Photo by Sam Chandler.
Head coach Joel Person, center, is flanked by team co-founders John Killian, left, and Morgan Copes. The trio is prepared to lead the organization in its first season as members of the National Premier Soccer League.
The Birmingham Hammers soccer team will return to Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex for its second season of semi-professional action on Saturday, April 30.
The Hammers will host Sandy Springs FC (Georgia) to kick off the 2016 campaign — their first in the National Premier Soccer League.
“Last year was a great start. For the amount of time we had to plan for it, it was really, really great,” head coach Joel Person said. “But this year we’ve had a little bit more time, and now we’re actually in the NPSL as a formal league, so we’re really excited to take that next step.”
The NPSL is sanctioned through the U.S. Adult Soccer Association. As a member, the Hammers will have the opportunity to compete in one of the country’s top amateur tiers.
Founded in 2013, the team played its inaugural exhibition season in 2015. It faced off against clubs from the NPSL and Premier Development League, along with other exhibition squads.
Following the successful trial run, President and General Manager Morgan Copes said joining the NPSL was the clear step forward, especially since the organization was equipped with two key ingredients: a top-notch facility and good business plan.
“It was just a matter of time before we made the jump,” Copes said.
Having assembled a roster — primarily composed of college players and recent graduates — drawn from a pair of open tryouts in March, the Hammers will compete in the NPSL’s Southeast Conference. They are scheduled to play 13 regular season matches against teams from Georgia, Tennessee and Louisiana. If eligible, they will also have the opportunity to participate in postseason play.
“I think our team will take another step forward as far as the quality both on the field and depth coming off the bench, so I’m most excited to see that come together,” Person said.
Person and three of his four assistant coaches are holdovers from the 2015 season. They include Chazz Romeo, Zac Crawford, A.J. Robles and Luke Whittle, director of coaching for Vestavia Hills Soccer Club.
Person brings a unique coaching style to the Hammers, mixing a direct, old-school European style with the possession-based tiki-taka approach made famous by FC Barcelona.
“I believe in possession, but not for possession’s sake,” Person said. “So we’re always going to try and possess the ball, but if the opportunity presents itself to go forward, then we’re going to go forward.”
The Hammers will host seven matches at Sicard Hollow between late April and June, concluding their regular season home slate June 25.
Copes said he expects the number of spectators, which ranged from 750 to 1,300 per match last season, to surge in 2016.
“We definitely see a huge uptick in average attendance,” he said.
Tickets are available online or at the gate. Season passes also are available. For more information, visit birminghamhammers.com.
