Columbus Crew SC Player Development coach Jared Dombrowski recently had the opportunity to do something that many soccer players strive for: represent his country on the international stage.
Dombrowski took the field – well, the beach – wearing the Red, White and Blue.
The 33-year-old was one of 10 Americans called up to the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team for the 2016 Copa Pilsener tournament in El Salvador. The tournament ran from March 22 to 27 in the country’s capital, San Salvador, and Dombrowski enjoyed every single moment.
“This was my first time representing the United States, and it is up there with the birth of my son as well as the day I got married in terms of the highlights of my life,” he says.
Dombrowski’s soccer career has taken him from the pitch to indoor to the beach. A defender by trade, he played 73 matches for Marshall University from 2001 to 2005. After his time with the Thundering Herd, he spent six years in the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) with the Ohio Vortex and the Cincinnati Saints.
“The biggest thing about indoor soccer is that it is soccer but the line changes and the boards make it different,” Dombrowski says. “At the professional indoor level, the concepts and tactics are completely different from what you grow up on.”
Dombrowski stumbled upon beach soccer following his time in the PASL. He came across a magazine ad for a beach soccer tournament in Cleveland that sparked his interest. He previously had minimal knowledge of beach soccer, but gathered some friends to play in the competition for fun.
“Beach soccer is a completely different game from turf and indoor,” he says “It’s similar to indoor soccer in terms of tactics and player movement, but you’re never really dribbling. It’s more out of the air, with flick-ups and acrobatics.”
Over the years, Dombrowski honed those skills in a multitude of beach soccer tournaments, including in Ohio, Florida and Virginia. His biggest moment came this past March when tried out and made the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team squad.
The U.S. lost all three matches in El Salvador, falling to Argentina on penalties (4-3), Portugal (4-1) and the hosts (4-2). Nevertheless, the experience was an unforgettable one for Dombrowski.
“Playing in El Salvador was intense, with the crowds at the games,” he says. “Playing against some of the best players and teams in the world, regardless if it’s grass or sand, is a great experience.”
