Unite, Believe – MDNG Soldier Starts Youth Soccer Club Amidst Pandemic
Article by U.S. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Sarah M. McClanahan, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office
Photos by U.S. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Sarah M. McClanahan, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office; Courtesy Photos
BALTIMORE — As a coach, Pfc. Joel Ramirez understands what’s going through his players’ heads before the start of a game. From the scramble of finding your soccer cleats to the intimidation of the field, he’s been there before.
“There’s something about those lights, the turf, when you walk on, it’s like everything goes away,” said Ramirez, a Maryland National Guard Solider assigned to the 29th Military Police Company. “It’s peaceful because all that matters is you, the ball, your team, and the game.”
Since he was four years old, the soccer field has always been a place of serenity for Ramirez. He always found solace in kicking a ball around on a bad day, an experience he hopes everyone has the opportunity for.
However, the looming COVID-19 pandemic has left the same fields he recalls playing in since childhood empty. This inspired him to start a soccer club, named Skyline City Club de Futbol, to give those who have lost their passion for soccer a space to play again.
“In general, [kids] quit soccer because their coach or their parent or the club owner is too hard,” said Ramirez, who is the father of two boys himself. “They don’t teach them the fundamentals, they just teach them to win, win, win. That’s everyone’s mindset everywhere I’ve played, you win or you’re not a good player.”
Ramirez hopes to help change the culture around soccer in his hometown of Frederick, Maryland, and establish a respected soccer club that goes against the grain of turning away players who don’t meet certain height and weight criteria.
“I wanted to basically give chances to the kids that never got the chance or that they will get to that chance and they’ll get turned away because they didn’t meet those strict categories,” said Ramirez.
Aside from this, Ramirez recognizes even the best players may face financial barriers preventing them from playing and he aims to provide the opportunity to play for kids who may not be able to afford it.
“That’s why I started this,” said Ramirez. “I want to get to a point where, as an owner, I’m able to pay for my players to play for me. So all they got to do is show up, play their hardest, and get looked at [by pro club recruiters].”
In many ways sports, like soccer, are an avenue for people from all walks of life to come together and play. Ramirez embodies this in his club’s motto.
“Soccer is about unity,” said Ramirez. “Our motto is ‘unite and believe,’, which means unite the community and then have every player that’s on a team believe they can make it to the next level.”
However, kicking skills up a notch requires discipline, something Ramirez is well acquainted with through his military service.
“I used to be that guy who didn’t have discipline on the field,” said Ramirez. “I was basically angry all the time losing, and then joined the military helped me open my eyes like ‘hey it’s not just about you.’ That’s one thing I’m drilling into my player’s heads.”
In fact, it’s this discipline that inspired Ramirez, who is endearing called “Drill Sergeant Coach” by his players, to join the MDNG in the first place.
Motivated by a childhood of bonding over crime dramas with his mother, Ramirez initially set out to become a police officer. Unfortunately, his first attempt at the entrance exam was not successful. However, this process introduced him to numerous veterans and National Guard members also trying to get into the police academy. Their discipline encouraged him to enlist in the military instead.
“I knew serving would help me with my discipline and help me grow as a man, as I am now,” said Ramirez. “Before I was disciplined, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be and I wasn’t able to get to the police academy just yet.”
Not long after joining in 2020, Ramirez was able to put his refined discipline to the test while supporting Maryland’s COVID-19 response. This mission brought him to the Wicomico Civic Center testing site in Salisbury, Maryland where his unit wore many hats each day.
“Some of us were on guard duty, some of us were the first person you saw when you walked in,” said Ramirez, who normally works as a security guard when not activated. “Some of us were actually with the nurses on the iPad just having signed everybody in.”
Regardless of the task, Ramirez made a point to do so with diligence and enthusiasm.
“He’s very particular about the things that he does,” said Spc. Jordan Jackson, a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic for the 29th MP Co., MDNG. “He’s very good with direction. The quality of his work is very good.”
It’s this same discipline that drove Ramirez to start Skyline City C.F., which Ramirez plans to evolve into a multi-sport organization, called Skyline Athletics Association, in early 2022.
“While we were on our COVID-19 mission in Salisbury, [I knew] he was trying to create a soccer club,” said Jackson. “He was always very enthusiastic about it and it was something that he really wanted to do.”
Ramirez not only found an avenue to sharpen his discipline in the military, but he also found a brotherhood.
“I joined the Army to serve, and to grow myself and my family,” said Ramirez. “A lot of people told me when you join the military, it’s a brotherhood, a family, and I’m big on family.”
For Ramirez, the bonds that bind a brotherhood are the same ones that make a great soccer team. Much like the circumstances that bring people of all sorts together in a unit, the same applies on the field.
“Every day when we break out, we always say ‘family’ because that’s what we are now,” said Ramirez. “You can’t be the best team if you’re not close together.”
