08/13/2018
In May of 2014, Anthony Palmer got a group of guys together to compete in a local 3v3 tournament hosted by Warren County Youth Soccer at Pistole Park in McMinnville. Anthony had just completed his sophomore year of soccer for Covenant Academy and he asked 4 guys to play on his team with him - a couple of new friends from Costa Rica, a fellow Covenant player, and a former rec league teammate. That team won the local tournament and found out they had qualified for the Nationals at Disney. Thus was born WC Barcelona with Anthony Palmer, Keith and Kyle Friesen, Braylon Kirby, and Mitch Owens. We didn't win any games at Disney, but boy did we learn a lot and came home with some great stories.
The next year, a few changes occurred. We came in second at a qualifying tournament in Smyrna, and once again qualified for Disney. The 2015 team got to compete in the rec division (should have been there in 2014 - long story), and brought home the National Championship. That team was returners Anthony Palmer, Kyle Friesen, and Braylon Kirby; and newbies Josh Morgan, Taylor Madewell, and Andrew Palmer.
After a year off in 2016 (Anthony graduated high school and we were slammed with a busy summer as he got ready for college), we resumed play in 2017 with one returning player - Andrew Palmer. We added Alex Pullon, Jackson Smith, Adrian Tejas, Andres Perez, and Will Cheek. This team qualified by geographic waiver (no qualifying tournaments within a reasonable distance) and played very well ending up in 2nd after the group stage and 4th overall.
This year's team (2018) saw three returning players - Andrew Palmer, Alex Pullon, and Jackson Smith; with three more newbies - Brayden Chisam, Albert Rouse, and Kade Simpson. We qualified based on the 2017 team's placement in their tournament. Although unable to win, they played with heart and passion and competed greatly.
(Just a side note - we have always played "up". You have to play to your oldest player's age. In 2014, we had one U18. 2015 was 2 U18s. 2017 had 1 U17 (only time we didn't play U18). And in 2018 we had one U18. So we always played against teams that were overall older than we were.)
Over these year's, we've had lots of friends come out and practice against us to help us get ready. Many of them are former players, but we've also had James, Josiah, and John Jackson, Eddie Hernandez, VuLinh Pham, Garret Ortez, Alex Serna, Lance Curtis, and many more. For all of the help and support I thank you greatly.
Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verses 1-8 says For everything there is a season, and a time for every [a]purpose under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
A music group from the 1960's called The Byrds took this scripture and turned is into a song called "Turn, Turn, Turn". All of this is to say that the time and season for WC Barcelona has come and gone. We've had a great run and lots of fun. And our local (and not-so-local) support has been phenomenal. We couldn't have done this without you. To each of you who has been a part of this for the last 4 plus years, we thank you! Most of all, I thank all of my players and their parents who have allowed their children to play and have trusted me with them over 600 miles away in Orlando. And especially to Terry Kirby for making the trip with us twice to support the team and Jeremy and Nicole Chisam for making the trip this year. I hope for each of you parents that we have been a good influence to your young men.
There is an outside chance that we may be back in a few years...another Palmer is only 10 and likes soccer (we'll see...). But for now, thank you all for everything!!!
