LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT: Fall 2020 Begins

Hello All,

This upcoming winter will be 15 years since FC Denver was founded. When we kickoff our fall 2020 campaigns this and next weekend, it will have been 294 days since our last competitive outdoor match. That is by far the longest break we’ve had since we’ve begun. In some meaningful ways, this time is both a pause and a new beginning. A pause in that after this season, things may return to more normalcy with players sitting this campaign returning. But there’s no doubt, it is a new time as well. We are presenting 4 FC Denver teams for this season rather than the 6-7 teams which have been playing. And while a lot of the faces are the same, some now have new teammates on combined teams, and a host of exciting new players have joined, making this a different group than what we ended 2019 with.

This time away because the the global pandemic has allowed us time and perspective into just how foundational kindness, health, and family are to us as humans. In the depths of the quarantine, sport seemed like a luxurious amenity instead of a needed respite. But as society has slowly opened back up, it’s become clearer that the importance of sport and the health, camaraderie, and competition it provides is very important indeed. Having opportunities to push & challenge ourselves to be our best, to improve upon what we have done, and then to be able to test that in meaningful competition is a driving force for good in many people’s lives. While it’s not absolutely critical for survival, it’s not far off as the meaning that we derive from the activities that we pursue give function and purpose to our very existence.

Now, this season will look different. We hope and pray that going forward with contact sports during this time is a wise decision that will not lead to spread of the virus. From the limited amount of information we have, we do feel confident enough in order to be moving forward with participating, but we respect all perspectives in this area. And during this time in particular, the joy of just being able to play the sport we love and have dedicated big portions of our lives to is most important. That opportunity has been taken away for over 9 months and we are so grateful, with the necessary precautions in place, to have it back. And while results wont carry quite the same level of importance during this time that they’ve carried previously, we are a competitive club whose engine runs on a competitive fire. We train and play to be our best. And often, with that comes success. We look forward to a healthy season ahead.

Here’s to the health and sportsmanship of all of our players and competitors.

Eric Ridgeway Fulton
August 22, 2020