Brewing Up Football in the Mountains
The city of Asheville has something new to celebrate, besides being awarded numerous brewing awards, in the form of a new sports team.
“We want to paint the city blue and bring our diverse group together into one collective identity”, said Ryan Kelley, President of Asheville City Soccer Club.
Asheville City SC joined the National Premier Soccer League last November and are looking to bring the world’s game to the diverse, forward-thinking city of Asheville. Having only one other sports team, the Asheville Tourists, to get behind, Asheville City FC will look to provide another way for residents of the area to claim an identity through sports.
“We want Asheville City to be the club of not just the soccer community, but we want to be the club for everyone”, said Kelley.
The club have begun collecting players to form a competitive squad to compete in the NPSL. The National Premier Soccer League is the second largest development league in the United States soccer pyramid with 94 clubs in four regions.
The development leagues are a hotbed for collegiate players. It is a great opportunity for college players to get some playing experience with players of differing playing experiences.
“Our squad is coming together nicely with players from all over the world and locally as well”, said Kelley.
One of those players is Zack Compton, a defender for the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. Compton took part in a tryout session for the team and having made the team, is looking forward to representing the city that he calls his home away from home.
“I take great pride in being able to represent my adopted city at the college and club level”, said Compton, a junior at UNC Asheville.
The Cary native played soccer at one of North Carolina’s highest ranked high schools for Men’s Soccer, Green Hope High School. His tall stature and strength has caused his position to shift from attack to defense. Compton’s inclusion in the team contributes to the depth of talent in a squad with a mixture of youth and experience.
“When I first went to the tryouts, it seemed like I would be playing with a bunch of old English guys, but now I’ve seen how much diversity we have in the team and in Asheville as a whole”, said Compton.
Compton’s UNC Asheville teammate, Brendan O’Dowd, has known him since their high school days of playing club and school soccer. O’Dowd played at Panther Creek for three years and faced Compton in both school soccer, as Panther Creek and Green Hope are arch rivals, and in club soccer as well.
O’Dowd’s upbringing in England and the Republic of Ireland has led to his fondness of football. His childhood and his support for his friend and teammate has led him to decide to become a fan of Asheville City SC.
“Being able to watch my roommate, teammate and friend play for Asheville’s club is fantastic”, said O’Dowd, a sophomore at UNC Asheville
“It’s exciting to have a club to follow when I’m in Asheville and it’s great to watch your friends accomplish so much”, said O’Dowd.
The formation of Asheville City SC will really be kick started on March 30th of this year when they host their Official Launch Party at local brewery that will be the main sponsor on Asheville City’s kits for the upcoming season. The inclusion of a local business on the shirts of the team solidifies what Asheville stands for in terms of community and local pride.
With the likes of O’Dowd cheering in the stands with many other fans and Compton representing Asheville by playing with his heart behind the crest on his shirt for Asheville City SC, Ryan Kelley’s vision of a successful team that will represent Asheville and its diverse community could unfold within the beautiful surroundings of the Blue Ridge Mountains and bring the World's game to Western North Carolina.
