Olympic gold medalist, pros offers tips for Amity club
By Brandie Kessler, bkessler@pottsmerc.com
AMITY — The Amity AC Soccer Club welcomed several faces of a new women’s professional soccer team from Philadelphia to their fields Friday night, announcing a partnership with the professional program that is expected to improve the quality of the club.
“This is a very important day for Amity soccer,” said David Braunsberg, the Amity Soccer commissioner. “This is all about improving what’s going on (at Amity AC Soccer Club).”
With the signing of a few papers, the club was officially considered an affiliate of the new women’s professional soccer team, the Philadelphia Independence. Being affiliated with the Independence means Amity AC Soccer Club will be recognized on the Independence’s Web site and receive discounts for Independence home game tickets, among other things.
Because Amity AC Soccer Club is one of the first five soccer clubs to become affiliated with the Independence, it will also have its own club theme night at an Independence game.
Representing the Independence and standing before the crowd of dozens of anxious children and their parents were Olympic gold medalist Staci Wilson, who has three NCAA Division I championships under her belt; former Florida State University All-American Kelly Rowland; and Independence Assistant Coach Wayne Grocott.
“Amity seems like a great club,” said Rowland, who is the director of community outreach for the Independence. “We’re excited to be here.”
“We’re very excited to be joining you guys and helping you grow,” Grocott said.
In addition to giving a face to the new professional program that will take the field in 2010, Wilson, Rowland and Grocott also gave the children, each wearing soccer training gear, a taste of what they can expect having partnered with the Independence and its integrated youth development program, Team Dynamics.
Through Team Dynamics, club teams that partner with the Independence will receive high-caliber training from professionals. Braunsberg said the training will help further the quality of soccer Amity AC Soccer Club is playing.
He said that Amity AC Soccer Club will be bringing all premier level soccer to more age groups in the future.
“It’s an awesome step for the club,” Braunsberg said of the partnership with the Independence.
Abby Chirinos, 11, of Collegeville, who plays for a U-12 Amity AC club team, and Jessica Lineman, 13, of Douglassville, who plays soccer for Daniel Boone Middle School, were among the many children waiting to get their soccer balls or T-shirts autographed by Wilson, Rowland and Grocott.
“Soccer’s cool,” Lineman said. She said the training she saw Friday was more intense than some of the practices she has participated in.
Chirinos said that in addition to knowing that there were going to be “famous people” at the event Friday, she wanted to come because she’s interested in soccer. “My dream is to be a model or a professional soccer player,” she said.
Both girls said they want to be able to play soccer in high school.
Grocott said soccer is a great sport for children to participate in because it’s such an active sport and “you get a lot of fit out of it.” Plus, children learn lessons about working hard and working well in a team atmosphere.
“All my life skills come from soccer,” Grocott said.
He said working with young children ages 3 and 4 can be challenging, but “you see the smile on the kids’ faces and we want that smile.”
Wilson, who will also be acting as an assistant coach, explained that coming out to represent the Independence was simply “giving back to the community.”
She noted that “it’s not just about the wins we have on the field, it’s about the connection” with the fans and the soccer community, including programs that foster youth soccer.
Tammy Bartle, of Douglassville, was out with her daughter, Samantha, 8, who plays for a U-9 Amity AC team.
“I got my ball signed,” beamed Samantha, who said she loves the position of goalkeeper.
Tammy Bartle said learning of the partnership between the club and the Independence was exciting.
“It provides a really great opportunity because she’ll be associated with this (Independence) program,” Tammy Bartle said.
She also expressed that even for those children and their parents who weren’t deep into soccer, the experience to meet Wilson, the gold medalist, in particular was also unique.
Rowland said the relationship between the Independence and the club teams it affiliates itself with will be mutually beneficial. The clubs will have the opportunity to see premier women’s soccer, perhaps meet some of the amazing players, and do something really fun with their teammates, and the Independence will hopefully get a “groundswell of support” from the club teams when they come out to games and cheer the team on, Rowland said.
She said the Independence is “excited to bring soccer back to Philadelphia,” and wants soccer fans to be just as excited to welcome them.
For more information on Amity AC Soccer Club, visit http://tcteams.com/amity/
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