Gilbert coach, a 2-time cancer survivor, teaches ‘never give up’ lessons on, off field

Michael Kleinfelder didn’t always think this way. It’s only now that he can sit back and think about the times that soccer was interchangeable with real life problems and come away with lessons beyond the soccer pitch.

Now he’s trying to spread good cheer throughout the Gilbert soccer community.

Kleinfelder is a two-time cancer survivor in his third year coaching the Indians. He’s rallied the community into cancer support by raising money for the Sloan-Kettering Foundation as well as the Go for the Goal Foundation.

Obviously, that was something very close to his heart. Kleinfelder had to overcome two bouts of Stage III malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) sarcoma.

For the first time in his coaching career, he’s got a sidekick who has been with him every step of the way. His father, David Kleinfelder, retired as head coach of the Dreher girls program last year after a 40-year career that included over 500 career wins.

“He’s been my coach since I was 4, so it’s great to have him as a mentor to work with,” Michael Kleinfelder said recently. “The girls are kind of seeing where I’ve learned my coaching knowledge. He’s just been a great person to lean on and talk to. He knows what I’ve had to go through in my personal life, so it’s been great having him here working with me.”

It was a gut-check for the Kleinfelder family when Michael was first diagnosed with cancer in 2009. He noticed a softball size tumor on his rib cage. He was treated and endured an eight-hour surgery in which four ribs, the tumor and lots of muscle tissue were removed.

He still had to go in for monthly scans, but he thought he was well on the way to beating cancer.

It was April 2010 that things changed again for the Kleinfelder family. Michael’s mother passed away from an unexpected heart attack after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.

As excruciating as that blow was, Michael Kleinfelder wasn’t ready for what came next. Just 25 days after his mother passed away, he received a call from his doctor to say something unusual was found on one of the CT scans.

The cancer had moved to his lungs, where they found two small tumors.

This time surgery lasted nine hours. He started a preventive chemotherapy treatment — a 24-hour drip for five straight days once a month for three months.

“It gave me more appreciation for the people in my life and things that I have instead of being jaded and not realizing where I am and what I have with me,” Kleinfelder said.

Cancer-free for just under nine years now, Kleinfelder is giving back to cancer research.

Gilbert High in March hosted Pelion to raise money for Thomas Jaco. The 3-year old boy from Gilbert lost sight in one eye and has only 50 percent of his sight in the other due to cancer, according to Kleinfelder. The soccer program raised nearly $1,000 this year as has brought in over $5,000 in three years in various fund-raising activities with many of those funds going to someone like Thomas.

That means more than wins and losses to the Kleinfelder family.

“I’ve passed my efforts on to the girls and they’ve sort of taken it and run with it,” Kleinfelder said. “We have a fighting mentality and never give up. No matter what we’re facing, we’re going to fight it head on. I think they take that mentality. The fact we can share it with the community is great.”

David Kleinfelder beams with pride when he discusses what his son has done.

“It’s great to see the passion he has and the energy he puts into it,” David said. “He comes up with some great ideas to get the girls involved and try to make it a solid, stand-up program. He’s taken his own battles with cancer and turned it into something the girls can be involved in. That seems to bring him a lot of joy as well. I’m real proud of the effort he’s put into it.”

This story was originally published March 29, 2019 at 8:55 AM.