Editorial
Front Page - Friday, April 16, 2010
Chattanooga Football Club ramping up for second season
David Laprad
Chattanooga Football Club head coach, Brian Crossman, warms up his players during a chilly Thursday night practice at Finley Stadium in March.
- David Laprad
To a channel surfer, soccer might seem like the least exciting sport on television. First, one team kicks the ball toward one side of the field, and then the other team kicks the ball toward the other side of the field. After what feels like an eternity, someone scores. The burst of excitement lasts a minute or two, and then the slow dance toward the next point begins.
 Two Chattanooga Football Club players pair up to limber up for a practice scrimmage. - David Laprad
“Soccer is one of those sports you have to see live in order to appreciate the speed and athleticism of the play,” he says. “TV doesn’t do it justice.”
Grizzle should know, as he’s spent countless hours watching soccer. In fact, his view of the action at times has been so up close and personal, he’s taken a ball to his face or an elbow to his ribs. That can happen when you’re one of the players.
Grizzle is a forward for the Chattanooga Football Club, a semi-pro soccer team currently preparing for its second season in the National Premiere Soccer League. Through Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth, the team drew thousands of spectators to its home games last season, including over 3,000 to its July 4 match.
As the team ramps up for season two, Grizzle says he hopes even more people will come to its upcoming games, including casual spectators who have never seen a soccer match live but are looking for something fun to do on a Saturday night.
“Coming to one of our matches is a lot like going to a Lookouts game,” Grizzle says. “While you might not be a fan of baseball, you do love hanging out with your friends, drinking beer and soaking up the atmosphere.
“It’s the same thing with soccer. Last year, more people came to our games for the social element than out of a love for soccer. We’re hoping to see more of that.”
One thing Grizzle says fans will see more of is the intense, competitive gameplay he calls “the highest level of soccer in the South.” In 2009, Chattanooga FC tied for second in the NPSL’s Southeastern conference out of four teams and won more than half of its games. This year, Grizzle believes the squad has what it takes to reach the national playoffs.
“Because Chattanooga is centrally located, we’ve been able to attract talent other communities wouldn’t have been able to draw,” Grizzle says. “We had 50 to 60 players try out this year that were better than our top 25 players last year. That’s a good indicator for this season.”
The boost in talent could end up being a nightmare for teams going up against Chattanooga FC, as it’ll give the local squad a stronger bench than in 2009.
“We had a solid starting 11 last year, but when we went to subs, there was a drop-off,” Grizzle says. “This year, our opponents are going to have to deal with wave after wave of quality players.”
The collective experience of Chattanooga FC could also help the team make its sophomore outing a success. Although the squad is fairly young, with an average age of about 24, all of the players have competed at the college level, while some have played professionally elsewhere.
Atlanta FC, Pumas FC from Birmingham, Ala., and the reigning champs, Rocket City United from Huntsville, Ala., will also have to deal with a group of guys playing for the love of the sport, not a paycheck, as no one on the team is getting paid. Whereas professional athletes can dedicate themselves full-time to their sport, the semi-pro players of Chatta-nooga FC have day jobs or are in college.
While that leaves them with less time to practice, it gives the team an eclectic variety of men from which to form its DNA. “Thomas (Clark) works with new franchisees at Krystal’s corporate headquarters, Russell (Courtney) works for The McClellan Foundation, Ryan (Peck) is the director of marketing for UTC’s sports departments and I work with small business owners,” Grizzle says. “We also have some lawyers and accountants.”
What’s more, many of the players came a long way to live in Chattanooga. Grizzle is from Florida, for example, while Clark is from Colorado. Others are from out of the country. “Last year, nine or ten nationalities were represented on the team,” Grizzle says. “So we’re a healthy mix of guys who grew up elsewhere, came to Chattanooga and joined the team.”
Leading this diverse but cohesive group into the fray is Brian Crossman, professor of physical education at Covenant College. He’s also, according to Grizzle, one of the greatest college soccer coaches of all time.
“He has one of the best collegiate coaching records in history, so he’s well respected on a national level,” Grizzle says.
During one practice session in March, Crossman put his players through a light warm-up
followed by a series of brief scrimmages. When someone strayed from his instructions, Crossman had the athlete do pushups on the field while the game continued around him. In general, how-
ever, the players responded to Crossman’s directives as though they were a physical extension of his will.
The Chattanooga FC got its start in early 2009 when a friend of Grizzle’s who’d been playing for another team moved back to Scenic City and asked Grizzle if he’d be interested in forming a local squad. Grizzle wrote a business plan, brought in a couple of early investors, and the next thing they knew, they were holding tryouts.
Grizzle’s interest in forming Chattanooga FC was born out of more than his love for the sport; he also had a desire to bring something to the community that would bridge the cultural divide he says exists locally.
“We have a large Spanish population that’s disconnected from the general American population,” he says. “And we have Europeans coming in with all of the foreign investment. Soccer can bring those groups together.”
That’s especially true when the matches are good, as the ones in which Chattanooga FC will be competing this year promise to be. The team’s season opener in Atlanta on May 22 already has Grizzle and his teammates chomping at the bit.
“We played them in our first game here last year, and they beat us 3-1,” Grizzle says. “Then we beat them 1-0 in Atlanta. That was one of the most exciting 1-0 matches I’ve seen. So that will be a competitive game.”
Chattanooga FC’s first home game is scheduled for June 5. The team will host Pumas FC at Finley Stadium at 7 p.m.
“You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy the game,” Grizzle says, bringing his comments full circle. “We heard from many people last year who’d never been to a soccer game and are now coming to every match because it was so much fun. The tickets are cheap, the beer is good and you can’t beat the atmosphere.”
For ticket information and a schedule of games, visit www.chattanoogafc.com.
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