It's been quite a year at FC Dallas and my colleagues Carter, Jhannetand Gina have already shared some of their favorite stories. 2018 was my second year at FC Dallas and my tenth working in sports, so I've been fortunate to work on and witness a lot of highs (and lows) in sports. But this team, the players and technical staff, along with the front office is truly a family. So without stepping on the toes of my colleagues (who listed a lot of wonderful moments from the year already), here are some of my favorites stories of the year.
1. Paxton Pomykal's "Graduation" Ceremony- It's been just over two years since Paxton Pomykal signed a Homegrown contract at the age of 16. So what happens when you're with the 18 that travel to Montreal the weekend of your high school graduation? Your team throws you an impromptu "graduation" ceremony after training.
2. FC Dallas Team Up with Houston Dynamo for Hurricane Relief- As Texans, I think we all set aside our feelings of rivalry aside when we saw the disaster that Hurricane Harvey brought to our neighbhors in Houston. So when the team traveled down I-45 to play the Dynamo, it was nice to see Kyle Zobeck and Bryan Reynolds, Jr work together alongside Dynamo players to help rehab a house in the Houston community. They worked alongside volunteers from SNHU, Dallas Beer Guardians and Texian Army in conjunction with St. Bernard Project.
3. Players Find Out FIFA 19 Ratings- Full disclosure, I'm not a gamer, but mostly because I'm terrible at video games. But even I have to admit FIFA release day is one of the best days of the year. So when we asked the guys to guess their own FIFA ratings, hilarity ensued.
4. Francis Atuahene Gives Back to His Home Country of Ghana- This was a very recent story. In fact, the photo above is one Francis Atuahene sent the day after Christmas. He worked with the FC Dallas Foundation to spread the mission of "positively impacting the health and well-being of underserved youth through sports." If you've ever interacted with Francis, you've seen his big smile and know he has an even bigger heart. He's done wonderful things off the field and I can't wait to see his talent on the pitch.
5. Alan Avi Recaps Inaugural eMLS Season- I know, I know. I've already admitted to not being a gamer. So how is this one of my top stories of the year? When MLS announced a competitive EA Sports FIFA 18 league (with sone of the best gamers from across North America representing MLS clubs), it was not only a partnership that made sense, but one that could grow the MLS fanbase through gaming. Our videographers were with our eMLS gamer, Alan Avi, for a lot of his 2018 journey. We can't wait to see what comes next in 2019.
WRITER'S NOTE: I'd like to break the fourth wall for just a second to acknowledge that with all of our top five lists that we've shared, it truly takes a village. From the graphic designers, videographers, and motion graphics designer in marketing, to our PR gurus that provide us with endless stats and facts, community relations, colleagues in other departments, supporters, and even interns, these stories wouldn't be told without your help. Looking forward to telling the stories of 2019 with you all.
