The Update Plan

Still to come are updates on...
- 2nd home game
- 2nd away game
- 3rd reserve match
- host family/new roommate
- work in local school
- leaving for Germany -> Austria in a few days!

But in the mean time here are some pictures:

This is one end of the practice field at the SPARKS center. We practice at night from 7:30-9:30 under the lights. It's a quality, wide turf field. This is what a practice looks like if you watch from the sideline.
Another shot of the practice field. This is what it looks like when you are playing.

This is a picture of Joe, Grant and I after a practice. Grant is the team captain. I played with him 2 years at Cedarville. He is a very interesting guy, so I'll probably give him his own post sometime.

Reserve Matches

Tuesday (5/19) and Wednesday (5/20) we had a reserve match. We played at our practice field. Both games were against a team of Mexicans who didn‘t speak much English. One was a college team, the other a men’s league team (interestingly, both were comprised of the same individuals). They were good players, mostly in their late 20’s. They brought their own ref each game which we had agreed upon beforehand as these are not official games. The first guy was good, but the second guy was a little biased. To each of their credit, however, it is very difficult to ref a game by yourself with no linesmen.

I started at center mid with a guy from Indiana Wesleyan University. Joe started at center forward and was a captain both games by our assistant coach (who is the reserve team coach). I was proud for him! We joked about this because I was his captain when we played at Cedarville. The first game went ok. Both teams played well. We lost 4-3.

The second game was very strange. We had one player who just cleared to play. His name is Likius, a midfielder, from Namibia. He is a professional who played in the premier league in Namibia. He is very, very good. Also, a new player just flew in who Dave Irby had been trying to get. A forward, Tete from Sierra Leone. He is a professional who played for the Sierra Leone national team and trained with AC Milan (a professional Italian football club). From the bit I saw him play I can safely say that I have never played with a guy of this quality.

It’s hard to explain in a few words of soccer detail the characteristics of how and why he is so good. So, I’ll have to try and use literary technique: Basically, I am a good player. The people who start for the main team are very good players. Likius is a very, very good player. Tete is a GOOD player. That’s pretty vague but, it's something like that. If you want to know more detail write me. Or come see a game (I’ll even get you in free).

So, all that to say, in the second game, we played the first half 1-1. Another side note, I took a free kick to the face at the end of the first half and our trainer says I may have a mild concussion. At the time, everything kept tilting to the left. I feel fine now though. In the second half Likius and Tete got subbed in and started to tear it up. Within minutes all the calls started to go against us (7 fouls in a row). We took some hard fouls that didn’t get called (one guy’s knee got cut up pretty bad and Tete took an elbow to the face on a header). Everybody got really upset and our coach called the game for our own safety (not to mention if our new prized players got hurt in a game that didn't really matter he would have been in big trouble). So, we did a cool down, stretched and left.

What an away game is like...

Pretty much like home games except at a different stadium. Sunday (5/17) we traveled to Tacoma WA to play the Tacoma Tide. I came as an alternate but was not activated. Joe was a sub, but didn’t get in. We traveled up in two vans, 3 hours each way. This game was unlike any I had ever seen…

The Tacoma Tide finished 4th in the PDL last year. They are still a quality team this year. The first half was even until the last 15 minutes when our center back, Tom, from Scotland, was given a red-card for tripping a guy in the box (a touchy call at best). We went down 1-0 on the pk and had to play with 10 men. The team was pretty down, but after rallying at halftime we scored 2 great goals shorthanded to go up 2-1 with 35 minutes left. This alone was amazing. Shortly after, the Tide score 2 goals and went up 3-2. With 10 minutes left we get another goal to tie it at 3-3. Playing with 10 men and scoring 3 goals is very amazing, especially against this team. The guys simply played out of their minds. From here it was back and forth action. Our keeper stopped a breakaway, but got injured in the process. Our main keeper’s paperwork has still not cleared from when he played a season in Mexico, so our 3rd string keeper went in. He made one great save, but unfortunately did let a goal in with 2 minutes left. With seconds left we had a breakaway. Our forward was fouled and we had a free kick, then a corner, and then time expired.

So, we had a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to a great team. But, I was very impressed with our teams character and work ethic. As a bonus I got to see a good friend I played with at CU who came down from Seattle to watch the game.

What a home game is like...

For each game, 18 players are allowed on the roster. 11 start, 7 are on the bench. A coach can make 6 subs during the game. If you are subbed off there is no re-entry. Before game day the 18 are announced. For home games there are 4 announced that warm up with the team and if anything happens to the 18 (not feeling well, injured, not cleared for some reason) then one of the 4 can be "activated". This home game Joe was one of the 4 and did get activated because 2 of the 18 still have not had the proper paperwork and are not eligible (something about transfer fees). The rest of the team watches from the bleachers.

2 hours before game time the players, officials, announcers, staff, etc. arrive and get set up. About an hour before the game, the players have a warm-up time then go back to the locker room. Coach gives a pep-talk, "If you don’t win we won’t feed you after the game!" or something along those lines (not really). The subs take the bench, the players walk out of the tunnel to music. Introduction of starting line-ups, national anthem, coin toss, whistle!

At our home-opener Miss Oregon scored the ceremonial first goal of the season. We had about 600 fans there, a great turnout! The little kids were hilarious. Even in the stands we were getting asked for autographs.

We played the Yakima Reds (of Yakima, WA). A 7:05 kickoff so we played under the lights. The guys played great and went up 2-0 at half on some beautiful goals. At halftime there was a "candy scramble" or something like that. Basically, the staff threw out lots of penny candy on the field and 200+ kids lined up and on "3, 2 1, GO" ran out to collect it all. Anarchy.

The second half was scoreless so we won 2-0. After the game the players came over to the side of the stadium and signed autographs for the kids. Applebee’s and Great Harvest Bread Co. gave away free samples of select items from their menu.

Overall, I was very impressed with the professional-ness that the match was run on and off the field for as small as semi-pro soccer in the US is. Dave Irby (manager of the Surge) does a great job of organizing sponsors and finding creative ways to make the matches, "fun for the whole family".

Summary of Week of Practice

Unlike what I’ve done the past few days, I won’t be writing a blog entry for every day while I’m here. This is a cool summer experience, but it’s not THAT interesting. So, to summarize the soccer end of Tuesday through Thursday: pain. Practices hurt and hurt a lot. I ache everywhere. Joe and I eat whatever we can fit in our mouths. I sleep very soundly and am just now getting off EST.

I’m still taking in the level of play here. There are times where I’m defending someone and I think, "he won’t be able to get a shot off from this angle" or I’m making a run and think, "he probably can’t hit it accurately this far" and am surprised when I get scored on or find the ball right on my foot in stride.

The guys on the team interact well. There are pockets of friends like everywhere, but there are no real clices or inaccessible people. Everybody is respectful and knows everybody else’s name. Today we had the morning session off and I ate at Applebee’s with 7 other guys.

Miss Oregon is supposed to do the ceremonial first kick-off for our season opener tomorrow.

Christianese:
Wednesday Joe, Grant, Likius, Brandon and I went to a small Christian school assembly. We had a half hour for their chapel to interact with the 6th graders there. Grant gave each of us a big intro…"and now, all the way from the professional leagues in Namibia, Africa, give it up for Likius!!!" and Likius would run down the chapel isle giving hi-fives to the screaming kids. We did some tricks, played some interactive soccer games and Grant told how, like the servants who got talents and had to report to their master when he returned, we were using our skills for God’s glory.

Being a Surge player brings with it a sort of celebrity-dome. Whenever Joe and I have our Surge kits we notice that people look at us a bit different. The middle school aged kids in the neighborhood around our host family are all thrilled when we talk to them and answer their questions about the Surge. We are no A-list celebrities by far, but people at least think, "oh, that’s the what’s-their-name team that plays soccer". A great platform for the ministry we are doing!

First Practice

The general schedule this week is we have practice 10:00-12:00, meeting 1:30-2:00 and practice 7:30-9:30 M-R this week. The first game is this Friday!

I was a bit nervous going into the first practice. Especially after hearing about the level of play some of these guys come from. But, I was able to respectably hold my own though I am not one of the better players. Realistically, I can tell already that I’ll be a reserve player.

The play is fast and intense. During a scrimmage at the end of the first session I took a wrist to the nose when I was doubling down on a forward (I say "forward" to keep it general, but in reality it was my good friend and apartment-mate, Joe ;) and came out bleeding. The trainer said it wasn’t broken but he did have to push it back into place. It was not intentional, Joe and I made up. Welcome to semi-pro.

It is great to play competitively again (not that Bloomington soccer is not competitive, but, it's not quite the same ;) and at a higher level than I‘ve played before. Even at the college level some guys come into pre-season a bit out of shape. Not here. Everybody’s fit and then some. A huge thanks to Perry Griffith my neighbor/trainer!!! The focus here is intense as well. Some of these guys make their living playing soccer. Each play, each touch matters and is taken seriously.

I was dead tired at the end of the day after the drills, scrimmages and fitness, but loved it.

Christianese

Because I will be writing for a diverse crowd, I figured that for future posts the best way to write will be to write in the two languages I speak best: white, suburban, middle class footballer and Christianese. Both sections will be a part of what‘s really going on. Read whatever makes sense to you. Read both to get the full picture.

For my Christianese readers: The Surge is a mix of about half Christian players and half other beliefs. Dave Irby, the owner of the Surge talked to us at the meeting about how the Surge blends it’s ministry with soccer. Basically, we’ll have the same practice and game schedule as any other team. In addition, we’ll go to whatever else we can (school assemblies, juvenile homes, camps, missions trips, business networking events, etc.) to share the Gospel when we can and where we can’t talk moral values and sportsmanship and just live it.

First Meeting

Sunday was the first day that I met the team (or most of them, some were still flying in). In the afternoon we had physicals, pictures and a meeting to go over the team environment, the missions statement, soccer philosophies, host family protocol, etc. Finally, we had a team dinner to introduce ourselves further.

Most of the conversations were about soccer backgrounds. What teams you’ve played for and who you know. Stories of tournaments, playoffs and trips. There are guys from everywhere here. And they have a lot of soccer credentials. I’ll write more about some of the guys later.

Overall, I was very impressed with the professional-ness of the team. We each got 2 warm-up kits (sox, shorts, tops), warm-up tops and bottoms and bag. Surge gear must be worn for all Surge functions, practice or otherwise. We also get (in limited amounts) free Jamba Juice, Subway, Applebee’s, Great Harvest Bread and haircuts. Small perks, but nice ones.

More Travels

After the night at Earl and Lynda's house Joe and I left very early in the morning Thursday so that I could catch a flight from Spokane, WA to St. Louis, MO. Friday I drove with my girlfriend to Dayton, OH to attend an old soccer friend's wedding. It was great to see a lot of guys I'd played with in the past. Saturday Laura and I drove to Winona Lake, IN to see her future sister in law graduate, then on to Chicago, IL so I could fly back out to Portland, OR. Joe by this time had settled into our host families house in Salem, OR and picked me up at the airport. Yes, I have been across the country 3 times in a week which seems redundant, but it accomplished a lot of good things. Namely, fun trips, seeing people, and getting my car to Salem, OR.

I know up to this point there has been a few entries with very little about soccer, but that will change shortly. By the way, check this out...(link good only for 1 week) http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090511/SPORTS/905110315/1018/ARCHIVE

Fourth Day of Driving (5/6)

After spending a night in a church parking lot because we wanted to drive late through the night (and it was too rainy and cold to set up a tent) we entered Yellowstone NP. We saw the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, some crazy geysers (I named one Josh - Josh Geyser), 2 wolves, many bison and mule deer and overpriced groceries. My favorite spot on the trip out was on a cliff we climbed out on at the lower falls. It started to snow big, fat, soft snowflakes though the sun was still shining through the clouds on the yellow and red cliffs. That coupled with the green of the conifers, the roar of the falls and the accomplishment of the climb was just gorgeous.

If you want to see pictures google "Yellowstone" because my camera ran out of batteries. They do look very much the same. I was disappointed I missed some pictures, but really, what makes a trip to a scenic spot like the ones we saw is the little things that supplement the trip and make it individually yours. Old faithful looks very similar on you tube as it does in person, however, the surprises, challenges and people we encountered made the trip.

For example, that night, we met Earl and Lynda of Manhattan, MT. Joe’s brother met them when he worked on a dude ranch a few summers ago and recommended we stay with them. They gave us a great meal and an even better conversation. Earl was a genuine Montana cowboy and told us all sorts of ranch stories from his life. Earl gave Joe a genuine Montana cowboy hat. They even sent us off with some food for the next day. They were absolutely wonderful. A bed and shower were absolutely wonderful too.

Third Day of Driving (5/5)

Made it to Wind Cave National Park. Took a 10:30 tour through the main cave. The guide was a man in his 60’s with a big white beard who had a masters in geology. Everyone else in the tour was from a geology class from a college in Colorado on a field trip. They asked a lot of very detailed, specific questions to which the white-bearded guide gave just as detailed, specific answers. It was interesting to listen to because Joe and I heard more about caves than the average tour. I say heard because it would be incorrect to say learned. Think of watching a great sporting match on TV. You follow along, but don’t get any better at the sport. We followed along, enjoying the cave and were entertained by this intellectual sporting event.

Booking it back to Route 90, we made it farther West to Devils Tower. Devils Tower is the same geological feature that is in "Close Encournters of the Third Kind" Do do do do doooo. That one. I didn’t see any aliens, though I kept my eye out. This was my 2nd favorite spot on the trip. The tower was pretty impressive, and it was great to climb on all the rocks that were at the base. We saw climbers going up, crazy people. I almost caught a rabbit.

Second Day of Driving (5/4)

Saw the Corn Palace in South Dakota. This building spends $170,000 a year to decorate the exterior and interior of their building with corn! We drove through Badlands National Park. This was beautiful! Joe and I climbed all over. We finished the drive and stopped at Wall Drug, a tourist trap mini-mall. Drove to Rapid City, SD then south to Mt. Rushmore. We got in at dusk and watched the sun set behind the faces. When I first saw it I thought, "wow, that’s smaller than in the pictures." Still cool. Lincoln winked at me. We found a spot to stay the night at a campground south of Mt. Rushmore. Started a fire with sticks and 1 match! Today was the first day that I started to really feel like I was on break. It was great to just drive, relax and enjoy the scenic spots with no obligations other than where I will sleep and eat.

First Day of Driving (5/3)

Joe and I had a 13 hour trip (12 hours of driving) to travel from Cedarville to Bronson, IA. We left CU around 9:00 am EST and arrived at our friend Ryan Connelly’s house at 9:00 CT. The one notable stop was at the World’s Larges Truck Stop off Rt 80.

Ryan, like Joe, just finished his SO year at Cedarville. It was nice to meet his family and talk with them. They were very hospitable. Joe and I slept very well in Ryan's mansion. Monday morning we had a short training session, ate breakfast and started driving West again.

What is the PDL?

A quick background on the PDL: http://www.uslsoccer.com/aboutusl/index_E.html

USL Premier Development League
The top U23 men’s league in North America, the USL Premier Development League (PDL) features 68 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 16 regular season matches for each team, eight home and eight away. The PDL provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The USL Premier Development League has proven to be an important stepping stone for top professionals now playing around the world.

The team I will be playing for is in the North West Division in Salem, OR. The Cascade Surge's website is here: http://www.cascadesurge.com/frameset.php