JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
A soccer club at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph is bringing
together players from different generations and age groups who play for the
love of the sport.
The Randolph Football Club Ramblers are made up of
active-duty service members, dependents, JBSA civilians and military retirees.
The club is a member of the San Antonio Soccer Association and competes against
area teams including those from JBSA-Lackland and JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. Games
are played on Sundays at the Schertz Soccer Complex, 75 Maske Road, in Schertz,
or the San Antonio Spurs Soccer Complex, 5130 David Edwards Drive, in San
Antonio.
The club is coached by Staff Sgt. Wayne Burke, 359th
Aerospace-Medicine Squadron Dental Flight NCO in charge preventive dentist at
the JBSA-Randolph Dental Clinic. Burke has coached the Ramblers for two years.
Burke said the team has 42 players, from 16 to 50 years of
age, who really enjoy playing soccer and have a passion for the game.
“We don’t do it so much because we want to win all the
time,” Burke said. “We just do it for the enjoyment and love of it. There’s a
lot of camaraderie whether you win or lose. It’s a great workout.”
The club practices twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays,
at the field across from the JBSA-Randolph Rambler Fitness Center. The Ramblers play fall, winter and spring
schedules, consisting of 10 games each.
The Ramblers started off their fall schedule with a 1-5
record. Burke said the club’s biggest challenge has been to get every player to
play together on a consistent basis because of temporary duty, work and
deployment schedules.
Burke said the Ramblers defend and pass the ball well, but
need to improve on taking advantage of their scoring opportunities near the
opponent’s goal if they are to turn their season around.
Despite their slow start, Burke said the Ramblers are still
hoping to make the San Antonio Soccer Association playoffs. The Ramblers
compete in a 14-team division, with the top 10 teams in the division qualifying
for the playoffs.
“We are not giving up on it,” said Burke about getting a
playoff bid. “We are going to see if we can get something out of it.”
Burke said Marlin Richardson, Rambler Fitness Center fitness
and sports director, and Rikk Prado, Rambler Fitness Center sports programmer,
have been supportive of the club. He said the center bought the equipment the
club practices with, including goals, nets, balls and gear.
Staff Sgt. Camilo Guzman, 902nd Security Forces Squadron
controller, has played with the Randolph Football Club for two years. Guzman
said he got involved with the club when he saw them playing on a field by the
dorms and then participated in a practice.
Guzman said he enjoys playing with the Ramblers because
everyone on the team helps and learns about soccer from each other.
“Everybody on this team is on the same page,” Guzman said.
“Nobody talks bad about other players and everybody is encouraging others to
get better and have fun.”
Burke said new players are always welcome to join the
Ramblers. Anyone interested in joining the club, can contact Burke at 652-3301
or 202-538-4437.