Ronnie Pascale was thinking only of the immediate future — specifically, of the upcoming soccer season — when he signed with the Richmond Kickers as a backup goalkeeper in 2000.
Today, 252 appearances, 81 shutouts and 11-plus seasons later, Pascale and his saving grace still are here.
"It's pretty amazing, when you stop to think about it," he said. "I tell people all the time: Never, ever, did I think I'd stay with one team, or in one place, for 12 years."
His is not an unusual tale. The Kickers tend to have that effect on their athletes. The heart of their roster, and the key to their consistent success, is a cluster of able veterans who have spent more time in Richmond than the statues on Monument Avenue — or so it seems. Midfielder Mike Burke, like Pascale, joined the Kickers in 2000. Defender Sascha Gorres climbed aboard in 2005. Forward Matthew Delicate and midfielder David Bulow each have completed four seasons in Richmond.
Salary appears not to be a factor in the willingness of so many indispensible Kickers to put down roots in the city in which they play. Minor-league soccer is a less-than-lucrative endeavor. Richmond players typically earn between $1,000 and $3,000 per month for a six-month season. But Kickers veterans say they receive, in addition to legal tender, intangible compensation that includes stability, candor, respect and tradition.
Said Burke, whose career itinerary has included stops with two MLS clubs, D.C. United and the Dallas Burn: "Richmond has treated me better, by far, than any other club I've played for."
Gorres said the same. He saluted the Kickers organization for its transparency.
"In all the years I've been here, I've never been treated wrong," he said. "Whenever they make a promise (to a player), they keep it. I've never known them to make a promise they didn't keep."
Pascale described the organization with one word — "phenomenal" — and said the impact of peace of mind upon on-field performance cannot be overstated.
"Not once in 12 years have I ever worried about my paycheck," he said. "Not once have I ever worried about the organization folding."
The 18-year-old club is consistent in other areas, as well. Coach Leigh Cowlishaw first joined the organization as a player in 1993. The current season is his 12th at the club's helm. Assistant coach Jesse Myers joined the staff in 1997. Between them, Cowlishaw and Myers have led the Kickers to two league championships and six playoff-final appearances in the past nine seasons.
Delicate said the climate created by Cowlishaw and Myers tends to attract — and ultimately retain — competitors who thrive upon challenge.
"You understand when you come here that the expectations are always going to be high," he said. "That's the culture of this club_ No matter what league you're in, no matter what division you're in, you're always going to be expected to win."
Less visible from the City Stadium bleachers, but no less important to the players, is the parallel universe of the Kickers' 8,000-member youth soccer program. This thriving entity provides coaching and administrative opportunities — and hence, offseason employment and a reason to remain in Richmond year-round — for many Kickers players.
Said Gorres: "You can't live on what you make by playing (minor-league) soccer six months a year. Without these (coaching) opportunities, you'd have to look for something in the business world. But the business world isn't going to want you to play soccer six months a year. So then you'd have to choose: Do I make a commitment to business? Or to soccer? Here, we don't have to make that choice."
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