Rowdies getting out in the community

Posted Mar 15, 2010 by Nick Murray

Updated Mar 15, 2010 at 07:29 PM

FC Tampa Bay Rowdies players Aaron Wheeler and Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe picked up whistles on Saturday, helping referee some games at the Special Olympics Area Summer Games held at the University of South Florida.

Saturday’s visit was one of a number of appearances the Rowdies players have been making at youth soccer tournaments around the bay area since the team’s members officially arrived in Tampa a little over three weeks ago, and according to forward Aaron Wheeler, he and Adjeman-Pamboe had fun at the event, espcially after the tournament wrapped up.

“(We) got to have a little kick-around at the very end,” Wheeler said. “I think there were about 10 or 12 kids who stayed to kick a ball around with us, so that was really good, a few parents actually even joined in.”

Midfielder Adjeman-Pamboe took on an unfamilar role as he played in goal, but said he had a good time watching everyone have fun. Rowdies players were also at the Region C Recreational Soccer tournament in Wesley Chapel and in Largo on Saturday. Adjeman-Pamboe said he hoped the Rowdies would see lots of the young players at their regular season games, which begin next month.

“It’s fun and exciting to get kids to come out and watch,” Adjeman-Pamboe said. “It sets the bar for them, a standard they can look at and say, ‘He’s my favorite player, I want to follow his footsteps and get to the next level.’ It gives them another angle and dream to follow.”

Wheeler said the players, most of whom are living together, have really enjoyed getting the opportunity to get out into the community.

“From what I’ve heard the boys have had a lot of fun at all of them,” Wheeler said. “It sounds like everything is going really well.”

NEWS AND NOTES: A number of players were absent from afternoon training as they went to get final paperwork, including social security numbers, with General Manager Perry Van Der Beck. … Two new trialists, Domingo Cartaya and Erlish Garcia, were training with the team on Monday. … Former South Florida Bull Zak Boggs has been signed to a developmental contract by the New England Revolution. … Former Clearwater Chargers goalkeeper Zac Macmath, now with Maryland, has been named to the U.S. Under-20 squad for the Dallas Cup later this month.