Courtesy of Logan Smith, Walsh Sports Information Director
MUSCAT, Oman – Former Walsh Cavalier soccer player Ben Latimer has been selected to play for Team USA in the second CISM World Football Cup. Latimer played for the Cavaliers from 2008 to 2011 before he graduated in 2012 with a degree in marketing. He is now a member of the United States Air Force where he hopes to become an officer.
The event is being played in the capital city of Oman, which lies on the coast of the Gulf of Oman between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Oman borders Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. It starts today and will run through the January 29.
In addition to the United States and Oman, Bahrain, France, Algeria, Germany, Iran, North Korea, Ireland, Mali, Qatar, Egypt, Poland, Canada, and Syria will all participate.
It was quite a process for Latimer, No. 18 in the team picture above, to join the team. In order to even make it to camp for tryouts, each branch has players submit a soccer resume for screening. Most of the players on the team play for each branch's All-Armed Forces teams.
Once selected, all players traveled to Lackland Air Force Base, also known as Joint Base San Antonio, for a 2 ½ week camp where each day is a tough three-session regimen. During that time, they played the Houston Dynamo Academy, two San Antonio premier league teams, and The Canadian CISM team for scrimmages. The squad started with 28 players and the coaches cut eight players to make it a 20-man squad.
"It was a long, mentally and physically challenging process but it is such a great feeling making the squad," said Latimer through e-mail yesterday. "This experience means the world to me. Not only am I serving our country, I also get to represent us at the international level for a game that I love. It's truly an honor and privilege to be selected for the team."
Latimer was quick to acknowledge his experience with the Cavaliers as a big step in helping him reach this honor.
"The level of talent I played with at Walsh was very high," continued Latimer. "All the guys had immense knowledge of the game and also continued to develop and learn as we progressed. The coaching I received from both Tim Mead and John Hall was second to none."
He went on to talk about the importance of such a special event such as The CISM World Cup because it helps create positive relations with other countries through sport. There are other CISM teams such as basketball, and each event presents them with the opportunity to establish positive relationships with other countries.
"This is my first time with the team, but I have heard that after interacting with different countries, they now have a more positive perspective on our country," Latimer concluded. "It's truly a unique experience and enables the team to be ambassadors for our country. The CISM is all about friendship through sport."
