Our History: Vol. I

This is the first of three posts on the history of our team.

Vol. I is about the early years - the so-called DCJCC years. We were young, we wanted to play soccer and have fun. But we were not good.

It began in the Spring of 2000, when Your Captain was working on Capitol Hill and longing for some outdoor activity. He had recently picked up soccer again after giving it up in high school to pursue cross country and track (bad decision). After sending some emails, the Goleros were born. The roster resembled a six degrees to Kevin Bacon chart. Pete's old roommate, Chip, recruited several players and his then-girlfriend, Dara, from IIE, where he worked at the time. Chip's recuits recruited friends. Pete's work colleague, Mary, signed up her husband, Griz, who signed up a friend.

Goleros Roster in Spring 2000

Pete, Chip, Dara, Griz, Tom, Aziz, Ali, Brian, Rachel, Chris M., Patti, Greg, Shannon, Joel, Linda, Drew, and Craig the chain-smoking goalie. (only 4 original players remain: Pete, Chip, Griz, and Tom.)

In successive seasons, we were soon joined by Carlos, Patrick (Patti's husband), Mary (Griz' wife), Portia, Dawn, Krissy, Molly, Hootan, Hans, Jamie, and others.

Trivia: who is the only player to have left and then return? Carlos.

In the Fall of 2000 (see photo above), we had a team of 24 players, which was Your Captain's first lesson in why-not-to-recruit-too-many-people. No one got any play time and of course we couldn't win without a rhythm. Chris M., Griz, Aziz, Shannon, and Carlos were constant advisers to try to make the team better. To no avail. To our best recollection, we did not win more than 1 game each season for at least two years. Every week, it was like...almost, but what went wrong? We faced frequent shut-outs, forfeits due to poor attendance, and our lack of experience, both as individuals and as a team, showed. The low point was a lopsided loss to a team of men and women who had been playing ADULT co-ed soccer together for 25 years. We got spanked by people our parents' age. More power to them though, that's the way we want to be some day.

What were the high points? There were many. First, the "originals" became really good friends and formed a lifelong association. You can see it in their attitude today - Carlos, we'll count you as an original in this respect. Additionally, if you think back, those first goals and wins were pretty awesome. They were also impressive given the fact that we constantly had 2-3 players on the field with NO prior soccer experience. It was fun to build something from scratch, even if a little frustrating at times. Also, the fields in the DCJCC league, while often crappy or basically just awkward spaces with some grass, were conveniently located in Bethesda. Plus, Ali with his allnighters and boozing always brought a fun attitude to the game.

Here are some other memories:

• Craig, bless his heart, had quite a few balls roll slowly between his legs on the goal line.




• Your Captain sat out for three seasons with a torn ACL. Griz, Shannon, Chip, and others carried a lot of the weight of the team during that time.




• Fan Appreciation Day. I think we lost actually.




• Griz always wore green hiking shorts. To this day, Your Captain does not want to see those shorts ever again on the pitch.




• Remember Lizzy? That poor girl was a little different, but she had moves. (Liz G., we're not talking about you.) She quit and/or was kicked off when she declared to me in an email that our team showed no dedication.
  

Even through the losses, it was always meaningful for Your Captain to gather the team together in pursuit of a win. This is about fun first and then competition. If you have stories to tell or comments about our early years, please share!

Next volume: The Montgomery County years and reconstructing the team to be a more effective unit.