SPORTS: Junction FC introduces head coach, welcomes 120 players to tryouts

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

(WSB photos)

More than 120 players tried out this past week for our area’s new “pre-pro” soccer club, West Seattle Junction FC. It’s been three weeks since club leadership went public with plans to start playing this May in the USL2, joining more than 120 teams nationwide (including future crosstown rival Ballard FC, the current league champions). Also this past week, the team’s owners announced Junction FC’s head coach, Erik Oman, who was working with the prospective players who turned out for tryouts at Delridge Playfield:

Junction FC describes Coach Oman’s background as “impressive,” and provides these highlights:

Erik holds numerous licenses including US Soccer A license, his Premier Diploma for coaching, and a National Goalkeeper coaching license. With over 30 years of coaching, including a 15-year collegiate coaching career with University of Northern Colorado, UW, University of Montana, Colorado College, and the US Air Force Academy. He has coached numerous National team and professional players and mentored hundreds of coaches as a national coaching educator. Since returning to Seattle in 2007, Erik has been in various high-level leadership roles, most recently serving as the League Technical Director for the Washington Premier League as well as the League’s Academy program serving top players across the State.

Junction FC’s announcement quotes the new coach as saying, ““I saw in West Seattle an amazing community with the potential to build a passionate following for a team and a group of owners who were truly dedicated to their community and the development of the game there.” Ownership-team members were there for Friday’s tryouts too:

From left in our photo are Kaitlyn Jackson, Jessica Pierce, and Tom Gaffney, who say the team was formed by “soccer enthusiasts that have supported our youth soccer community for over 25 years.” They plan to start Junction FC with the men’s team (U23) this year and add a women’s team next year. They’re still working on finalizing the plan to play home matches at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex; they’re aiming to start ticket sales next month.

Tom January 8, 2024 (9:50 am)

Congratulations to Coach Oman for this role. I am happy that there is someone this qualified in the West Seattle coaching scene to take this role for this club. I do have some thoughts on this whole subject as a whole.
Soccer is a very popular sport in this area, and as such, it is flush with cash to be able to have high-paid, career coaches take these roles that can have a comfortable income. Unfortunately, there are several other sports in our area that are highly underrepresented by this publication and as the community itself.
These sports are run on low paid or no-pay volunteer coaching and staff that service the same amounts of kids…either high school or private sports clubs that never see the amount of representation that is given to soccer, baseball, football, and basketball. It’s unfortunate that the focus and time is being devoted here to these announcements, and not on other sports that are just as important for the development of our children.

ACG January 8, 2024 (12:57 pm)

Tom-I can say that a lot of the youth sports (or sports and activities in general) get mentioned in “this publication” because someone from that sport/team/activity emails the editor and offers information about the event. Often it is a parent or coach that provides the update. And, WSB is always happy to post those articles to celebrate all sports and events. Photos are welcome, too. WSB is a very small media outlet, and TR and Patrick cannot be everywhere and need help from our community in covering all of the things that happen here. If you have specific sports, schools, activities, etc that you feel are not being reported and represented, please let WSB know about these events/scores/highlights/photos/announcements. In my experience they have been happy to publish them when I or others I know have submitted them. So, please reach out to WSB next time with updates, recaps, or just information about an upcoming event and take an active role in increasing coverage and awareness for those activities!
Curtis January 11, 2024 (1:09 pm)

Hi Tom,You made several strong comments there with no facts. Please inform us:1-what are the sports in WS with same or greater participation as youth soccer? I think you are mistaken.2- this is a news site. If someone wants to start a semi pro sports team in WS, they would probably get the same news coverage. Isn’t that fair and notmal? Of course it is.

JFC January 8, 2024 (11:47 am)

Hi Tom ,I just wanted to share that this club is not “flush with cash” by any means. We are out of pocket and looking for strong community partners. Our players are fully subsidized with no costs to paly. The goal “pun intended” is to provide an outlet and a stage to talented players in the Seattle community that may not have otherwise had in this age group and to also highlight great talent as well. Much of the recognized profit from this endeavor will be reinvested right back into the community. Actually, if we could get more hyperlocal models like this established, like Fish Sticks, Cultures, Junction FC, we might be able to take a top down approach to helping the youth organizations that so desperately need help. We definitely agree with you there. The blog is helping spread the word about these formations because they have spoke to us several times and understand the end game and the give back to the community that is our intention. They’ve been a great help and we appreciate them very much!We’re hear to help so email us at info@junctionfc.org if you have ideas on ways we can help out in the WS community.

Lina January 8, 2024 (3:27 pm)

Our family is so psyched! Thanks to all the folks and players getting this team off the ground and continuing to grow the sport. Futbol is life!

Fan? January 8, 2024 (8:32 pm)

Psyched at the possibility of a team within walking distance of the house! Ballard bridge games have been great fun to attend. Will the games be allowed to have a beer garden (being on school district property)?

JFC January 22, 2024 (8:17 pm)

No, alcohol is prohibited, but we are working with over 21 and family friendly establishments in each Junction to set up pre-and post match gathering spots as well as viewing parties while we are on the road to watch the streamed matches! Places like the Westy, Ounces, Beveridge Place, and Talaricos have all reached out with levels of interest for hosting fun events!

Sorry, comment time is over.