This Sunday, the city of San Antonio will have a historic first take place at Heroes Stadium near Morgan's Wonderland and STAR Soccer Complex as the San Antonio Scorpions soccer franchise take the field in the first-ever home game.
Reports are that over 9,000 tickets have already been sold for the event and the team has been hosting events all over town to help generate more interest in the North America Soccer League (NASL) franchise as they host the Puerto Rico Islanders.
One of the players on the Scorpions' roster is former University of the Incarnate Word men's soccer player Esteban Bayona who played for the Cardinals from 2006 through 2008.
Bayona, who is ranked 38th, all-time, in program history with 38 points (16 goals, 6 assists), credits his time playing for former UIW coach John Smith as a major contributing factor for his soccer career taking him where it has.
“The main thing I still remember and use from my days at Incarnate Word is what I learned from John Smith…” Bayona said in a phone interview, “… Hard work is going to pay off in the end. You hear it all the time and sometimes you don't believe it. When I was a player, there were times that I just didn't think hard work would ever do much for me. But, really, working hard is really the reason why I've gotten where I am today.”
After playing for the Cardinals, Bayona spent three years playing soccer for the Laredo Heat of the NSLPDL, being named to All-Southern Conference team, finishing as a top-three in goals scored in the entire league and being named the Heat's Offensive Player of the Year in 2010.
Playing for UIW provided Bayona with a chance for the Laredo coaching staff to see him in-action (the Cardinals usually scrimmage the Heat in a friendly preseason matchup during the spring) and his abilities on the field motivated them to sign the scoring threat.
Once in Laredo, Bayona said he had to learn a new, Latin style of play which, coming from a more English/Amercan style, took some getting used to.
“The American, or English, style is more of a direct, offensive style,” he explained. “In that style, you get the ball to your scorers fast and force it down the field. The Latin style is more about keeping possession, frustrating an opponent into making a mistake and taking advantage of it. As a striker at Laredo, I didn't touch the ball as much as I wanted to, but they got me the ball when I needed it.”
So, after three years with Laredo (and becoming one of the top offensive threats in the league), Bayona's game had evolved into something that was more suited for what the SA Scorpions were looking for.
“I think that definitely helped me catch the eye of the Scorpions.”
Esteban's experience being signed by the Scorpions was very unique – the morning before Laredo and San Antonio were scheduled to play against each other in a scrimmage, the Scorpion's coach, Tim Hankinson, contact Bayona to let him know that the team was interested in signing him.
Hankinson knew of Bayona from his time as a coach for Fort Lewis College in Colorado, so the two already had some familiarity with one another.
“They (the Scorpions) called my agent and they worked things out,” Bayona said. “They signed me and I actually played against Laredo that very evening – I played the last ten minutes and scored a goal against my old team.”
Bayona also took the field with the organization as the coaching staff was putting signees and hopefuls through games and drills while the team was still putting together a roster. The staff put Esteban on to the pitch as an outside midfielder – not his natural position – and things were a bit frustrating for him… until:
“For two weeks, I played with guys that were already signed and other players trying to make it,” Bayona explained. “But, once they put me up top I got comfortable and showed them what I could do. I only got 15-20 minutes at the end of each game (up top) and that really opened up their eyes.”
Now a member of the Scorpions, Bayona is back to doing what got him to this level (the NASL is just one step down from Major League Soccer – the top soccer league in the United States) – working hard.
“I'm slowly trying to prove myself and working hard to get more and more minutes – shooting for that starting spot.”
The Scorpions played their first-ever game against the Atlanta Silverback on April 7th, earning a 0-0 draw on the road. Now, the organization is ready and waiting to give the city of San Antonio an impressive first look at professional soccer on Sunday night.
“The whole team, the coaching staff, the people in the front office – we're all very excited and very stoked for the opener,” Bayona said. “We're ready to show the city that it is about time that we have a professional soccer team and the fans are really going to enjoy.”
Beyond the significance of a professional soccer team getting underway in San Antonio, Bayona also feels that the team's arrival in the city is a good thing for soccer in the region – especially for college players.
“I think that it's a good opportunity for the local, Division II schools (UIW, St. Mary's University, St. Edward's University, etc.), because the team being here helps to open the doors up for the players who get over-looked by teams and leagues.”
As one of those players who might have been over-looked by teams simply because he played for a DII school, Bayona is proof that working hard can help take you places.
