North Carolina FC Youth Academy Contract Players Trace Alphin, Luke Hille, and Collin McCamy were all selected by head coach Dave Sarachan to travel with NCFC to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Friday, July 17 for the first away game of the 2020 season. Being the first away trip for Hille and McCamy and the third for Alphin, the trip was one they will not forget as they traveled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It felt like a pretty quick flight there,” said McCamy. “But it was really weird having to wear a mask the whole time.”
North Carolina FC flew from RDU to PIE on Thursday before the game. Each player flew with their kits, several masks, pairs of gloves, and hand sanitizer to keep them safe throughout their trip and their stay in St. Petersburg. Instead of staying in rooms with a teammate, they each stayed in a separate room due to the coronavirus. Hille and McCamy had to rely on texting to figure out the flow of an away trip, being they were in hotel rooms by themselves in a very new environment.
Just to throw a wrench in things even more, the team was faced with a weather delay. Instead of spending time at the stadium, the players had to wait out the storm in their hotel rooms.
“We were able to stay in our hotel room and chill, stay focused, and relaxed until it was game time,” said Hille. “Being by ourselves during the delay was weird, but we know that it is the sacrifice we have to make in order to be able to play this game right now.”
After about an hour of being in their rooms, the team was given the clearance to begin warm-ups. The team wore “Black Lives Matter” shirts as they prepared for and sat on the bench during the game.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies were able to have 200 fans in attendance at their match. The three academy players chuckled over being able to hear exactly what the fans had to say. Overall, playing in front of other people was something they were excited their teammates were able to experience for their first game back.
“Their fans were really excited about the game,” said Alphin. “It really does change the atmosphere of the game when you have supporters behind your back supporting you and pushing you to get the victory.”
While the future of hosting fans at WakeMed Soccer Park is still being determined based on the recommendations of government and health officials, North Carolina FC continues to prepare for their upcoming games. Alphin, Hille, and McCamy will all be ready to help the team when and where they can as they grow as academy contract players. With an away trip under their belts, they will also be ready for their next opportunity to travel with the team in what is the “new normal”.
North Carolina FC Youth Academy Contract Players Trace Alphin, Luke Hille, and Collin McCamy were all selected by head coach Dave Sarachan to travel with NCFC to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Friday, July 17 for the first away game of the 2020 season. Being the first away trip for Hille and McCamy and the third for Alphin, the trip was one they will not forget as they traveled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It felt like a pretty quick flight there,” said McCamy. “But it was really weird having to wear a mask the whole time.”
North Carolina FC flew from RDU to PIE on Thursday before the game. Each player flew with their kits, several masks, pairs of gloves, and hand sanitizer to keep them safe throughout their trip and their stay in St. Petersburg. Instead of staying in rooms with a teammate, they each stayed in a separate room due to the coronavirus. Hille and McCamy had to rely on texting to figure out the flow of an away trip, being they were in hotel rooms by themselves in a very new environment.
Just to throw a wrench in things even more, the team was faced with a weather delay. Instead of spending time at the stadium, the players had to wait out the storm in their hotel rooms.
“We were able to stay in our hotel room and chill, stay focused, and relaxed until it was game time,” said Hille. “Being by ourselves during the delay was weird, but we know that it is the sacrifice we have to make in order to be able to play this game right now.”
After about an hour of being in their rooms, the team was given the clearance to begin warm-ups. The team wore “Black Lives Matter” shirts as they prepared for and sat on the bench during the game.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies were able to have 200 fans in attendance at their match. The three academy players chuckled over being able to hear exactly what the fans had to say. Overall, playing in front of other people was something they were excited their teammates were able to experience for their first game back.
“Their fans were really excited about the game,” said Alphin. “It really does change the atmosphere of the game when you have supporters behind your back supporting you and pushing you to get the victory.”
While the future of hosting fans at WakeMed Soccer Park is still being determined based on the recommendations of government and health officials, North Carolina FC continues to prepare for their upcoming games. Alphin, Hille, and McCamy will all be ready to help the team when and where they can as they grow as academy contract players. With an away trip under their belts, they will also be ready for their next opportunity to travel with the team in what is the “new normal”.
