am ready with a project for introduction of new information technologies in some higher schools in Sofia. The aim is the experience of the American universities to be introduced in ours, which will raise Bulgarian education to a qualitatively new level.

I have many Bulgarian friends all over the world. They are extremely capable, energetic and creative people. I am very happy when I meet a successful compatriot. It is good to lend a hand and help each other a little more.”

Only in the USA the Bulgarian students are over 4, 000 – second after Russia. For the small size of Bulgaria this is a real record. Our girls and boys make their individual records in sports, science, information technologies. Thanks to young people like Stilyan Shishkov the world discovers Bulgaria. A small nation gives birth to great talents for whom the boundaries of our country prove narrow. But if all of them start working for Bulgaria like this young man, an optimistic future lies ahead of us. May it be so!

Neli Kostadinova